The Battle of Portland, the Battle of Dogger Bank, the Glorious First of June, and the Battle of Pulo Aura show that convoy protection could culminate in major fleet action. These prominent encounters made the enemy battle fleet the inherited benchmark for convoy danger. Smaller frigate and squadron interceptions remained common even when they produced less famous battle names. Opening here helps explain why later convoy doctrine initially framed protection against surface forces rather than submarines.
Notable Point · 3:18-3:59
When convoy defense produced fleet battles
Use four famous age-of-sail actions to see why convoy planners once treated an enemy battle fleet as the defining threat.