Fewer escorts in the Med

[dmlavan]

GWX: I'm on my 5th patrol in the Med and it's early March 43. All of North Africa is in Allied hands. On the previous 4 patrols, and 6 patrols in a different boat, I've noticed that every merchant I've come across has been sailing in company with one escort. Now, 2 of the past 3 merchants I've encountered are sailing alone.

Is this historically accurate as a result of Allied air superiority/supremacy, i.e. merchants started sailing unescorted in early 1943?

[NiclDoe]

Most likly the Brits feel that since they have North Africa has been under there hands and that they think the U-boats would not attack. Remember the thumb of rule: The Brits where the crazy ones.:up:

[melnibonian]

In the Med the allies had such an advantage in Naval and Air Power that the convoy system was not used to the extent it was used in the Atlantic. After all most of the Merchant ships had to hop from harbour to harbour in close distances and close to the coast lines. That eliminates the danger from U-Boats. Still the Med Theater was the most deadly for the U-Boats due to the massive allied naval and air cover and to the shallow waters of the region.

[Fenris_Wolf]

:hmm:
A grid reference would make things more precise here because I'm also in the same area (and the time period) and what I find a lot (along the north african coast and somewhat north west of Tobruk) is a couple of 1.2k-2.5k ton ships having a front and rear escort as well (mostly a black swan among them).

Sure there are the occasional unescorted merchants. Found three large cargo ships all by their lonesome once, but much nearer to the african coast. After the air cover increased greatly I left that spot and moved further west along a convoy route (bagged a 24k GRT passenger liner there last night).

[Ping Panther]

A point to consider is that the Brits. historically tended to go on the theory of a routing ships with less significant escort resources; especially in the earlier years.

In the Med., the significance of the occupation of the island of Malta was the "hinge pin" of the ability of the Allied forces to maintain shipping routes and coverage to much of North Africa, the Med. & oil resources in the Mid-east,

"There was no lasting solution for the enemy short of the conquest of Malta."
, P.M. Winston Churchill

Historic attempts to reach the battered Allied forces holding out on Malta:
Operation Harpoon: mid. June '42
Operation Bellows: early Aug. '42
Operation Pedestal: mid. Aug. '42 (considered successful... despite severe losses)
(check in on the significance of escorts provided in Op. Pedestal!... WOW!) :o

Air support following Allied progression in Med. (retaining Malta's airbase & harbor, N. African Allied forces pushing against Rommel, etc.) provided more coverage. Other naval events thinned some of the more significant escort deployments to the Med. as well.

[dmlavan]

Thanks for all of the feedback.

For Fenris_Wolf, I found these along the shipping lane just south and south-southeast of Malta.