Sims contrasts Allied doubts about the shipping required for an American army with the growing stream of troops actually reaching France. He quotes an unnamed 'brilliant British naval authority' who warned in July 1917 that there would not be enough shipping, but gives neither the officer's identity nor the context of the remark. The quotation therefore records contemporary doubt without allowing readers to assess the officer's role or circumstances. German leaders had promised that U-boats would prevent the crossing, so each arrival damaged their credibility and morale at home. A desperate attempt to hunt transports pulled submarines away from commercial routes but failed to attack an eastbound troopship, while merchant sinkings fell during the diversion. Sims credits convoy commanders, transport captains, escorts, and crews for close formation work without lights and for cooperation at the edge of the submarine zone. Logistics, seamanship, and disciplined coordination all contributed to the strategic defeat of the U-boat campaign.
Chapter · 1:04:42-1:08:28
Troopship success undercuts German promises
The safe arrival of American soldiers embarrassed German naval leaders, and a late diversion of U-boats toward transports reduced merchant sinkings without stopping the troop flow.