Land-based air cover from Britain, Iceland, Canada, and later Greenland could not reach every part of the Atlantic because aircraft had limited range and had to return to rearm. Escort carriers and speed helped close the mid-ocean gap. More northerly convoy routes offered an alternative to the direct great-circle route. Bad weather made convoys harder for aircraft to find, while rough seas hindered submarine surface operations, deck-gun attacks, and accurate periscope observations. Geography and weather therefore shaped both convoy routing and anti-submarine warfare.
Chapter · 15:30-17:24
Closing the mid-Atlantic air gap
Aircraft range left a vulnerable mid-ocean gap, making escort carriers, basing, northern routes, and weather important parts of convoy defence.