WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk Atlantic War: Papering Over The Cracks (Part 4)
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Nov 27, 2025 Discover the pivotal role of Cyril Thompson in negotiating shipbuilding in the US, leading to the creation of the iconic Liberty ships. Explore how winter weather hampered U-boat effectiveness and hear about Admiral Scheer's ambitious but misguided Atlantic sorties. Delve into Hitler's strategic blunders and the challenges of Luftwaffe support. And don’t miss the discussion on the Allies' maritime recovery efforts that shifted the balance in the Atlantic. It's a fascinating look at naval strategy and wartime innovation!
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British Maritime Muscle Was Underrated
- Britain still had deep maritime expertise and financial muscle despite setbacks on land.
- James Holland argues that Britain used that strength to leverage US shipbuilding capacity effectively.
US Conditions Shaped Lend-Lease Realities
- The US demanded Britain fund new shipyards to avoid draining American capacity.
- This created early reciprocity: Allied ship production in the US would be paid for and also build US industrial capacity.
Kaiser's Can-Do Scaling Solved Production
- Henry Kaiser embraced mass production and agreed to build new yards to produce the Liberty design quickly.
- Standardising one blueprint and switching to welding unlocked huge output potential for Allied shipping.