In WWII, where was the treacherous maritime area often referred to as the 'Black Pit'?

The 'Black Pit' was a term related to an area of the North Atlantic Ocean which was beyond the range of land-based American and British anti-submarine aircraft during WWII. Other names for the area include the 'Mid-Atlantic Gap', the 'Greenland Gap', the 'Atlantic Gap' and the 'Air Gap'.

This area of the Atlantic Ocean was a part of a major supply route, and heavy naval and merchant shipping losses were suffered at the hands of German U-boat submarines and warships.

Between 1939 and 1945, over 3,500 merchant ships and 175 allied warships were lost at a cost of over 72,000 lives in the North Atlantic as a whole. Many of these losses occurred in the 'Black Pit' area. The German navy also lost 783 submarines and 47 warships at a cost of over 30,000 lives.

The 'Black Pit' was eventually closed in May 1943 following the availability of U.S. long-range Liberator anti-submarine aircraft. These aircraft were based in Newfoundland allowing them to provide the protection for cross-Atlantic convoys up to the range of British aircraft.

In 2020 Tom Hanks starred in the movie 'Greyhound' which highlighted one of the significant WWII conflicts in the 'Black pit'.