Torch escort priorities and British ships for the US Navy

American coastal shipping losses are linked to the shortage of escorts available to protect those routes. Escort allocations also changed with operational priorities: concentrating protection around Torch could leave other traffic more exposed. Many Atlantic convoys passed without contact, while some wolf packs saw convoys they could not catch. British Flower-class corvettes and other anti-submarine equipment supplied to the Americans are used to illustrate reverse Lend-Lease. The lack of enough ships complicates assigning responsibility for the vulnerable coastal routes.