> Luck favors the prepared mind,

Then the US should be much better off, because they have about ten times more ventilators than Germany has. But only four times the population.

But, the US was unlucky to have 50% of cases in only one city. So they ran out of ventilators in that one place, while having a surplus elsewhere.

They reacted quickly and correctly by sending hospital ships (much quicker than trying to put ICU beds on trucks).

Of course, compared to the EU, the US is still handling the situation way better.