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LATE on the night of May 7 1945 - more than .e i. se rer eight hours after man General Alfred JodI signed his country's surrender document ' . British Ire . k, the ig..ters Avondale Park and Sneland were torpedoed by U-2336 within sight of home ' They were the last victims of the U-boat war. The next day the people of London and of cities the length and breadth of the country were dancing in the- streets. - -:
The circumstances of the of Park and Sneland typified the despeA rate nature of the struggle to fl ,*& keep Britain sea lanes open j - a war of survival that had ebbed and flowed for five -years, nine months, five days, 13 hours and one minute.
A whimsical vision of victory winch appeared on the front cover of the June 1945 issue of the naval magazine "The Oiiiybox". a forerunner of Navy News. I-
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It was a conflict that had resulted in the destruction of more than 20,000 Allied muchant vessels and more than 250 major warships, quite
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The fountains of Trafalgar Square were a natural
locus for the rejoicing crowds on May 8. iwu span from many hundreds of smaller ships - escorts, minesweepers. landing craft document which would bring steam for victory. It was a toy. and coastal patrol vessels, otis moment a sate moment peace to Europe. - but everyone knew that the Casualties in the war On the dawn of May 8 The against Germany and her celebrations, while sweet, Daily Mirror kept its promise 10 completely disrobe its norwould have to be shortEuropean allies included more thethan 47.000 RN personnel mally - scantily-clad cartoon Britain and her allies had killed theroine uane missing, with almost without. still to resolve a cruel conflict 29.000 members of the Metseems, any fear of prosecuon the other side of the lobe chant Service sharing their where the fighting and sufferfate. Hundreds of thousands of lng were continuing. They people gathered in central braced themselves for what __________ iLondon. splashed otrttheir joy all expected to be the in the fountains, waved flags bloodiest bathes yet the There was much left to do in King." they - a Europe. too Europe thronged outside Buckingham the most saydevastated died in by had Palace to cheer VI Many major George actions and were mourned by age war in history and by murand Prime Minister Winston darous tyranny. In the midst of the whole nation - as in the Churchill. that chaos, would all the Ger. - sinking of the battlecruiser mans surrender as ordered HMS H-nod in which more than S or would fanatical elements of 1,400 perished in a cataclys$ their land, sea and air forces "This is your victory, Churmic there were others who ware casualties of chill told them. "In all our long put up a last'ditch resistance? No one knew for certain. smaller actions, in smaller history we have never seen a ships whose passing amid the greater day than this. The first U-boat to sun-ennews of bigger events elseThe reveries continued der at Portland on May 10 was where made no headlines, followed by a steady stream through a night strangely illuThe destruction of Avondale minated after years of blackof enemy submarines giving Park and Sneland, one mile out. With the darkness sudthemselves up tamely. With a off the Isle of May in the Firth mixture of relief and wariness, denly a memory, bonfires, of Forth, were two such and the Royal Navy's escort ships floodlights searchlights, that went blazed and danced. And in all losses virtually kept their guns loaded and the ports in all the land, ships' unnoticed. All attention was focused on the drying ink of a sirens hooted, letting off " Turn to next page.
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Anton Hanney
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