 Composed of 52 ships it was escorted by Canadian escort group C-1, which comprised 3 destroyers; (Cdr JA Burnett as Senior Officer Escort), HMCS "St Laurent" and , frigate and 3 corvettes; , and .The escort was augmented by the escort carrier , with 3 sloops , and as escort, 
and the Merchant aircraft carrier "Amastra", though she had to return to base early in the voyage with storm damage.BdU had established the patrol line "Seigfried" of 18 boats.