World War II: Arsenal of Democracy--Bases for Destroyers (August 1940)


Figure 1.--Hitler and Propaganda Minidster Goebbels were right when they complained that American neutrality was not very neutral. It took some time for President Roosevelt to get Congress to repeal the Neurality Acts, but gradually the power of the Arsenal of Democracy began to provided needed support to Britain and its Dominions which after the fall of France as fighting the NAZIs alone. President Roosevelt and Primne-Minister Churchill agreed to the Destroyers for Bases deal (August 1940). It was played up as a trade off in Isolationst Amrica. In fact not only were the destroyers welcomes, but American manning by Americn forces also aided Britain. The U.S. Navy began transferring mothballed World War I destroyers to the Royal Navy also immediately (September 1940). Here American sailors are showing Royal Naval gunners how to operate the guns. Other teans were showing the British how to operate the machinery. The destroyers were old, but in 1940 the British were desperate for North tlantic convoy escorts. The fall of France and Gernman access to French Atlantic ports, dranticlly increased the U-boat menace.

Churchill as the Panzers poured into France pleaded with President Rossevelt for assistance. One possibility was mothballed destroyers, sorely needed to protect the critical North Atlantic convoy routes. The U.S. Navy had "moth balled" 70 destroyers after World War I. In fact FDR as Assisstanat Secretary of the Navy had played a part in this. There were great dangers to America in providing these destroyers to Britain. Not only would it be an act only slightly short of war, but it would weaken the ability of America to rapidly expand its fleet. Even more serious was that if Britain capitualed, the destroyers might even fall into German hands. The President also faced political dangers in that the Republicans could charge him with weakening America's defenses, a serious concern in the middle of the 1940 presidential election campaign. FDR finally agreed on August 14 during the height of the Battle of Britain to provide the British badly needed destroyers for their Atlantic convoys being hard pressed by the U-boats. At this stage of the War any good news was extremely important for the British and Churchill. The executive order was issued August 27, 1940. The United States would trade 50 old Navy destroyers for 99 year leases on British sea and air bases in the Western Hemisphere (most were in the Caribbean and in Newfoundland). The approach was extremely savy politically. It sounded like an actual exchange and involved bases close to the United States. In actuality the British were more than willing to provide America bases. It was also a cold political calculation. It was still unclear as to whether Britain would survive. If there was to be a British Vichy, it would be important to have American bases on the British Atlantic and Caribbean islands. The President also allowed British pilots to train in the United States and British ships to be repaired in U.S. ports. The Flight Ferry Command and Eagle Squadron were created. These were very bold exactions taken by the President without Congressional cover in the middle of the presidential election campaign.

Britan's Plight

Churchill as the Panzers poured into France pleaded with President Rossevelt for assistance. The Royal Navy was already short of escorts to poritect the vitl convoys from the preying U-boats. And the Royal Navy was suffering losses in air attacks in coastal waters as the Luftwaffe began operating from French coastal bases. The Royal Navy in only 10 days lost 10 destroyers (Brazen, Codrington, Delight, and Wren sunk and Beagle, Boreas, Brilliant, Griffin, Montrose, and Walpole.) And unlike World War I, ghey did not have access to Irish ports. And the battle was not just being fought in the Western Approaches. With French ports and improved U-boats, the entire Atantic would become the battkefield, but especislly the North Atlantic sea lanes all the way to the American and Canadian ports.

Mothballed Destroyers

One possibility was World War I-era mothballed destroyers. The U.S. Navy had "mothballed" 70 of the World War I destroyers that had helped defeat the German U-boats after World War I. In fact President Roosevelt as Assisstant Secretary of the Navy had played a part in mothballing some of the ships rather than selling them all for scap. It is often said tht the destoyers were old. Not often mentioned is the fact that there were numerous World War I ships still in service when war broke out in 1939. The major advances in anti-submarine warefare were not in ship design, but in electronics and weaponry tht could be easily installed on these sea-worth ships.

North Atlantic Convoy Routes

Britain desperately needed escort vessels to protect the critical North Atlantic convoy routes. The Royal Navy had badly underestimted the U-boazt threat.

Danger for Amrerica

There were great dangers to America in providing these destroyers to Britain. Not only would it be an act only slightly short of war, but it would weaken the ability of America to rapidly expand its fleet. Even more serious was that if Britain capitualed, the destroyers might even fall into German hands.

Election of 1940

The President also faced political dangers in that the Republicans could charge him with weakening America's defenses, a serious concern in the middle of the 1940 presidential election campaign with a strong and vocal isolationist movement already criticizing him. The 1940 campaign against Wendel Wilkie was the only campaign in which Roosevelt was seriously challenged. The major reason was the Third Term prohibition. It was not a constitutional limitation, but it was a strong tradition. The President was severly critiised by the Liberty League for trying to impose a dictarorship and by Lindburg and the American Firsters for drawing Ameica into War. Thankfully Wilkie was not a isolsationist, but both Roosevelt and Wilkie had to contend with the still very strong isolationist vote. Wilkie did criticise the President for not getting Congressional approval of the Destroyers for Bases deal. Wilkie at first concentrated on the third term issue. As the campaign reached a climax he began to chrge that the President was draging America into the War which seemed to energize his campaign..

Negotiations

There was some negotisation between Britain and America over the arrangement. Churchill wanted a flat gift. He thought handing oiver bases would give the wrong image of the British war effort. Roosevelt was convinced that he needed cover so that the Isolationists could mnot argue that he was beening duped by Churchill. Churchill believed that he was not getting the best of the deal and in a pure military assessment he was correct. America gained a huge strategic advantage for 50 outdated ships in poor condition. [Meacham, p. 71.] An assessment in the larger picture must include the fact that the deal further drew the United States toward war and extended the reach of the American American Navy which would soon by joining the Royal Navy in the Battle of the Atlantic--months before Pear Harbour brough America offuicially in the War. Thus the deal was of incalcuable advantage to Churchill and Britain.

FDR Decides

FDR finally agreed on August 14 during the height of the Battle of Britain to provide the British badly needed destroyers for their Atlantic convoys being hard pressed by the U-boats. At this stage of the War any good news was extremely important for the British and Churchill. The executive order was issued August 27, 1940.

The Deal

The United States would trade 50 old Navy destroyers for 99 year leases on British sea and air bases in the Western Hemisphere (most were in the Caribbean and in Newfoundland). The approach was extremely savy politically. It sounded like an actual exchange and involved bases close to the United States. In actuality the British were more than willing to provide America bases. It was also a cold political calculation. It was still unclear as to whether Britain would survive. If there was to be a British Vichy, it would be important to have American bases on the British Atlantic and Caribbean islands. The President also allowed British pilots to train in the United States and British ships to be repaired in U.S. ports. The Flight Ferry Command and Eagle Squadron were created. These were very bold exactions taken by the President without Congressional cover in the middle of the presidential election campaign

Roosevelt's Calculation

President Roosevelt would have preferred to have delayed action on Churchill's request until after the November 1940 election. Providing Britain 50 destroyers seeminly played into the hands of the Isolationists charging that the President was drawing America into another European war. That was difficult to rfute as long as the President's action was just turmning over the destroyers. Here Roosevelt's political genius came into play. He simply shifted the terms of the debate. By bringing the British bases into the equation, he hifted the debate to American defense and preparedness. American public oopinuon as shifting. There was increasing suppoet for aiding Britain, lthough till little support for entering the War. But there was overwealming support for preparadness. And thus the destroyer forbasses did not hsrm the Presidhnt politically during the reelection campaign. He would dream up a comoparable equation for Lend Lease.

Sources

Meacham, Jon. Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship (Random House: New York, 2003), 490p.






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Created: 3:21 PM 7/19/2004
Last updated: 9:26 AM 5/27/2018