The wartime anchorage supported a powerful covering force for Arctic convoy operations. The 1942 example includes the carriers USS Wasp and HMS Victorious, the battleships USS Washington and probably HMS Duke of York, the cruiser USS Wichita, and numerous destroyers. This multinational concentration could respond if German heavy ships threatened the convoy route. It was not merely a local defence force but a deterrent designed to make a surface sortie against the convoys too dangerous to attempt.
Notable Point · 46:45-48:40
Scapa Flow's Arctic convoy covering force
By 1942 Scapa Flow could assemble British and American carriers, battleships, cruisers, and destroyers to deter attacks on Arctic convoys.