Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrekain
 I could be wrong here, but I think the American entrance into the war had more to do with an infamous sneak-attack by a certain pacifist country. Not to say that the Battle of Britain wasn't inspiring, but let's face it: Britain and the allies were losing the war in 1941. If anything, Allied performance in WWII was a disincentive for American entry  |
You might want to consider the dates of the following naval engagements before concluding that the US was standing aside in 1941 until the Pearl Harbor attack:
- April 10, 1941 - Destroyer USS Niblack drives off a German U-boat with depth charges after picking up survivors from a torpedoed merchantman.
- September 4, 1941 - Destroyer USS Greer evades a torpedo attack from a U-boat off Iceland and returns fire with depth charges. President Roosevelt calls the attack "piracy" and declares that US warships will attack any German or Italian vessels found within waters "which are vital to American defense."
- October 17, 1941 - Destroyer USS Kearny is struck by a German U-boat's torpedo while escorting convoy SC-48 and damaged with the loss of 11 crew.
- October 31, 1941 - Destroyer USS Reuben James is sunk by a U-boat while escorting convoy HX-156, with the loss of 115 crew.