The Death of PQ-17

Was the decision to scatter PQ-17 a catastrophic blunder or a defensible response to the threat posed by Tirpitz? Some historians argue the Admiralty's order to disperse the convoy was a panic-driven disaster that maximized losses; others contend that the threat assessment was reasonable given the intelligence available and the vulnerability of a concentrated target to German surface and air attack. (single-source — see provenance)