Convoys can take a southerly approach through the Bay of Biscay, farther from German bases in Norway, and then deliver supplies to Britain or directly to France. Friendly Atlantic ports let troops and cargo unload into an existing Allied theater instead of waiting for an amphibious return to Europe. If the United States later enters, there is no need to retake North Africa through Torch or establish a new beachhead in Normandy. That radically changes shipbuilding priorities by reducing demand for landing craft, artificial harbors, and the supporting infrastructure of a cross-Channel invasion.
Chapter · 58:28-1:00:19
Allied France rewrites Atlantic convoy routing
Friendly French ports permit southern convoy routes and direct reinforcement without the amphibious campaigns needed historically.