Battle of the St. Lawrence facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of the St. Lawrence |
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| Part of the Battle of the Atlantic | |||||||
 German submarine U-190 arrives in St. John's, Newfoundland in June 1945 after surrendering |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Canada |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Percy W. Nelles Leonard W. Murray |
 Karl Dönitz |
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| Strength | |||||||
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 23 merchant ships sunk 4 RCN ships sunk 340 killed |
Some U-boats damaged and some crewmen killed, All spies captured | ||||||
The Battle of the St. Lawrence was a secret war fought right in Canada's own waters during World War II. From May 1942 to November 1944, German U-boats (submarines) attacked ships in the lower St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. This included areas like the Strait of Belle Isle, Anticosti Island, and Cabot Strait.
During this time, German U-boats sank more than 20 merchant ships and four Canadian warships. There were also attempts by German spies to land on Canadian shores or pick up escaping prisoners of war. Even though Canada lost 23 ships, this battle was a big victory for Canadian forces. They managed to stop the U-boat attacks, protect Canadian and Allied supply ships, and catch all the spies. This was the first time since the War of 1812 that a foreign power had caused damage in Canada's inland waters.
Before World War II, Canada's navy, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), had very few ships. This was because of tough economic times and a feeling that Canada was safe due to its closeness to the United States and protection from the British Royal Navy. Just before the war, the RCN had only six destroyers. Its main job was to protect convoys (groups of ships) crossing the North Atlantic. By the end of the war, the RCN had grown a lot. It became the third-largest Allied navy, with 400 ships and 100,000 men and women. The British Royal Navy also sent two destroyers to help in October 1942 when the attacks were at their worst.
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Why the Battle of the St. Lawrence Happened
From 1939 until VE Day (the end of the war in Europe), several Canadian ports on the Atlantic coast became very important. They were used to send supplies to the United Kingdom and later to help the Allied armies fighting in Europe.
Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia were the main ports where convoys gathered. Halifax handled fast convoys with important supplies and troops. Sydney handled slower convoys with heavier materials on older ships. Both ports had strong defenses, including radar, searchlights, and coastal guns. These were operated by Canadian Navy and Army personnel. Strict blackouts were enforced, and anti-torpedo nets protected the harbor entrances. Even though no German soldiers landed near these ports, U-boats often attacked convoys leaving for Europe. The port of Saint John was also used, especially after the United States joined the war in December 1941.
The Battle of the St. Lawrence was not as damaging to Canada's overall war effort. Canada could still use its railway network to send supplies to the east coast ports. However, the U-boat attacks in the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence from early 1942 to late 1944 were a big shock to Canadians. It brought the war right to their doorstep.
U-boat Attacks Begin: Spring 1942
The German navy, called the Kriegsmarine, had not planned to attack ships in the St. Lawrence River. Their attacks were more by chance at first.
The first attack happened on May 12, 1942. The German submarine U-553 sank the British ship Nicoya near Anticosti Island. Hours later, it sank the Dutch ship Leto in the same area. After these attacks, U-553 left the Gulf to go back to its usual patrol area in the North Atlantic.
Before these sinkings, only four Canadian warships guarded the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This was not enough to protect the area. The RCN sent five more ships, but it was still not enough. This showed that the RCN did not have enough resources. Some people in Canada suggested bringing RCN ships back from the Atlantic convoys to protect Canadian waters. However, the RCN's main job remained protecting convoys going to Britain, the Soviet Union, and North Africa.
The British Royal Navy sent some ships to help the RCN for a few months in 1942. Convoys in the St. Lawrence River were formed at Canadian naval bases in Quebec City, Gaspé, and Sydney. RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) planes also flew patrols from airfields like Mont-Joli and Sydney.
People living along the St. Lawrence River were shocked to see naval battles happening near their homes. Ships were on fire, explosions shook their communities, and bodies and wreckage washed ashore. The Canadian government kept these incidents secret, so the news only spread through local talk. Blackouts were strictly enforced, and army units patrolled the coasts.
Summer 1942: More Attacks
In July 1942, Captain Ernst Vogelsang brought U-132 into the Gulf. On July 6, he quickly sank three ships from a convoy of twelve: the British ships Dinaric and Hainaut, and the Greek ship Anastassios Pateras. A Canadian ship, HMCS Drummondville, and four Curtiss P-40 Warhawk planes from No. 130 Squadron RCAF attacked the U-boat. They damaged its pumps and caused it to lose fuel. The U-boat hid at the bottom for 12 hours before leaving the Gulf for repairs.
In late August, two U-boats attacked the St. Lawrence together. U-517 sank nine ships and damaged another in two weeks. It escaped attacks by escort ships each time and even sank the Canadian corvette HMCS Charlottetown on September 11. U-165 was less successful against merchant ships. However, it sank the armed yacht HMCS Raccoon and badly damaged the American ship USS Laramie. The RCAF Eastern Air Command created a "Special Submarine Hunting Detachment" to better defend convoys. On September 9, a pilot named R.S. Keetley attacked U-165. He didn't do much damage, but the air and naval activity kept the U-boat from attacking other convoys.
On September 24, planes from 113 Squadron saw U-517 seven times and attacked it three times. Flying Officer M.J. Bélanger, an experienced pilot, made two of these attacks. The U-boat survived, but the attacks hurt it and some of its crew. Bélanger was later awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his determined efforts.
Because of these ongoing attacks, the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence were closed to all ships traveling across the Atlantic. Only coastal trade was allowed. This put a strain on the Canadian National Railway system, which had to carry more goods to Sydney and Halifax. The closure lasted until early 1944.
Autumn 1942: More Losses
On September 5, 1942, U-513 attacked and sank two ships, SS Lord Strathcona and SS Saganaga, near Bell Island. Twenty-nine men from Saganaga died. On September 10, U-91 attacked Convoy ON 127 and chased it across the Atlantic. The U-boat was slightly damaged by warships but managed to sink HMCS Ottawa with two torpedoes.
On October 14, the passenger ferry SS Caribou was torpedoed by U-69 in the Cabot Strait. This happened between Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques, Newfoundland, and many lives were lost. U-69 escaped an attack by the Canadian minesweeper HMCS Grandmère.
On October 21, U-43 entered the river and met many RCN patrols. The U-boat's captain tried to attack a convoy but was spotted and driven away by escort ships. Six depth charges from the Canadian minesweeper HMCS Gananoque damaged the U-boat. It was able to escape the river.
On November 2, U-518 sank two iron ore ships and damaged another at Bell Island in Conception Bay, Newfoundland. It then went to the Gaspé Peninsula. There, it successfully landed a spy named Werner von Janowski at New Carlisle, Quebec. He was caught shortly after landing. In November, U-183 was ordered into the Gulf but turned back because of the strong Canadian patrols.
By the end of 1942, the German navy had lost many U-boats. Also, Germany was not building new U-boats fast enough to replace them. So, the U-boat fleet was sent to the main Atlantic convoy routes to disrupt Allied supplies. This meant enemy submarines were pulled out of the St. Lawrence River and Gulf of St. Lawrence.
1943: The Spy Escape Plan
In early 1943, Canadian military intelligence and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found letters sent to German naval officers held at a prisoner of war (POW) camp in Bowmanville, Ontario. The letters described an escape plan. The prisoners would tunnel out of the camp and travel across Quebec to Pointe de Maisonnette, New Brunswick. A U-boat would then pick them up.
Canadian authorities kept this a secret from the POWs. They found signs of tunnel digging at the camp. When the prisoners tried to escape, all but one were caught. The one who escaped traveled all the way to Pointe de Maisonnette without being detected. He was caught by military police and RCMP on the beach on the night the U-boat was supposed to pick him up.
The RCN sent a special force, called "Operation Pointe Maisonnette", to counter the U-boat. This force was led by HMCS Rimouski. On the night of September 26-27, 1943, Rimouski and its task force waited in Caraquet Harbour. They detected U-536 off Pointe de Maisonnette at the same time the escaped POW was arrested on shore.
U-536 managed to escape the RCN force by diving deep as the warships attacked with depth charges. The submarine was able to leave the Gulf of St. Lawrence without picking up the escapee.
1944: The Final Attacks
By 1943, the RCAF was getting better at finding and attacking U-boats in Canadian waters. The RCN had also grown larger and more effective. This allowed more resources to be used for anti-submarine operations in Canadian territory. By early 1944, the shipping lanes in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and St. Lawrence River were reopened for Canadian and war-related convoys.
Late 1944 saw U-boat activity return to the St. Lawrence. German submarines were now equipped with a "snorkel". This was a special pipe that allowed them to run their engines and stay underwater for long periods without having to surface.
U-1223 entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence without being detected in early October. It seriously damaged the Canadian frigate HMCS Magog on October 14. On November 2, it sank the Canadian freighter SS Fort Thompson. Three weeks later, on the night of November 24-25, U-1228 attacked and sank the Canadian corvette HMCS Shawinigan. This happened near Channel/Port aux Basques. All 91 crew members were lost, including hockey player Dudley "Red" Garrett. Authorities only realized the ship had sunk when its replacement ferry arrived without Shawinigan on November 26. Wreckage was found on November 27, and six bodies were recovered. This was the worst case of military deaths in Canadian territory during the war.
These two German attacks marked the end of the Battle of the St. Lawrence. In May 1945, after Germany surrendered, U-889 and U-190 surrendered to the RCN in Shelburne, Nova Scotia and Bay Bulls, Newfoundland.
After the war, experts learned that the mix of fresh and salt water in the St. Lawrence, along with temperature changes and sea ice, made it hard for the RCN to find submarines. These conditions reduced how well shipboard sonar systems worked. Fog and other weather conditions also made it difficult for RCAF planes to patrol.
Remembering the Battle
In 1999, 55 years after the battle, the Governor General of Canada unveiled a monument in Halifax. It commemorates the battle and lists the names of all the sailors who were lost. The battle is also remembered in other ways. For example, in 2005, Veterans Affairs Canada published a book about the events of the battle. These efforts help educate people about Canada's role in the Battle of the St. Lawrence.
In Popular Culture
- The Canadian TV series Bomb Girls mentions the battle several times in its second season. It is also shown in newspapers in the show. Footage of the battle is also included in the TV movie Bomb Girls: Facing the Enemy.
See also
- Attacks on North America during World War II
- Military history of Nova Scotia
- Convoys SG-6/LN-6
- Convoy QS-33
- Convoy SQ-36
- Convoy LN-7
