The later-war anchorage could refuel and resupply carriers and capital ships close to the Arctic operating area. A photograph of USS Wasp, USS Washington, USS Wichita, HMS Victorious, and a King George V-class battleship illustrates the scale of force assembled there. Scapa would have been still more useful if Britain had not lost Norway, because the base's value depended on the wider northern strategic map. Even the prospect of one German battleship sortie could force Britain to hold a much larger covering force in home waters. Scapa shortened the approach to that northern theater while remaining a forward base rather than a fully self-sufficient one.
Notable Point · 2:24:23-2:30:38
Scapa Flow supports the Arctic-convoy battle fleet
After its defenses were strengthened, Scapa Flow became a forward support point for the powerful escorts needed to deter German surface ships from Arctic convoys.