IF THE ROYAL NAVY WAS TO IMPOSE the hardships of economic warfare on the enemy, its new war would generally have to be fought across the Atlantic. There, its main North America base at Halifax, Nova Scotia, was almost 2,500 miles from London or Liverpool and over 600 miles from New York, the United States' major port and commercial centre. As shown by Map 1, it would need bases at St John's, Newfoundland, and St John, New Brunswick, to contribute to the defence of Canada. It would also have to use its base in Bermuda, itself 650 miles from the nearest American mainland at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. This, however, was 700 miles from New York and 1,000 from Savannah, Georgia. Prevailing winds, currents and trade routes all meant that vessels from Europe would frequently approach North America from the Caribbean, and the West Indies would therefore be involved in Britain's war with the United States.