Escorting merchant convoys required a major effort by the British Royal Navy in first week of December 1939

An item reported that in the week 30 November-7 December 1939 on 8 different shipping routes 422 British, 29 Allied and 8 neutral ships were conveyed escorted by 1 battleship, 5 cruisers, 5 armed merchant cruisers, 44 destroyers, 13 escort vessels and 2 submarines assisted by 5 French destroyers and 2 submarines. Eight ships were lost.