[BroJoeK]

Homer: "I question the accuracy of parts of the following excerpt."

Here is another take on those same events:

"On the other side of the Atlantic, Adolf Hitler was taking great pains to avoid a clash with the United States.
On April 25 he cautioned his naval forces that

'all incidents with American ships be avoided.'

The commander-in-chief of his navy, Admiral Erich Raeder, was pushing for aggressive action against the United States.

"Hitler answered Raeder at a conference on May 22, ordering that

'Weapons are not to be used.
Even if American vessels conduct themselves in a definitely unneutral manner. . . . Weapons are to be used only if US ships fire the first shot.' ”

Greaves Jr, Percy (2010). Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy Chapter 3

[Homer_J_Simpson]

'Weapons are not to be used. Even if American vessels conduct themselves in a definitely unneutral manner. . . . Weapons are to be used only if US ships fire the first shot.' ”

So if the Germans really were winning the battle of the Atlantic they were doing so with a major self-imposed constraint. Didn't Hitler severely limit the number of U-Boats operating in American waters?