America Had No Manganese in 1941 — So U-Boats Sank the Ships Carrying It скачать в хорошем качестве

America Had No Manganese in 1941 — So U-Boats Sank the Ships Carrying It

During World War II, the United States needed vast amounts of steel to build weapons, ships, and vehicles, but steelmaking required manganese, a critical element the country barely possessed. Because over 90% of U.S. manganese had to be imported from places like Brazil, India, and Africa, German U-boat fleet submarines targeted the ships carrying this ore during the Battle of the Atlantic. Despite heavy losses of merchant ships and sailors, Allied convoys eventually secured the shipping lanes in 1943, allowing manganese supplies to reach American steel mills and enabling the massive wartime production that helped secure victory.