In 1942, German U-boats attacked Bell Island twice which led to four cargo ships being sunk, and more than 60 sailors killed. This made it one of the few places in the Dominion of Newfoundland that came under attack during the Second World War. These engagements are considered a part of a larger battle, the Battle of the Atlantic. Bell Island is in Conception Bay, Newfoundland and the waters were part of an important Atlantic convoy route that allowed supplies to flow from the United States to its Allies in Europe. Many ships brought supplies in these waters to Allied troops, but many of them were cut off by the German U-boats.