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Lend Lease, the Neutral Savior

From 17.00 GMT on November 14th to 07.00 GMT on November 17th

Rare Soviet Spitfire Mk.IX is available for purchase!

US President Franklin D. Roosevelt

September 1939 war broke out and America stood a firm stance at being “Neutral”, but in Europe, Germany had pushed their forces from victory to victory. It was then President Roosevelt looked at ways to help aid countries in need while still staying neutral. By late 1940 a plan was devised and then passed in March 1941 for the Lend-lease Act, this was the means that the president and congress could aid countries like Britain, Soviet Union, China and other countries the means of Military support through surplus of arms and any other defense materials without being directly involved in the conflict.



Lend-lease also allowed transfer of much needed war support without the war payment as per the Neutrality Act of 1939, in turn this allowed countries to continue fighting for their freedom. This was also a means to avoid the problematic issue of war debts like in WWI. But in doing this was also a means that the United States was one step closer to the war itself.

Lend-Lease tanks

A total of 22,800 Armoured vehicles were aided to the Soviet Union alone which counted for 20 percent of it’s total number of tanks produced in that country. In 1941 487 Matilda’s, Tetrarch’s and Valentine tanks along with 182 Stuart light tanks and M3 Lee’s were sent from both Britain and the United States. Again in 1942 the Soviet Union was aided with a further 3,023 tanks from the USA and a further 2487 tanks from Britain. Lend-Lease also supplied 501,660 tactical vehicles which included jeeps, 1-½ and 2-½ ton trucks. The aid to the Soviet Union did not stop there as 15,631 Artillery guns were supplied along with 131,633 sub-machine guns by the allies also.



Lend-Lease aircraft

Mid 1941 two squadron’s of Hawker Hurricanes were flown to the Soviet Union by RAF pilots and handed to Russia. In total there was 13,208 of all types of aircraft sent by US and 4,613 by Britain in 1942-1944 via the Lend-Lease Act.



The American aircraft included were: Curtiss P-40, Bell P-39 Airacobra, Bell P-63 Kingcobra, Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, B-25 Mitchell, and the Douglas A-20 Boston.



The British aircraft were: Curtiss Tomahawks Kittyhawks, Hawker Hurricane, Spitfire Mk V, Spitfire Mk IX, Handley Page Hampden, and the Armstrong Albemarle.



Lend-Lease howitzers to be shipped

Even though a large amount of munitions, tactical vehicles and tanks were part of the Lend Lease act, so was food,clothing and locomotives. This was also a two way street or “Reverse Lend-Lease” where the US received goods and services back when they finally entered the war. Materials such as the SuperMarine Spitfire were provided by the British, food and bases along with logistics were given by the Commonwealth Nations. Other things given to the US were the Mosquito aircraft and patrol boats. The sum of $7.8 Billion was given back this way to the US in the Reverse lend-lease.



All the good the lend-lease did it still came to an abrupt end in September 1945 with a total amount provided worth $50.1 Billion ($656 Billion in today’s market) to the allies during WWII. With this alone, the USA already influenced the outcome of the war significantly.



The War Thunder Team