Battle of the Atlantic Commemoration – One of the Fleet Air Arm’s two vintage SWORDFISH flew in the skies above Somerset in run up to Battle of the Atlantic commemorations with a BBC film crew in attendance to record footage for a documentary on the pivotal battle, whose victory will be marked by a weekend of major events in Liverpool next spring.   That battle – described by Churchill as “the dominating factor all through the war” – reached its climax in the spring of 1943.   In May 1943, the Allied powers sank 43 German submarines – 34 of them in the Atlantic – which wiped out a quarter of the enemy’s frontline strength.    Liverpool – home in the war to Western Approaches from where the struggle against the U-boat was directed – will be the focal point of 70th anniversary commemorations  in May 2013.