The sinking of the Bismarck underscored that the German Navy was never going to defeat the Royal Navy in surface warfare.

The Kriegs Marina now had no choice but to turn to what had always been its greatest strength, submarine warfare.

Welcome to the history of the 20th century.

The 20th century. Episode 356. Happy Time.

The last time we talked about the naval war in the Atlantic was episode 338.

In that episode, I took you as far as the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck at the end of May

1941. So that's where we'll pick up the story today. Actually, let me back up a bit to January 25th,

1941, to make note of an important development in Anglo-American military cooperation during the period before the U.S. was officially in the war.

The British battleship HMS King George V, arrived in the Chesapeake Bay after navigating perilous waters

patrolled by the German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Ghanaisenau,

to deliver Britain's new ambassador to the United States, the now former foreign secretary,

Lord Halifax. Churchill believed Halifax would be useful in the effort to bring America into the war.

He also wanted Halifax, a holdover from the Chamberlain government, out of his cabinet.

Anthony Eden would succeed him as foreign secretary.

Quite contrary to proper protocol, President Roosevelt took the presidential yacht Potomac into the Chesapeake

to welcome Halifax in person. Halifax did not make a good first impression with Americans.

He began his new duties by going fox hunting in Virginia.

Fox hunting was Halifax's favorite pastime, but this only reinforced the worst American

stereotypes about British leaders, that they were silly, impractical aristocrats, concerned

mostly with preserving the privileges of their class and expecting others to do their dirty

work for them.

When HMS King George V returned to Britain, it brought along a team of American cryptanalysts

...