The Unusual Weapon

The sole purpose of the attacks on shipping were to starve the Britons into submission. Withholding of food is a potent weapon in the art of subjugation. Starving armies cannot fight, starving civilians cannot support their military. The balance of trade was so unequal that as many as half of the outbound ships were loaded with sand and rock to provide ballast in lieu of cargo.

Rations, never lavish, began to get slimmer as the war continued. By April, 1941 there was already a 3 million ton shortfall of imports needed to keep the factories running and the population healthy. The meat ration had been cut four times and cheese became a rationed commodity as shipping losses continued to soar. Hitler's plan of starving Britain into submission was on the verge of working.

By 1943 the Battle of the Atlantic was beginning to swing in favor of the Allies. This was largely due to improved antisubmarine warfare, greatly assisted by the breaking of the German naval codes. Shipping losses were reduced, replacement of lost ships and increasing the size of the merchant navy became possible. Food supplies began coming in from Canada and the United States, particularly salt cod, tinned sausage and corned beef. To the delight of many the American corned beef was part of the regular meat ration and did not require any extra points coupons.

Had the war at sea not been won, Great Britain might have indeed capitulated, starved out of the war. Starvation, as a German weapon, had been countered by the combined efforts of British housewives, the Royal Navy and Intelligence services to keep Britons fighting fit with food, the most unusual weapon of the war.

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