Six Air Forces Over the Atlantic
How Allied Airmen Helped Win the Battle of the Atlantic
Joseph T. Molyson Jr., Stackpole Books, 2024, 376 pages
Book Review published on: December 23, 2025
Taking his cue from John Keegan’s book Six Armies in Normandy: From D-Day to the Liberation of Paris; June 6–August 5, 1944, retired U.S. Air Force intelligence officer and author Col. Joseph Moylson sets out to recount, as the subtitle of Six Air Forces Over the Atlantic: How Allied Airmen Helped Win the Battle of the Atlantic puts it, “How allied airmen helped win the Battle of the Atlantic August 1939–June 1944.” While the literature on the battle, or more accurately the Campaign for the Atlantic, is extensive and still growing, the author focuses on the decisive role that aviation played in its successful conclusion for the Allies.
The six air forces in question are the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), Great Britain’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the U.S. Army Air Corps/Army Air Forces and U.S. Navy Aviation. The air forces of the Allied powers, in close cooperation with their surface navies, had a significant role in defeating the German submarine offensive and securing the vital sea lines of communications that allowed the Allies to sustain Great Britain, transport troops and equipment, and eventually launch the invasion of “Fortress Europe.”
The Atlantic campaign was profoundly influenced by technological developments in radar, sonar or ASDIC, the Leigh Light, sonobuoys, magnetic anomaly detection devices, and new or improved airplane models. But equally significant were the organizational, procedural, and tactical changes and adjustments that technology and the needs for joint and combined operations imposed on the leaders of these organizations. On the other hand, the book also demonstrates how in a total war situation, even outdated equipment can be effectively repurposed for less demanding missions. Examples of this include the use of the B-18 “Bolo” bomber as an effective antisubmarine platform, the use of the legacy aircraft carrier USS Ranger in an escort carrier role, and the recruitment of U.S. Coast Guard and Civil Air Patrol small airplanes for surveillance purposes.
The Atlantic Campaign required a high degree of interservice and international cooperation on both sides of the ocean. In this regard, the Allies, despite their initial tragic failures, were able to iron out their difficulties and, by mid-1943, had established clear lines of cooperation and shared responsibilities. This, the author points out, was not the case with the Germans. Jealous of his prerogatives, Air Marshal Hermann Göring starkly declared that “Everything that flies is mine,” and proceeded to appropriate and dismantle the German navy’s air arm. This, among other issues, such as lack of long-range antisubmarine aircraft, and failure to keep up with evolving technologies, proved to be disastrous for the Germans.
The book is written in a simple, straightforward style. Especially helpful is the inclusion of many types of explanatory charts, tables, and graphics. The author describes aviation terms, concepts, and equipment clearly and concisely. This is a great help to those readers who are not familiar with them. In addition, many photographs and drawings complement the text and provide technical information. A profusion of maps portrays the various stages of the campaign, the air and sea routes, the patrol areas of the combatants, and the ebb and flow of battle over the Atlantic. The appendices provide useful information on organization, rank structure, and capabilities of naval and air forces. Finally, the book is supported by an extensive bibliography.
I believe that Six Air Forces Over the Atlantic is a worthy addition to the literature on what was arguably the most decisive campaign in World War II—the Battle of the Atlantic. While it does not offer any new material or fresh interpretation, it presents the basic events and developments in a structured clear way from a decidedly air-centric perspective. I recommend it not only to aviators from all services but to anyone interested in the challenges of joint and combined operations over large continental and oceanic expanses and the execution of large-scale combat operations and campaigns.
Book Review written by: Prisco R. Hernández, PhD, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas