On the morning of October 17, as the US Army Air Corps dispatched a massive air group to prepare an attack on the Bermuda Islands, the American fleet and British fleet also rendezvoused in the waters south of Newfoundland.
The American Navy's nine fleet carriers, four light carriers, and six Capital Ships, together with the British Navy's eight medium carriers and ten Capital Ships, plus vast numbers of cruisers and destroyers, formed a massive fleet of more than four hundred vessels. Even against the German Navy's three major fleets in the Atlantic Ocean, they had the strength to fight.
Of course, compared with the German Navy, the American Navy and British Navy were still at a disadvantage even after joining forces. In particular, the gap in carrier-based aircraft performance made victory extremely difficult for the US and British Navy. However, if they were only facing the German Home Fleet, then the US and British Navy undoubtedly held the advantage.
On the American Navy's aircraft carrier Essex, the senior generals of the American Navy and British Navy had all gathered. Admiral Ernest King, Commander of the Atlantic Fleet, had been ordered to serve as commander of the American fleet for this operation. At the same time, after the American Navy gained command authority over the British Navy, he naturally became commander of the Combined Fleet as well.
On the British Navy's side, Admiral John Tovey, Commander of the Atlantic Fleet, served as deputy commander of the Combined Fleet. Admiral Andrew Cunningham served as deputy commander of the Aircraft Carrier Formation.
Although the American and British navies had formed a Combined Fleet, they still commanded their own fleets separately in practice. They only needed to act jointly when fighting the German Navy. There was no helping it—neither navy could possibly defeat the