The 80th anniversary of the Battle of The Atlantic

Witness to Yesterday (The Champlain Society Podcast on Canadian History)

In this podcast episode, Larry Ostola talks to Ted Barris about his book The Battle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet of Victory published by HarperCollins in 2022. In Battle of the Atlantic, Ted Barris provides a well-researched account of Canada’s longest continuous military engagement during the Second World War. The years 2019 to 2025 mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic - the war’s most critical and dramatic battle of attrition. For five and a half years, German surface warships and submarines attempted to destroy Allied trans-Atlantic convoys, most of which were escorted by Royal Canadian destroyers and corvettes, as well as aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Throwing deadly U-boat “wolf packs” in the paths of the convoys, the German Kriegsmarine almost succeeded in cutting off this vital lifeline to a beleaguered Great Britain. During the desperate days and nights of the Battle of the Atlantic, the Royal Canadian Navy grew to 400 fighting ships and over 100,000 men and women in uniform; by V-E Day in 1945, it had become the fourth largest navy in the world. While Canadians think of the Great War battle of Vimy Ridge as the country’s coming of age, it was the Battle of the Atlantic that proved Canada’s gauntlet to victory and a nation-building milestone. Ted Barris is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster. His writing has regularly appeared in the national press as well as a wide variety of magazines. He's also worked as a host and contributor for CBC Radio, PBS, and TV Ontario. Barris is the author of 20 best-selling nonfiction books and is a member of the Order of Canada. This podcast was produced by Jessica Schmidt. Image Credit: Dave Wright / Library and Archives Canada If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.