DWalt
Member
The Lend-Lease Act of 1941
The term “Lend-Lease” is often used regarding S&W Victory and Pre-Victory military revolvers from the World War II era. However, I suspect most readers may have only a vague idea (if any) of what the Lend-Lease Act was, so I am providing this very brief historical outline. It is not to be considered either complete or authoritative, as the associated legislation and its implementation are very complex. Anyone desiring more detail can easily research the topic on the internet.
1. U. S. Neutrality in the 1930s
In the aftermath of World War I, a large majority of the United States population strongly believed that the U. S. should never again become involved in another foreign conflict. Notables of the time, such as Charles A. Lindbergh, and many, if not most, prominent politicians, supported this isolationist position right up until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and Nazi Germany’s declaration of war against the United States shortly thereafter.
The first Neutrality Act passed the U. S. Congress and was enacted in August 1935. It largely forbade all commerce in war materiel with foreign governments. It was later revised and amended several times, culminating in the Neutrality Act of 1939, which passed Congress and was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in November 1939. The main provision of this act was the new principle of “Cash and Carry.” In effect, the Act allowed sales of war munitions, equipment, and supplies to foreign governments, but only if they were paid for in cash and were not transported on American cargo ships. The 1939 Act remained in force until practically the eve of the Pearl Harbor attack, even though the future "Lend-Lease Act of 1941" had effectively over-ridden many of its provisions.
2. The Lend-Lease Act of 1941
It was very obvious from early 1940 onward that the United States was inexorably headed towards conflict in both Europe and the Pacific. Owing to the close historical and cultural ties between the British Commonwealth and the United States, President Roosevelt decided to actively support the British with American-made weapons and supplies, essentially as a method of delaying direct U. S. involvement in European hostilities. This was done in several devious ways to circumvent the Neutrality Act, including the declaration of U. S. military munitions and equipment to be obsolete and surplus, so that they could be legally transferred without charge to the British (who were therefore not actually purchasing them). The British had nowhere near the enormous financial resources needed to support massive purchases of new weapons and supplies from the United States, so such oblique methods of assisting the British cause while observing the letter of the 1939 Neutrality Act were necessary. During this time, the British were forced to purchase some new weapons (including the S&W .38/200 revolvers) under the “Cash and Carry” provisions of the Neutrality Act of 1939, and paying for such weapons in gold.
By late 1940, President Roosevelt was searching for a better means to circumvent the provisions of the Neutrality Act. What he came up with was a childishly simple subterfuge, namely, “leasing” or “loaning” war materiel, supplies and equipment of all kinds, to the British, in exchange for various considerations. On March 11, 1941 the U. S. Congress passed, and the President signed, the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 (subtitled An Act to Further Promote the Defense of the United States). Under the Act, the U. S. would essentially provide war materiel of every kind owned by the U.S.A. to other governments under an agreement providing that those governments would at some future time, either return the materiel, or pay for it. Any materiel lost in combat would be forgiven, and any future postwar re-payments would be at a greatly reduced value (after all, it was used equipment). Lend-Lease initially applied to the British Commonwealth, and later, also to China, Free France, and the USSR.
As in any bureaucracy, it took some time after enactment to get the Lend-Lease Act operational (think Obamacare). It was administered by the Office of Lend-Lease Administration, which was not up and running until September 1941. Even so, apparently some limited Lend-Lease shipping activity began in the Spring of 1941. The Lend-Lease Act remained in place throughout World War II, and was pivotal in turning the United States into the “Arsenal of Democracy.” It was also both directly and indirectly instrumental in drawing the United States into becoming an active combatant.
3. The S&W pre-Victory and Victory Revolvers
As most know, the S&W .38/200 M&P revolver was supplied to the British Commonwealth military in huge quantities both before and after the Lend-Lease Act. Prior to this Act, the British purchases required payment (and some revolvers were supplied by S&W as repayment for the failed British “9mm Light Rifle” project of 1940 – but that’s another story) under the Neutrality Act of 1939. Therefore, those pre-Victory model revolvers which shipped prior to about mid-1941 (at a serial number probably somewhere in the low 800000 area) would definitely NOT be Lend-Lease revolvers. However, I do not know at exactly at what date and at what serial number Lend-Lease revolver shipments began. Those initial Lend-Lease revolvers that shipped sometime after mid-1941 may or may not have been stamped “United States Property” on the topstrap. However, it is known that some pre-Victory .38/200 revolvers shipped to the British in late 1941 do have the "United States Property" stamping, which continued up until about serial number V270000 (ca. mid-1943). Pate indicates that the property stamp was not used prior to April 1942. Later Victory models had the topstrap stamping changed to the simpler “U. S. Property.” Military issue Victory revolvers for both the British Commonwealth and U. S. forces carry the same stamping. The presence of either stamp style on a British service revolver does indicate that is a Lend-Lease item, because the revolvers indeed are U. S. Property (just on loan to the British). However, those revolvers chambered in .38 Special intended for U. S. military forces use are NOT Lend-Lease items – rather they just have a property stamp.
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If anyone can establish at about what serial number and date British .38/200 Lend-Lease revolvers started shipping from S&W, and when (serial number or date) topstrap "United States Property" stamping began on the .38/200, providing that information would be appreciated.
The term “Lend-Lease” is often used regarding S&W Victory and Pre-Victory military revolvers from the World War II era. However, I suspect most readers may have only a vague idea (if any) of what the Lend-Lease Act was, so I am providing this very brief historical outline. It is not to be considered either complete or authoritative, as the associated legislation and its implementation are very complex. Anyone desiring more detail can easily research the topic on the internet.
1. U. S. Neutrality in the 1930s
In the aftermath of World War I, a large majority of the United States population strongly believed that the U. S. should never again become involved in another foreign conflict. Notables of the time, such as Charles A. Lindbergh, and many, if not most, prominent politicians, supported this isolationist position right up until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 and Nazi Germany’s declaration of war against the United States shortly thereafter.
The first Neutrality Act passed the U. S. Congress and was enacted in August 1935. It largely forbade all commerce in war materiel with foreign governments. It was later revised and amended several times, culminating in the Neutrality Act of 1939, which passed Congress and was signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in November 1939. The main provision of this act was the new principle of “Cash and Carry.” In effect, the Act allowed sales of war munitions, equipment, and supplies to foreign governments, but only if they were paid for in cash and were not transported on American cargo ships. The 1939 Act remained in force until practically the eve of the Pearl Harbor attack, even though the future "Lend-Lease Act of 1941" had effectively over-ridden many of its provisions.
2. The Lend-Lease Act of 1941
It was very obvious from early 1940 onward that the United States was inexorably headed towards conflict in both Europe and the Pacific. Owing to the close historical and cultural ties between the British Commonwealth and the United States, President Roosevelt decided to actively support the British with American-made weapons and supplies, essentially as a method of delaying direct U. S. involvement in European hostilities. This was done in several devious ways to circumvent the Neutrality Act, including the declaration of U. S. military munitions and equipment to be obsolete and surplus, so that they could be legally transferred without charge to the British (who were therefore not actually purchasing them). The British had nowhere near the enormous financial resources needed to support massive purchases of new weapons and supplies from the United States, so such oblique methods of assisting the British cause while observing the letter of the 1939 Neutrality Act were necessary. During this time, the British were forced to purchase some new weapons (including the S&W .38/200 revolvers) under the “Cash and Carry” provisions of the Neutrality Act of 1939, and paying for such weapons in gold.
By late 1940, President Roosevelt was searching for a better means to circumvent the provisions of the Neutrality Act. What he came up with was a childishly simple subterfuge, namely, “leasing” or “loaning” war materiel, supplies and equipment of all kinds, to the British, in exchange for various considerations. On March 11, 1941 the U. S. Congress passed, and the President signed, the Lend-Lease Act of 1941 (subtitled An Act to Further Promote the Defense of the United States). Under the Act, the U. S. would essentially provide war materiel of every kind owned by the U.S.A. to other governments under an agreement providing that those governments would at some future time, either return the materiel, or pay for it. Any materiel lost in combat would be forgiven, and any future postwar re-payments would be at a greatly reduced value (after all, it was used equipment). Lend-Lease initially applied to the British Commonwealth, and later, also to China, Free France, and the USSR.
As in any bureaucracy, it took some time after enactment to get the Lend-Lease Act operational (think Obamacare). It was administered by the Office of Lend-Lease Administration, which was not up and running until September 1941. Even so, apparently some limited Lend-Lease shipping activity began in the Spring of 1941. The Lend-Lease Act remained in place throughout World War II, and was pivotal in turning the United States into the “Arsenal of Democracy.” It was also both directly and indirectly instrumental in drawing the United States into becoming an active combatant.
3. The S&W pre-Victory and Victory Revolvers
As most know, the S&W .38/200 M&P revolver was supplied to the British Commonwealth military in huge quantities both before and after the Lend-Lease Act. Prior to this Act, the British purchases required payment (and some revolvers were supplied by S&W as repayment for the failed British “9mm Light Rifle” project of 1940 – but that’s another story) under the Neutrality Act of 1939. Therefore, those pre-Victory model revolvers which shipped prior to about mid-1941 (at a serial number probably somewhere in the low 800000 area) would definitely NOT be Lend-Lease revolvers. However, I do not know at exactly at what date and at what serial number Lend-Lease revolver shipments began. Those initial Lend-Lease revolvers that shipped sometime after mid-1941 may or may not have been stamped “United States Property” on the topstrap. However, it is known that some pre-Victory .38/200 revolvers shipped to the British in late 1941 do have the "United States Property" stamping, which continued up until about serial number V270000 (ca. mid-1943). Pate indicates that the property stamp was not used prior to April 1942. Later Victory models had the topstrap stamping changed to the simpler “U. S. Property.” Military issue Victory revolvers for both the British Commonwealth and U. S. forces carry the same stamping. The presence of either stamp style on a British service revolver does indicate that is a Lend-Lease item, because the revolvers indeed are U. S. Property (just on loan to the British). However, those revolvers chambered in .38 Special intended for U. S. military forces use are NOT Lend-Lease items – rather they just have a property stamp.
-----------------------------------------------
If anyone can establish at about what serial number and date British .38/200 Lend-Lease revolvers started shipping from S&W, and when (serial number or date) topstrap "United States Property" stamping began on the .38/200, providing that information would be appreciated.
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