The Limits of Dependency: American Aircraft in Action, 1940–2
The Limits of Dependency: American Aircraft in Action, 1940–2
This chapter examines the extent of contemporary British dependency on American supplies. It shows that far from ending British supply problems, the nature and complexity of the problems involved in aircraft supply persisted long after Lend-Lease. Delivery delays and supply diversions ensured that aircraft actually procured under Lend-Lease legislation took up to a year to arrive in British units. Thus, British supply remained the mainstay of Royal Air Force (RAF) air strength both in Britain and in the overseas theatres originally selected to become dependent upon American supply. This conclusion provides substantial problems for the uncritical acceptance of the assertions of ‘critical dependency’ made by British diplomacy at the time, and any assumption that British supply needs were automatically met as a result of the aircraft supply diplomacy of 1940–42.
Keywords: American aircraft supply, Royal Air Force, supply diplomacy, Lend-Lease Act, British diplomacy
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