Duffy asks whether French PAP-104 mine-disposal vehicles were suitable for Britain's cloudy and muddy waters or whether Italian remotely controlled submersibles with onboard sonar offered a better answer. He distinguishes deep-water and estuary clearance because keeping the Channel and major ports open required equipment suited to different conditions. The probable deployment of existing mine-countermeasure ships elsewhere could leave home approaches without suitable coverage. The same procurement survey asks when an amphibious-lift study would report and when the first batch of new landing craft would be ordered. Together, the questions show how reinforcement can fail through neglected support craft even when major warships remain available.
Chapter · 37:08-37:53
Minehunting and amphibious lift reveal neglected support fleets
Duffy moves from cloudy-water minehunting and estuary clearance to landing craft and amphibious lift, exposing the support vessels on which access depends.