Minor powers could theoretically order ships from the United States, but American yards were already committed to immense domestic and Allied demand. Access required hard currency, reciprocal value, or eligibility for Lend-Lease rather than need alone. Even a successful request would sit behind higher-priority construction and could not deliver a major combatant quickly. An ally with industrial capacity was therefore not the same thing as an immediately available source of replacement ships.
Chapter · 11:18-12:16
American supply and Lend-Lease could not erase scarcity
Buying or borrowing from the United States offered only limited relief because American yards were already serving higher-priority wartime demand.