Watch U-Boats - Hitler's Sharks - Chapter 3 - The Sound of the Drum

From the beginning of the Second World War the sea became a vitally important scene of conflict. The British government was forced to maintain a strategy of antisubmarine warfare throughout the conflict, while the Royal Navy sought to interrupt the Third Reich's maritime traffic. In these circumstances the submarine became an important weapon of war. Headed by Karl Donitz, the German U-boats gained the initiative in the sea war and from the beginning launched all-out attacks against shipping en route to Great Britain. One of the great unanswered questions of the war is what would have happened if Hitler had granted the numerous requests made by Donitz for more submarines?