Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
    Unavailable
    Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
    Unavailable
    Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
    Ebook775 pages12 hours

    Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943

    By Michael Gannon

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    In May 1943, Allied sea and air forces won a stunning, dramatic, and vital victory over the largest and most powerful submarine force ever sent to sea, sinking forty-one German U-boats and damaging thirty-seven others. It was the forty-fifth month of World War II, and by the end of May the Germans were forced to acknowledge defeat and recall almost all of their remaining U-boats from the major traffic lanes of the North Atlantic. At U-Boat Headquarters in Berlin, despondent naval officers spoke of "Black May." It was a defeat from which the German U-boat fleet never recovered.

    Black May is a triumph of scholarship and narrative, an important work of history, and a great sea story. Acclaimed historian Michael Gannon, author of Operation Drumbeat, has done enormous research and produced the most thoroughly documented study ever done of these battles. In his compelling historical saga, the people are as significant as the technical information.

    Given the strategic importance of the events of May 1943, it is natural to ask, How did Black May happen and why? Who or what was responsible? Were new Allied tactics adopted or new weapons employed?

    This book answers those questions and many others. Drawing on original documents in German, British, U.S., and Canadian archives, as well as interviews with surviving participants, Gannon describes the exciting sea and air battles, frequently taking the reader inside the U-boats themselves, aboard British warships, onto the decks of torpedoed merchant ships, and into the cockpits of British and U.S. aircraft.

    Throughout, Gannon tells the Black May story from both the German and Allied perspectives, often using the actual words of captains and crews. Finally, he allows the reader to "listen in" on secretly recorded conversations of captured U-boat men in POW quarters during that same incredible month, giving intimate and moving access to the thoughts and emotions of seamen that is unparalleled in naval literature. Rarely, if ever, has the U-boat war been presented so accurately, so graphically, and so personally as in Black May.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 9, 2011
    ISBN9780062039460
    Unavailable
    Black May: The Epic Story of the Allies' Defeat of the German U-Boats in May 1943
    Author

    Michael Gannon

    Michael Gannon is Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Florida, where he taught the history of World War II. He resides in Gainesville and is the author of seven books. In the l950s he wrote on military subjects from Europe. In 1968 he served as a war correspondent in Vietnam. Also a scholar in the field of Spanish colonial history, he has received numerous awards and honors, including Knight Commander of the Order of Isabel la Catolica from King Juan Carlos I of Spain.

    Read more from Michael Gannon

    Related to Black May

    Related ebooks

    History For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Undefended Shore

      Nov 7, 2017

      Undefended Shore
      18 min read

    • Article

      Hitler’s Wolfpacks

      Nov 27, 2017

      Hitler’s Wolfpacks
      15 min read

    • Article

      Tiger vs T-34

      Jul 12, 2018

      Tiger vs T-34
      9 min read

    • Article

      Fast And Furious

      Apr 5, 2022

      Fast And Furious
      13 min read

    • Article

      Crete’s Brutal Bayonet Battle

      Feb 2, 2020

      Crete’s Brutal Bayonet Battle
      2 min read

    • Article

      Full Medal Jacket

      Sep 3, 2019

      Full Medal Jacket
      8 min read

    • Article

      Roll Of The Dice

      Oct 26, 2021

      Roll Of The Dice
      2 min read

    • Article

      Ghosts Of The Glorious

      Jul 12, 2022

      Ghosts Of The Glorious
      18 min read

    • Article

      Discovering Rommel’s HQ

      Oct 2, 2017

      Erwin Rommel in 1942. The ‘Desert Fox’ was known for his personally humane conduct compared to other German commanders and he even described the North African campaign as a “War without Hate” “HIS EYES WERE OPEN, BUT HE WAS DEAD, WHICH WAS A SHOCK BE

      5 min read

    • Article

      The Perfect Trap

      Jan 7, 2020

      The Perfect Trap
      10 min read

    • Article

      A Torrent Of Fire

      Aug 6, 2020

      A Torrent Of Fire
      3 min read

    • Article

      Defender Of The Reich

      Dec 15, 2020

      Defender Of The Reich
      9 min read

    • Article

      Floatplane Beyond The Norm

      Sep 3, 2019

      Floatplane Beyond The Norm
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Chosin Reservoir Breakout

      Oct 30, 2017

      The Chosin Reservoir Breakout
      2 min read

    • Article

      Dr. Gatling’s Wonder Weapon

      Dec 25, 2018

      Dr. Gatling’s Wonder Weapon
      7 min read

    • Article

      Opening Antwerp

      Sep 4, 2018

      Opening Antwerp
      11 min read

    • Article

      Codebreakers In Peril

      May 23, 2023

      Codebreakers In Peril
      11 min read

    • Article

      Island Fortress

      May 23, 2023

      Island Fortress
      5 min read

    • Article

      Never Surrender, Never Sink

      Nov 8, 2022

      Never Surrender, Never Sink
      5 min read

    • Article

      Clash On The Devil’s Bridge

      Jun 18, 2020

      Clash On The Devil’s Bridge
      7 min read

    • Article

      World Navies 2021

      Feb 26, 2021

      World Navies 2021
      5 min read

    • Article

      Sink The Belgrano!

      Jan 1, 2019

      Sink The Belgrano!
      9 min read

    • Article

      The Other Korean War

      Jan 10, 2023

      The Other Korean War
      11 min read

    • Article

      5 Best Books On Waterloo

      Oct 4, 2018

      Many books were released for the bicentennial of Waterloo, but few were as clearly written and as challenging as Glover’s monograph. Highlighting many myths about the battle, the author provides convincing evidence to support his version of the event

      1 min read

    • Article

      Sturmpanzerwagen A7v

      Apr 19, 2018

      Sturmpanzerwagen A7v
      4 min read

    • Article

      Ghost Ships of Truk Lagoon

      Feb 22, 2020

      The adventures to be experienced with the underwater exploration of the mysterious Ghost Fleet of Truk Lagoon remain unparalleled. The wrecks in this most famous of lagoons represent some of the most well-preserved shipwrecks in the world. Truk Lagoo

      9 min read

    • Article

      To Kill Or Not To Kill

      Oct 26, 2021

      To Kill Or Not To Kill
      5 min read

    • Article

      Road To Waterloo Quatre Bras

      Aug 5, 2021

      In June 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte launched one of the most dramatic campaigns in military history. Fought in what is now Belgium, his efforts ended in a decisive defeat at Waterloo – a battle that ended the Napoleonic Wars and changed the course of Eu

      10 min read

    Reviews for Black May

    3.5/5

    18 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words