Germany began the Second World War with a navy that was badly outnumbered by the Allied navies.
The Fall of France and the entry of Italy into the war changed the naval balance of power. Also, Germany could now base submarines and ships on the coasts of France or Norway, much closer to the trade lanes. Now it was the Royal Navy that began to feel stretched.
- Listen now:
Playlist:
Fanfare
Opening War Theme
Overture to Der fliegende Höllander (The Flying Dutchman)
Composed in 1840 by Richard Wagner. Public domain.
Performed by the University of Chicago Orchestra, and used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Source.
Closing War Theme
Except when otherwise indicated, the contents of this podcast are © and ℗ 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 by Mark Painter, all rights reserved. Some music and sound effects used by arrangement with Pond 5. Photograph of Bismarck from the Bundesarchiv, used pursuant to a Creative Commons CC BY-SA license. Source.
