The perceived air threat exceeded the number of direct attacks Axis aircraft delivered against Atlantic convoys. Aircraft still mattered as reconnaissance platforms and minelayers, helping other forces locate shipping or obstruct its routes. Direct attacks were concentrated near the British end of a voyage, where convoys entered the homeward stretch. That danger helps explain why the system needed numerous smaller escorts close to coastal waters.
Notable Point · 10:28-10:52
Axis aircraft threatened convoys beyond direct bombing
Reconnaissance and minelaying made Axis aircraft important even when their direct attacks were concentrated near Britain.