German Intercept Successes – Early in WWII, Part 5 of 6

When Will America Join the Fight?

While the German press printed long-winded articles on the effect of German air attacks on London, only small type was available on 10 September for the news that the House of Representatives had on the day before accepted the Bill for Compulsory Military Service. The question was no longer, “Will the U.S.A. fight?” but, “When?”

Supposedly, the invasion was to take place during the night of 15-16 September 1940, but the English fighter defense was still too strong, the Navy was still intact, and German preparations were too inadequate. Only a few of the 1,000 large transport gliders called for had been completed. The espionage service had almost completely failed to function; in particular the establishment of a network of radio agents had never gotten beyond very modest beginnings. The intercept service provided virtually no information regarding the military situation in the British Isles.