MAD-4A wrote:The thing about this is, The US did the same thing before both WWs (the “arsenal of democracy”). Supplying the Brits & France with weapons while still claiming "Neutrality", a huge annoyance to German U-boat crews, having to let transports laden with weapons & ammo pass by un-molested because the Star-&-Stripes were waiving over them, unwilling to attack because that would bring the US down on them(not that the Mantis would have the same concern).kzt wrote:If you are supplying guns and/or tech to my enemies and are formally allied, then you are my enemy. Since making your ally protect you is in my interest, and blowing you out of the war is also in my interest, it will likely be a bad day when I get a couple of squadrons freed up. If you wanted to be neutral then you wouldn't be arming the people with whom I was formally at war with, now would you?
No, not quite on ship losses. The USN had several ships sunk or damaged in the last months of 1941. USS Ruben James-Sunk and USS Kearny-Damaged plus 20 to 30 merchants. Also the USN escorted convoys between US and Canadian ports to Iceland. IIRC the US had 6 old Battleships and 2 new Battleships 1 CV 8 CA's 6 CL's and 70+ DD on Neutrality Patrol from NOV1940 on.
