A NATO graphic puts the maritime reinforcement problem into physical scale. North American supplies had to travel roughly 6,000 kilometres to the English Channel, Norway, or the edge of Turkey, while the Soviet Union lay about 1,450 kilometres from the Channel. Many force comparisons emphasize divisions, tanks, and strike aircraft on the Central Front while giving much less attention to the ships and aircraft that kept Europe connected to North America. The map itself visually compresses the Atlantic, making the longer route look only about twice the Soviet distance rather than more than four times as great. The distances make sea-line logistics central to the comparison.
Chapter · 44:17-47:42
Atlantic distance and NATO's maritime strategic problem
The Atlantic made NATO reinforcement a maritime problem: supplies came roughly 6,000 kilometres from North America while Soviet forces were much closer to the European theatre.