Convoying was necessary, yet a navy could not implement it merely by issuing an order. Britain entered the Second World War with First World War experience preserved in commands, officers, staffs, and planning structures such as Western Approaches. The United States had allowed much of that institutional preparation to lapse, leaving Admiral King with competing demands and an expensive system to create during wartime. Convoy defense shows why peacetime organization and exercises are part of naval combat power.
Notable Point · 1:10:56-1:15:07
Why convoy protection cannot be improvised overnight
The convoy debate turns on trained staffs, commands, organization, and rehearsed procedures as much as on assigning escort ships.