Escort carriers versus long-range B-24 patrols

Which mattered more in closing the Atlantic air gap: escort carriers or very-long-range B-24s?

Escort carriers, because they carried an organic air-defense and ASW bubble with the convoy.

Both capabilities mattered in closing the Atlantic air gap. Very-long-range B-24 Liberators could sweep broad ocean areas, locate submarines, and provide important but transitory coverage from land bases. Escort carriers carried their aircraft with the convoy, creating an organic protective bubble that moved with the threatened ships. If only one were available, the carrier could sustain local air defense and anti-submarine pressure throughout the passage.