PQ 17 cannot be understood as an isolated convoy story. British and American cooperation was still new, while war in the Pacific and Indian Ocean competed for attention and forces. First Sea Lord Dudley Pound's responsibilities extended far beyond this sailing, including arrangements around the King's visit to Scapa Flow. Decisions about one Arctic convoy therefore had to fit a global war and a new coalition.
Chapter · 0:22-2:01
Why PQ 17 needs a wider war context
PQ 17 is introduced as a crisis shaped by a new Anglo-American partnership and simultaneous demands across the globe.