HMS Audacity breaks the Condor reconnaissance chain

Audacity began as the captured German merchant ship Hannover and entered service with a tiny deck park of Grumman Martlets from 802 Naval Air Squadron, whose pilots included Eric 'Winkle' Brown. Between July and December 1941 she escorted OG 74, HG 74, OG 76, and HG 76. Her principal mission was shooting down or driving away Fw 200 Condor reconnaissance aircraft, not directly attacking U-boats. Breaking the reconnaissance link made wolf packs less likely to find a convoy and gave German commanders a visible reason for failed interceptions. That explanation helped conceal Allied signals analysis and codebreaking at Bletchley Park. Her short but disruptive career made the ship important enough for German submarines to receive orders to sink her whenever possible.