SACLANT cannot both contain the Northern Fleet and protect every convoy

Duffy says the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic lacked enough assets to pursue forward sea denial against the Northern Fleet while also reinforcing and resupplying Europe. Escorts were a particular concern, and uncertainty over the US Navy's future carrier role complicated the wider force calculation. American plans explicitly relied on European allies to help bar Soviet access to major sea lanes, escort ocean convoys, and secure restricted waters and port entrances. Those tasks transferred a large share of the defensive burden from an American command to allied navies. Duffy therefore asks whether the Royal Navy actually possessed the forces needed to discharge each responsibility assigned to it in the East Atlantic and Channel.