Fighting on the Eastern Front increased the demand for supplies shipped to the Soviet Union. The convoy system also had to return empty merchant ships for further voyages. Winter allowed regular Arctic sailings with much less daylight, but the seas were rougher and the pack ice extended farther south. Severe cold and near-continuous darkness therefore accompanied the reduced exposure to aircraft.
Notable Point · 56:46-58:48
Winter Arctic convoys traded daylight exposure for ice and rough seas
Winter allowed regular Arctic sailings to resume while crews faced colder weather, rougher water and pack ice farther south.