American purchases and loans allowed Allied forces to obtain equipment from US factories before formal American entry into the European war. Cash-and-carry orders also financed research, development, and expansion in American military industry. The proposed explanation allows commercial motives and support for the Allies to coexist. Meanwhile, the expanding Pan-American neutrality zone and its patrols brought American destroyers and Coast Guard cutters into repeated contact with U-boats. Some encounters caused bloodshed, giving the Axis powers reason to expect that American belligerency was approaching.
Chapter · 6:27-8:18
American purchases and the Atlantic shadow war
Allied purchases support American industrial expansion while Atlantic patrols bring US vessels into increasingly violent contact with U-boats.