Convoy AN6 was not protected by a single heavy escort force sailing in close company throughout. Its direct escort was one trawler, whose identity remains uncertain because several trawlers reached the same place on the same date. Force B and Orion followed related routes with their own loads, creating a dispersed but available response. Orion carried RAF supplies and its admiral was also inspecting Suda Bay, so the cruiser performed transport and command tasks alongside contingent cover. The arrangement stretched scarce cruisers across several jobs while keeping them close enough to support a vulnerable convoy.
Chapter · 18:08-20:01
AN6 shows the value of distributed cover
A slow convoy for Greece had only a small direct escort, but nearby cruisers carried reinforcements and could converge if it was threatened.