Washington Convoy conference

Washington Convoy conference, planned at the Casablanca conference in January 1943 (see SYMBOL) and held from 1 to 12 March 1943. Present were representatives of the British, Canadian, and US navies, and the RAF and USAAF Anti-Submarine Command, who made various recommendations to the Combined Chiefs of Staff. To the surprise of the British and Canadians it soon became apparent that the Americans wanted to withdraw their escort vessels from the battle of the Atlantic. A compromise was reached by which the British and Canadian navies took complete control of northern transatlantic convoys, except for the short leg between Halifax and Boston or New York. As part of this reorganization, Rear-Admiral Murray headed a newly formed North-West Atlantic Command during the final phase of the battle of the Atlantic. The conference also decided that 20 very-long-range aircraft be supplied to the Royal Canadian Air Force to start covering the principal mid-Atlantic air gap south of Greenland. It was also agreed that new convoy cycles be set up; the huff-duff network be increased; escort carrier groups be introduced to protect Atlantic convoys.