Quote:They didn't have a fighter escort because the fighters didn't have enough range.
True. This was, in fact, why they adopted the high-altitude large formation arrangement, with large numbers of machine-guns per plane, so that they could self-escort. And why the P-51 Mustang was so important - it was the first plane with the legs for the job.
What really got scary was the long stretches of the Atlantic where convoys didn't have air escorts... it's one reason why the Brits built disposable cat-launch planes for their merchies, and part of why we built so many 'jeep' carriers....
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Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.