I'm interested in hearing members' opinions on why the United States was so desperately incompetent in the first few months of 1942, when German U-boats took an immense toll of valuable shipping on the Eastern seaboard.
Ships did not zig zag, sailed with lights on, did not convoy, and cities on the coast remained lighted at night, creating silhouettes of the ships. The result was carnage. It wasn't as if the USA did not have knowledge of the threat, as we had been running convoys to the UK prior to the declaration of war, and we understood the threat.
What was the root of the failure to take the U-boats seriously in home waters, and why did it take so many months before even the most basic precautions were taken?
Ships did not zig zag, sailed with lights on, did not convoy, and cities on the coast remained lighted at night, creating silhouettes of the ships. The result was carnage. It wasn't as if the USA did not have knowledge of the threat, as we had been running convoys to the UK prior to the declaration of war, and we understood the threat.
What was the root of the failure to take the U-boats seriously in home waters, and why did it take so many months before even the most basic precautions were taken?
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