BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC WEEKEND AT THE CANADIAN WAR MUSEUM!Ottawa, Ontario, April 24, 2006 — The Canadian War Museum (CWM) will mark the Battle of the Atlantic during the weekend of Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7, by offering its very popular Witness to History program. Meet and listen to the compelling personal experiences of veterans of the Battle of the Atlantic.
What is the Battle of the Atlantic?
To maintain its war effort during the Second World War, Britain imported enormous quantities of supplies by sea. If the Germans sank Allied merchant ships transporting weapons, raw materials, and food at a faster rate than this shipping could be replaced, then Britain would slowly lose the ability to wage war. This struggle was known as the "Battle of the Atlantic". Halifax was the main port on the east coast of North America where merchant ships formed into convoys, groups of merchant vessels that sailed together for the hazardous trans-Atlantic crossing.
Germany nearly won this war at sea but, in May 1943, after suffering severe losses to Allied warships and aircraft, the Germans withdrew most of their U-boats from the mid-Atlantic. Throughout the war, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the Canadian Merchant Navy, and the immense output of Canadian industry proved vital in the costly Allied victory.
WHAT: Witnesses to the Battle of the Atlantic
WHERE: Gallery 3, Canadian War Museum, 1 Vimy Place
WHEN: Saturday May 6 and Sunday May 7, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The CWM attempts to help all Canadians understand their country's military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions. It emphasizes the human experience of war to explain the impact of organized human conflict on Canada and Canadians past and present, and how, through war, conflict, and peace support operations, Canadians have affected, and have been affected by, the world around them. Special exhibitions and programs also explore non-Canadian and general themes related to the human experience of war and the subject of armed conflict, past and present.
More information is available by calling (819) 776-7600 or 1 800 555-5621.
Information (media):
Christina Selin
Senior Media Relations Officer
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: (819) 776-8607
E-mail: mailto:christina.selin@warmuseum.ca
Pierre Leduc
Communications Officer
Canadian War Museum
Phone: (819) 776-8608
E-mail: mailto:pierre.leduc@warmuseum.ca
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