Not trying to be insulting to anyone?

Question

Is it true that in WW2 when America was neutral British merchant ships were sunk within sight of the American coast by German uboats and America did nothing.

Answer 1

Wow, there is no topic like History to bring out faulty information. Everybody is an expert.

The US patrolled far out into the Atlantic long before they were at war. The actually engaged several U-boats and cooperated quite a lot with the British. But by far most of the action was in the area between Newfoundland and Iceland. Far away from US influence.

British ships were not, as a rule, sunk anyplace near the US coast. Hitler wanted no part of the US until he was done with Russia.

The US gave the British dozens of destroyers (overage) to help the Brits defend themselves against the U-Boat threat.

Roosevelt and Churchill were in constant contact during htis time. Churchill trying to get Rosevelt to commit to war, Roosevelt trying to figure out how to get the US public and the Congress behind fighting the Nazi's.

Read Churchil's account in "The Gathering Storm"

Answer 2

I wouldn't say the Americans did nothing.

OK they did not launch an all out offencive on the U-boats in American waters but they did

1) supply us with masses of armaments and supplies

2) Let us borrow a LOT of destroyers to protect the convoys (I don't know if there were many American crews on board though)

and 3) Went as far as they could to stop and even engage U-boats, without declaring war.

Officially all they could do was denounce Germany for the attacks, and protect shipping in their own waters.

So even though they were not at war with Germany they did a considerable amount to help us survive those first 2 and a half years bless their little cotton socks!

We probably would not have been able to hold the Germans off if it wasn't for their aid.

That said, it would have been nice if they had come to help us in '39 or '40 but the American public would not let the US government do that (understandable after the horrors of the earlier war in Europe). It took a direct attack on the US for that to happen.

Some people say that 'We could have won the war without the US"

We could probably have won the war without American troops but it would have taken considerably longer.

We could NOT have won without their aid, especial;ly in '40 and '41

Answer 3

True indeedy. However, what about the poor American guy who spotted the Japanese fleet as it steamed to Pearl Harbor, tried to report it only to find that all the relevant people were mysteriously unavailable, and in the subsequent inquiry, was blamed for the whole fiasco and probably still is. The US military knew the Japanese were there, and wanted a reason that would get the US public demanding an end to neutrality.
Or Radio Aspidistra ( a British idea), which duped the citizens of Dresden into thinking they were listening to public service announcements, with the result that more of them died in the firestorm bombing by the RAF?
War is a dirty business, as they say.

Answer 4

Yep its true! Well the first bit anyway. Offically America could not do anything to help. However unknown to most, the Americans and Germans were pretty much at war in the Atlantic over the Merchant shipping pre-Pearl Harbour.

Answer 5

It is true that British merchant ships were sunk by U Boats within sight of the American shore. However, it is not true that America did nothing. The American navy patrolled the Atlantic and, while still technically neutral, engaged Nazi subs.

Answer 6

Yes the Germans used the lights from the US coastal towns to see the British targets.. America was not at war with Germany at that time. The Germans provoked the USA by sinking some of it's warships and I think a US passenger ship when US was natural to the European conflict. That got them mad as hell. Shortly after Germany declared war on USA. Whether they liked it or not Germany forced them into the conflict. something like that happened.

Answer 7

Um, no!! The U-boats never went near America before 1941, they did all their targeting out in the mid-atlantic gap. American warships used to join the escorts until the fleets had left American waters "officially" to ensure they stick to the given course.

Hitler had a strict policy of avoiding conflict with America by all reasonable means. It was only when America clearly was being swayed to the side of Britain that he even began to relax these rules. Only after March 1941 after an American warship had engaged and damaged a German U-boat did allow U-boats to fight back if attacked, but they were not permitted to attack american warships until shortly before they joined teh war.

The U-boats entered American waters and had a great time sinking ships after the americans declared war against them, but prior to that no U-boat went near the American coast.

Answer 8

Yup. It was due more to Admiral King's inaction - he refused to take action till very much later in the Battle of the Atlantic

Answer 9

Wouldn't put it passed them. They did make a lot of money selling arms to Krupp's before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour.
If it suited them they'd sail the UK down the Swanee today.

Answer 10

Yes......very true..it wasnt our War yet....we simply were supplying the Allies with arms and ammo until we entered the War after Pearl Harbor.....We did nothing because very much like the liberal Americans of Today the mass majority of Americans wanted nothing to do with WW2 until they saw of boys at the bottom of Honolulu Harbor!