The United States lands in Iceland

At the heart of the Battle of the Atlantic, the security of the convoys carrying American aid to Great Britain is vital. Iceland, a strategic position in the middle of the North Atlantic, has been occupied by the British since 1940; but London needs to recover these troops for other fronts. Roosevelt seeks to extend the American 'security zone' eastward without crossing the threshold of belligerency.

Public opinion remains for the most part opposed to entering the war, and the isolationist movement watches for any step that would bring American forces closer to a clash with the U-boats. Yet to station Marines in Iceland is to place the American navy in the front line of the Atlantic, there where German submarines prowl. The island, independent in fact but tied to occupied Denmark, has not requested this presence and concedes it under diplomatic pressure.

Roosevelt must decide: send American troops to relieve the British garrison in Iceland, at the risk of incidents with Germany; confine himself to naval patrols without a land presence; or let the British bear this burden alone. The choice measures how far 'neutral' America commits itself to the Atlantic war.