The Battle of the St Lawrence: The Second World War in Canada

Gordon Turner is the author of Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific’s
Greatest Ship and the editor of SeaFare, a quarterly newsletter on sea
travel.

Most Canadians nowadays are surprised to learn that Germany carried
World War II right into the Gulf of St. Lawrence and even as far as the
lower reaches of the river itself. Sixteen U-boat patrols roamed the
waters at various times between May 1942 and November 1944, sinking 24
Allied merchant and naval vessels, sometimes within sight of the
villages of the Gaspé Peninsula. Deaths reached 364, the majority being
Canadian and Newfoundland naval personnel and civilians. In the early
days of the battle, Canada’s small air force and navy had to make do
with outdated equipment, and it took time before improved training,
better technology, and first-hand experience were sufficient for their
task.

A postwar rumour that the Canadian government placed a news embargo on
the battle has gained currency over the years, but, as the author
relates, this was not the case. Newspapers, particularly the
French-language press in Quebec, as well as English-language papers
elsewhere in Canada, provided information about the sinkings. Questions
were raised in the House of Commons, and these too were duly reported.

Greenfield has done a fine job of researching the details, and has
produced a readable account of those grim days. He has studied the
records, interviewed the survivors, and discussed his findings with
experts. Good though his book is, it is not without irritants, such as
frequently using “England” instead of “Britain.” The index has
omissions that make references difficult to locate. Officers’ ranks
are not always correctly stated. Still, The Battle of the St. Lawrence
is a worthwhile addition to the literature of Canada’s role in World
War II.