Naval Superiority

[PhilB]

That`s 24 crossings per day - about 8000 per year. Does that mean the Germans weren`t too concerned about the traffic and didn`t bother to attack it or did the RN put up a screen that the enemy tried to penetrate but couldn`t? Phil B

[Michael Lowrey]

Phil,

The Germans did not try to interdict the flow of troops between England and France. There was some mining of the ports involved, but the minelaying U-boats certainly didn't operate against these ports exclsuively. (Anything but it in fact.)

Best wishes,

Michael

[joseph]

24 crossings a day is something of an understatement….. I have the timetable for the Folkestone – Boulogne and Dover – Calais transport service 1st to 15th June 1917 there where 135 sailings daily. The superiority of the Royal Navy shows, as only one vessel was sunk on the transport runs. This bearing in mind Ostend was only 60 miles from the centre of the Folkestone – Boulogne traffic line and left it wide open to attack by destroyers and fast attack craft. As the largest ships in the Dover Patrol where 2 Light Cruisers supported by Destroyers, Trawlers and Drifters I’m of the opinion it was the planning, preparation and performance that produced the superiority.

Regards Charles