Sending destroyers on Allied convoy operations gave Moscow a stake in coalition decisions and observers able to assess what its partners were willing to risk. An unnamed illustrative comparison contrasts expansive Allied claims with a much more limited Russian description. A possible submarine sighting prompts a Swordfish to drop depth charges, followed by several destroyers adding more, but the observers see no definite target. Direct participation could therefore help distinguish an observed success from a claim based on sightings and explosions.
Notable Point · 39:14-40:14
Soviet destroyers as coalition observers
Soviet participation in Allied convoy work supplied both a coalition stake and direct evidence with which to assess operational claims.