Until the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the U.S. had no reason to become involved in World War II. Remember that Germany declared war on the U.S., not the reverse. We were supplying Britain and later the Soviet Union before the Japanese attack. We were under no treaty obligation to support either of those nations, or the countries Hitler overrun.
“[Nazi Admiral] Donitz thought the U.S. military was ill-prepared and unequipped to fight the well-trained U-boat fleet. He was right.
On the evening of Jan. 11, 1942, Reinhardt Hardegen, the audacious captain of U-boat 123, jumped the gun...”
All we had against the U-boat fleet off the US’ East coast was the CAP, which cost even those civilian flyers 62 lives.
Then the US Government lied about the Nazi threat, even when burning tankers could be seen off the New Jersey coast!
Denial was strong when the threat was immense!