Why a carrier escort needs both air and submarine defense

The game distinguishes Fletcher escorts configured for air defense from those assigned to submarine hunting. The simplified choice reflects a real force-composition problem: one escort arrangement cannot cover every threat to a carrier group and its convoy. Submarines may attack the slower supply ships instead of the carrier, placing the transports at the center of the mission. The players therefore keep the carrier group close enough to shield the convoy while scouting the approaches. Although the scenario compresses these decisions, its central tradeoff is historical: protecting the carrier has little value if the logistics it depends on are lost.