ABSTRACT
The heavy attacks on Convoy PQ 13 described in the last chapter left no doubt in the mind of the Commander-in-Cbief, Home Fleet, that the enemy was
As a resu.1t of his representations. sufficient destroycr.i, corvettes and trawler.; 10 bring the close escort of each convoy up to ten were transferred {rom the Western Approaches Command early in April. The Russians were requested to help in the Barents Sea by reinforcing the escort and by disposing submarines 10 the sout.h of the convoy route to discourage surface raiders. They were also asked to provide long range fighter or AfS aiT escort over this part of the route, and to bomb the enemy airfields; hut in the words of Sir John Tovey, 'little response was forthconUng:' Apart from the considerably increased close escorts. the measures for the defence of the next pair of convoys, which sailed in the second week of April, .....ere much the same as those for the previous pair.
