Frederic John Walker

Frederic John Walker (1896–1944) was a Royal Navy officer who led escort groups against German submarines in the Battle of the Atlantic. His convoy tactics and aggressive pursuit made him one of Britain’s best-known anti-submarine commanders.

Connect

James Somerville: A Royal Navy admiral who commanded forces in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Second World War. Somerville appointed Walker to command the 2nd Escort Group in 1942.
Hedgehog (weapon): A forward-throwing anti-submarine weapon that fired contact-fused bombs ahead of a warship. Walker’s groups used Hedgehog attacks to strike submarines without first losing sonar contact.
Battle of the Atlantic: The prolonged campaign between the Allies and Germany over control of Atlantic sea routes during the Second World War. Walker’s career became prominent within this campaign to keep Allied shipping moving.
Western Approaches Command: The Royal Navy command responsible for protecting Allied shipping in the western Atlantic approaches to Britain. Its leadership gave Walker operational authority over Atlantic escort forces.
Max Horton: A Royal Navy admiral who directed the Western Approaches Command during the Battle of the Atlantic. Horton backed Walker’s independent escort-group operations as commander-in-chief.
Depth charge: An explosive weapon designed to detonate underwater near a submarine. Depth charges were a principal weapon in the escort groups’ submarine attacks.
Convoy HX 229: An Allied convoy attacked by German U-boats in the North Atlantic in March 1943. Walker’s escort group reinforced the convoy during a major U-boat attack.
Battle of the Atlantic campaign medal: A British campaign medal awarded for service in the Battle of the Atlantic. The medal commemorates the campaign in which Walker earned his reputation.
Donald Macintyre: A Royal Navy officer who became a prominent convoy escort commander in the Second World War. Macintyre’s escort-group experience paralleled Walker’s anti-submarine command.
Sonar: A technique that uses sound waves to detect and locate objects underwater. Sonar gave Walker’s escorts the contact needed to prosecute submerged U-boats.