Britain expanded its escort force with Flower-class corvettes, Hunt-class escort destroyers, converted V and W destroyers, and trawlers. Coastal convoys were strategically vital because sea transport moved British goods between ports, yet they faced aircraft, E-boats, submarines, and mines. The coastal shipping network functioned much like modern heavy-goods road transport and moved more bulk around Britain than contemporary roads or railways. Predictable routes between ports and repeated exposure to reconnaissance made these convoys comparatively easy to locate. Their danger and strategic importance matched those of the better-known ocean convoys.
Notable Point · 6:26-9:35
Coastal convoys and the escort race
The Atlantic problem was also a race to build escorts for vulnerable coastal and ocean convoys.