Convoy protection was a scarce resource. Operation Torch troop convoys received heavier protection because their cargo was strategically and politically irreplaceable. German submariners saw fewer escorts on ordinary Atlantic routes without necessarily knowing why the balance had shifted. Concentrating protection around the invasion left regular merchant convoys with a smaller escort pool. A simultaneous amphibious operation could therefore change local conditions in the commerce war without altering long-term escort production.
Notable Point · 23:57-24:40
Escort pool and Operation Torch
A late section explains why Atlantic danger increased when escorts were diverted to major operations such as Operation Torch.