Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:29:17-1:30:33

If Queen Mary had been sunk in 1942

Losing Queen Mary would disrupt Allied troop movement and trigger a hard look at liner routing and intelligence, even if the system adapted.

Atlantic ConvoysRMS Queen MaryTroopshipsWorld War II
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Question

How much would it matter if RMS Queen Mary were sunk by a U-boat in early 1942?

Short answer

It would force costly replacement troop lift and scrutiny of Atlantic routing and intelligence, but the Allies would adapt rather than lose the war.

Notes

Queen Mary is credited with more than 800,000 troop journeys during World War II, mostly between America and Britain. Those journeys represent lift that other ships would have to replace if the liner were lost in early 1942. More Liberty ships are suggested as one possible response, although no precise replacement programme is worked out. The expectation is a substantial disruption that the Allies would eventually work around. A successful submarine attack would also prompt scrutiny of the other liners and their intelligence support, since high speed and routes informed by Enigma decrypts were intended to keep them clear of U-boats.