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Pearl Harbor: The Seeds and Fruits of Infamy - Ludwig von Mises ...

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64 <strong>Pearl</strong> <strong>Harbor</strong>: <strong>The</strong> <strong>Seeds</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Fruits</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Infamy</strong><br />

On the other side <strong>of</strong> the Atlantic, Adolf Hitler was taking<br />

great pains to avoid a clash with the United States. On April 25<br />

he cautioned his naval forces that “all incidents with American<br />

ships be avoided.” Th e comm<strong>and</strong>er-in-chief <strong>of</strong> his navy, Admiral<br />

Erich Raeder, was pushing for aggressive action against the United<br />

States. Hitler answered Raeder at a conference on May 22, ordering<br />

that “Weapons are not to be used. Even if American vessels<br />

conduct themselves in a defi nitely unneutral manner. . . . Weapons<br />

are to be used only if US ships fi re the fi rst shot.” 30<br />

In late April, Roosevelt extended the Atlantic patrol’s area<br />

<strong>of</strong> surveillance from 200 to 300 miles east <strong>of</strong> our shores, to the<br />

western border <strong>of</strong> the German submarine war zone or 26 degrees<br />

west longitude, whichever was farther west, 31 <strong>and</strong> south to 20<br />

degrees south latitude. 32 Th is encompassed the vast expanse <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Atlantic between Bermuda <strong>and</strong> the Azores. Arrangements were<br />

also set in motion to strengthen the Atlantic Fleet at the expense<br />

<strong>of</strong> the Pacifi c Fleet, by transferring a carrier <strong>and</strong> fi ve destroyers<br />

from <strong>Pearl</strong> <strong>Harbor</strong> to the Atlantic.<br />

By May, U.S. Navy personnel were fl ying regularly as pilot<br />

“advisers” aboard some <strong>of</strong> the planes the British had received<br />

through lend-lease. On May 26 one <strong>of</strong> these “advisers,” ensign<br />

Leonard B. Smith, aboard a U.S.-manufactured PBY (Catalina<br />

Patrol Bomber) over the Atlantic, about 690 miles west <strong>of</strong><br />

Brest (France), spotted the Bismarck, a huge German battleship.<br />

Although only fairly recently commissioned, the Bismarck was<br />

menacing British shipping <strong>and</strong> had already sunk the illustrious<br />

British battle cruiser Hood. When the sighting was broadcast,<br />

other American PBYs with U.S. personnel aboard, as well as some<br />

ten or twelve British warships, joined the chase. Th e Bismarck<br />

tried desperately to make port, but failed. She was fi nally sunk<br />

30 Ibid., pp. 164, 176.<br />

31 Ibid., p. 154.<br />

32Department <strong>of</strong> Navy, United States Naval Chronology, World War II, p. 26.

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