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Sink and Destroy

the Battle of the Atlantic
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Jul 16, 2015
“The bow swung round and the ship leaned over at a crazy angle. I hung on to my gun to keep from getting thrown overboard. From my position I could see two trails of bubbles racing toward us from out of the dark, frigid water. Beyond that, there was just the blackness of a North Atlantic night.” The Battle of the Atlantic, fought from 1939 to the time of Germany’s defeat in 1945, pitted boats and aircraft from the Allied countries, including Canada, against those of Germany and Italy. Described as “the longest, largest, and most complex” naval battle in history, the Battle of the Atlantic was vitally important. The Allies needed to continue supplying Britain with food and with the materials that enabled it to keep fighting and later to free the Nazi-occupied countries of Europe. Edward Kay’s book, Sink and Destroy, is the compelling account of one young member of the Royal Canadian Navy serving on a corvette ship – one of many that guarded Allied supply freighters crossing the north Atlantic. Bill O’Connell, who had enlisted at only sixteen years of age, was from a small town in Ontario. The work on such corvettes was extremely dangerous. Harassed by the dreaded German submarines, especially in the Atlantic’s “Black Pit” area, sailors were on a continual lookout for deadly torpedoes. Although the Allies eventually won the Battle of the Atlantic, German submarines took a huge toll on their ships. 2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the end of the Battle of the Atlantic. Sink and Destroy is one of the titles in the I am Canada series. Offering realistic, accurate accounts of various significant events and times in our country’s history, these books would likely be of most interest to boys. ** Recommended for ages 11 to 14 years.