How many fighters were needed for a convoy combat air patrol?
Short answerAbout eighteen for a standing patrol, but most escort carriers carried six to eight and launched them when radar detected a threat.
NotesA full standing combat air patrol might call for about eighteen fighters, beyond the capacity of many early escort carriers. Their practical method was to keep a smaller fighter group ready and launch when radar detected a Condor approaching. This radar-cued response conserved aircraft and pilots while still threatening the reconnaissance aircraft that guided U-boats. A six-to-eight-fighter group could be useful even though it could not maintain a fleet-carrier-style patrol.