Victory at Sea (TV Series) Sealing the Breach (1952) User Reviews

"There is no safety in these waters".

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 16 May 2010]

With Roosevelt's declaration of hostilities, the United States economy goes on a war time footing. Convoys of American cargo ships, ever wary of German submarine activity in the Atlantic Ocean, begin operating along the coastline, eventually taking a northeasterly course toward Britain. The Battle of the Atlantic has more to do with getting supplies to our Allies than actual combat, and film footage offered in this episode of the series present the mission as a dubious game of odds against the enemy. Who will make it through, and who will suffer the dire consequences of German submarine attack in perilous waters?

What's compelling about this installment is the amount of film footage that's shown from the enemy perspective. German submarine sailors are jubilant in their successful attacks on an American fleet, and more than one cargo ship is observed sinking to a watery grave. The safety in numbers strategy was of small relief to those seamen who made it through, the German wolf packs would strike and strike again administering a fury the world had never seen before.

Getting Prepared And On Their Way

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 10 January 2010]

"Preparation" and "convoy" were more the words here than "action" in this third episode, although there was some of the latter, just not nearly as much as the first two installments in this series.

The United States had just been bombed at Pearl Harbor and President Roosevelt had declared "a state of war." Now, it was time to get everything rolling. Some of it had already begun as America could see the obvious handwriting on the wall with the carnage in Europe that had been going on for several years.

It's explained how cities along the east coast, from Maine to Florida - especially big cities like New York - had to learn to turn their lights off at night because we discovered evidence (shipwrecked material or a small oil spill) that German U-boats had been right on the shores! Later, we see some amazing shots of ships in flames.

Now, as we began building an army of supplies for air, ground and sea, we always began sending large amounts of supplies to Europe. We see the huge convoy that we sent and the planes (including dirigibles) to help protect it, along with radar ships to detect any German boats in the area. It's a tense period in the war for the United States as it all begins for us.

Sealing the Breach is another compelling episode of Victory at Sea

[tavm · 10/10 · 22 June 2007]

With war now declared on the U.S. front, naval branches throughout the southeastern states have banded together to bring battleships and submarines with supplies across the Atlantic Ocean to our Allies in England. Among those branches are those in New Orleans which is a two-hour drive from my current hometown of Baton Rouge, La. and one in my former hometown of Jacksonville, Fla. German U-Boats come through and manage to bombard some of the sailors and airplane pilots along the way. Still, Americans are resilient...Another compelling episode of World War II history with, as always, stirring music from the great Richard Rodgers. Great narration matches that music to a T and keeps things in perspective. Well worth viewing for any U.S. history buffs there.