A substantial group of civilian auxiliary vessels was taken up from trade for the Suez mobilisation. The expeditionary force depended on commercial hulls for transport and support as well as on commissioned warships. Requisitioning ships also made the preparation more visible across ports, companies, crews, and allied intelligence networks. Merchant shipping capacity supported the operation's amphibious reach and made the claim that Washington missed the mobilisation harder to sustain.
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Merchant Ships Taken Up from Trade
Civilian auxiliary ships were drawn into the operation to provide the sealift that warships and landing craft could not supply alone.