Citation

Salgado A. Mar. Mirror 2019; 105(3): 288-296.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Society for Nautical Research)

DOI

10.1080/00253359.2019.1615777

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

When in February 1917 Germany started the unrestricted submarine campaign, the number of merchant ships sunken by U-boats increased, reaching its peak in April that year. From that time the number of vessels sunk started to decrease. However, a more detailed study of the number of ships sunk while navigating the area between the north Iberian peninsula and the Portuguese-held archipelagos of the Azores, Madeira and Cape Verde, shows a different reality. In this vast area, through which most of the Allied maritime traffic sailed, there was only a real decrease in ships sunk from May 1918. This article, using mainly primary English, German, French and Portuguese sources, shows this lesser-known reality and aims to give some possible explanations for this situation.

Language: en

Keywords

First World War; Naval convoys; Portuguese Atlantic; submarine warfare; U-boats