American warships helped cover Gibraltar so Force H could move south with the invasion convoy. HMS Illustrious and HMS Indomitable supplied carrier air power, while cruisers and destroyers provided the main surface escort. Dutch warships and Flower-class corvettes show that the screen was multinational and that convoy escorts also served amphibious task forces. Minesweepers, the fast minelayer HMS Manxman, the monitor HMS Erebus, and the seaplane carrier HMS Albatross added specialist capabilities. Erebus carried battleship-calibre guns without a battleship's draught, allowing the monitor to provide fire support closer inshore. The resulting mix provided air cover, gunfire, escort, reconnaissance, and mine-warfare support rather than relying on capital ships alone.
Chapter · 9:41-12:03
The fleet assembled for Operation Ironclad
Carriers, cruisers, destroyers, corvettes, minesweepers, a monitor, and a seaplane carrier gave the invasion fleet broad capabilities.