First appearance of Popeye in white U.S. Navy uniform.
The flag sight gag "Enemy (Name Your Own)" was a broad wink to the war in Europe and the far East already happening. Had this short been created after 1941, the flag would have undoubtedly been Japanese.
Although the short was released just before the US entered WW2, the title has a prominent capital V in the word Navy. V for victory was a wartime slogan popularized by Winston Churchill in the spring of 1941.
The short was released less than a month before the attack on Pearl Harbor, which sent both regular folks as well as cartoon characters off to enlist.
As the enemy ships circle Popeye's ship, the theme from the 1938 Popeye short, "Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh," is played.