The Seperation of CRIMSON from RED would seriously impair RED's war making power... American troops storm the northern border, the British fleet sets sail, and Canadian soldiers launch counter-attacks into the US. It was deemed "almost certain" by the Americans that Canada would ally with Britain - both being ruled by King George V.
Washington's top brass were determined to prevent Britain from rapidly deploying up to 100,000 soldiers from its expeditionary force to Canada. They feared that if Britain gained a foothold in Canada, they could rapidly swell this force to more than two million.
Such a force could launch a devastating invasion into the continental United States. The Royal Navy - which remained the world's mightiest force at sea - was a key piece on the board the US wanted to neutralise. Until the start of World War 2, the British fleet remained the largest in the world - numbering up to 1,400 warships.
RED has a distinct superiority in capital ships to BLUE (...) The RED Navy is better balanced than is the BLUE, it also has greater speed and gun range. Within 30 days of the war the Americans feared the Brits would have up to 14 battleships, five aircraft carriers and well over one hundred other vessels massed around Canada.
This was not an advantage the Americans would let stand - so they needed control of all ports in the western Atlantic. Measures must be taken to prevent RED invasion of BLUE continental territory and to deny or defeat RED naval and air raids directed against BLUE.
