Roskill criticizes Britain's surrender of its rights at Lough Swilly and Berehaven before the Second World War. He connects that decision with the subsequent difficulty of protecting convoys in the Western Approaches. The criticism concerns the operational value of a base's position relative to the shipping it supports. It forms part of his wider assessment of the resources Britain possessed when war began.
Notable Point · 1:45:31-1:46:06
Irish bases and the protection of the Western Approaches
Roskill links the loss of access to Irish bases with the difficulty of protecting Atlantic convoys.