Battle of the Atlantic Story
The Battle
of the
Atlantic Story
The Battle of the Atlantic Story Experience is the world's first museum dedicated to the longest continuous military campaign of World War II - centred around the U-534 submarine, the only U-boat raised from the seabed after combat - and home to the world's largest memorial to the Atlantic Campaign.
Opening in 2027
A Story of Courage,
Sacrifice & Survival
From 1939 to 1945, the Battle of the Atlantic determined the survival of Britain and the outcome of the Second World War. Without victory at sea, there would have been no D-Day and liberation of Europe. The war would have been lost. The Battle of the Atlantic museum exists so the story is never forgotten, and is told through the artefacts, voices and experiences of those who bravely lived through the battle. At the heart of the museum, is the U-534, the last U-boat to leave Germany before the surrender. The submarine was sunk on 5 May 1945 and raised from the Kattegat seabed in 1993. The U-534 is now the centre piece of this new museum and is preserved in Woodside.
"Liverpool was the lifeline of the Atlantic."
- Admiral Sir Max Horton, Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches
3,500+
Allied ships lost
70,000+
Allied lives lost
28,000
German submariners lost
6 years
Continuous campaign
The Exhibition
Four Zones. One Story.
Supply Lines
Crossing submarine-infested waters, 3,000 merchant vessels formed the Atlantic convoys that sustained Britain and powered the Allied war effort.
Explore the Exhibition→CONVOY IDENTIFICATION
SC 48
SUPPLY LINES
Warfare at Sea
German U-boats formed the lethal "Wolf Packs" that stalked the Atlantic, while the Allies developed increasingly sophisticated countermeasures in a deadly technological arms race.
Discover U-534→CONVOY IDENTIFICATION
ON 67
WARFARE AT SEA
Signals & Secrets
"Radar was our first great invention…" - Roy 'Dick' Dykes. Alongside the breaking of Enigma, the race for radar superiority helped turn the tide of the battle.
Uncover the Intelligence War→CONVOY IDENTIFICATION
HX 236
SIGNALS & SECRETS
Life at Sea
For the crews of merchant ships and warships, life at sea tested endurance, courage and fellowship, qualities forged on both sides of the conflict.
Remember Those Who Served→CONVOY IDENTIFICATION
SL 125
LIFE AT SEA
"The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-boat peril."
- Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Centrepiece
U-534:
The Last U-Boat
Commissioned in December 1942, U-534 was one of the last U-boats to leave Germany before the surrender. On 5 May 1945, just days before VE Day, she was intercepted by RAF Liberators from No. 86 Squadron and sunk in the Kattegat. She lay on the seabed for nearly five decades before her remarkable recovery in 1993. Now carefully preserved in sections in the Wirral, the U-534 offers a rare and extraordinary insight into life aboard a Second World War German U-boat, as well as the personal stories of the men who crewed her.
The U-534 Story →U-534
U-534 · Type IXC/40 · Commissioned December 1942 · Recovered 1993
Memorial
Remembering All
Who Served
From merchant seamen and Royal Navy sailors to RAF aircrew and German submariners, the Battle of the Atlantic claimed lives on all sides. This museum stands in tribute to their memory.
Visit the Memorial →Memorial Wall
An external memorial wall, a bronze work by acclaimed Liverpool sculptor Emma Rodgers, will carry the names of those who gave their lives in the Battle of the Atlantic. Crafted in traditional sand-cast bronze, it will stand as a place of national remembrance and pilgrimage.
"In 1942, at just seventeen, I lied about my age to join the Royal Navy. The young German sailors we faced were just like us, brave, scared and far too young to die."
John Dennett · Royal Navy Veteran
Opening in 2027
Plan Your Visit
Register your interest and be the first to hear about opening events, ticket releases, and what to expect when we open in 2027.
CH41 6DU · Banks of the River Mersey · Views of the Liverpool skyline