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The Blitz, America's help and stuff



Hello folks,

Interesting discussions here.  One of the paying jobs I hold is that of a 
military historian.  I get hired for research and consulting projects mostly.

Just checked a few of my references regarding American aid to Britain and the 
Blitz, etc.  The Blitz officially started on July 10, 1940 - France fell on 
June 22, 1940 (surprised they lasted that long!)

I am no fan at all of FDR (a flaming socialist), but he was a fine war 
president and actually tried to help things along for Britain but was 
severely hampered by the Neutrality Act of 1936.  However, in June, 1940, he 
got through the shipment to Britain the following military stocks: 500,000 
rifles, 80,000 machine guns, 130 million rounds of ammunition, 900 75mm guns, 
plus powder and other military supplies.  He also transferred later on 50 
destroyers from the U.S. Navy to the Royal Navy to keep the Atlantic shipping 
lanes open against German U-boats.  Without those warships Britain would have 
starved, having been a net food importer since 1860.  The U-Boats were having 
a field day in 1940-1941!  Hundreds of American tanks were sent over in late 
1940 and into 1941 - to be used against the Afrika Korps in fact!

While this may not have helped directly in the Battle of Britain (though some 
American pilots fought in Eagle Squadron), it helped overall as FDR realized 
that the defense of America stood with Britain for the war in Europe. He did 
what he could do considering the severe legal hamstring he was under by the 
heavily isolationist Congress - and American people.  FDR was shrewd though, 
and cleverly maneuvered the Japanese into attacking us via his eight point 
plan that he got the British and Dutch in the Far East to go along with to 
get America into the war (see the book "Day Of Deceit", which utilizes 
Freedom of Information Act requests of classified and de-classified files 
from the Naval Intelligence, the NSA vaults, etc.  FDR knew Japan was 
attacking and also knew about when and definitely where.  The Japanese fleet 
was tracked across the Northern Pacific almost their entire trip.  We had 
their radio signals intercepted from numerous listening stations and had 
cracked all of the military and diplomatic codes.  This is one of the most 
eye-opening books I have ever read!).

I am a great admirer of the British soldier - a fine instrument of war 
(though some of your generals leave a LOT to be desired!) and of British 
courage for events like Dunkirk, Singapore, the Battle of Britain.  But to 
face facts Britain could not have won the war against Germany on her own.  
Even with the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Germany was simply too 
strong, except at sea, to be beaten.  By late 1942 the British manpower pool 
was hitting the bottom of the barrel (hence the public cry for demobilizing a 
couple British divisions in 1944 once the US was over in Europe in strength). 
 This was mostly due to two factors, 1) a low birth rate between wars (which 
France also had - Germany's rose dramatically), and, 2) the deaths of 600,000 
British troops in the stupid 1916 offensives - men who did not live to come 
home from war to marry and procreate.  There were simply not enough men to 
meet Britain's defense of Empire needs, even with colonial and Commonwealth 
troops in hand!

The Marshall Plan speaks for itself.  I also believe that Winston Churchill 
had more than plenty of kind words for American aid and generosity during and 
after the war.

Hope this settles things a bit,

Greg Biggs/CVC Collectables