In the Mediterranean, British Submarines Have Caused Great Havoc to Axis Shipping - Back Them Up!
A painting shows a submarine officer with binoculars and gun crew watching a burning, sinking ship in the Mediterranean. The caption claims great havoc to Axis shipping and cites only successes (card-stacking); the heroic crew in the foreground carries the appeal to the viewer to 'back them up' (transfer).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1940
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Admiralty (Royal Navy submarine service), printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Chromoworks Ltd, London; artist Gilbert Rumbold
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Churchill Government
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- War and the military, Home front
- Event
- World War II
- Leader
- Winston Churchill
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
Admiralty (Royal Navy submarine service), printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Chromoworks Ltd, London; artist Gilbert Rumbold. US National Archives, NAID 44266264.
Text on the object
In the Mediterranean. British submarines have caused great havoc to Axis shipping. BACK THEM UP ! [signature:] GILBERT RUMBOLD G P 3/15/6. PRINTED IN ENGLAND by CHROMOWORKS LTD. LONDON. S1-4265.
