On 19 February, the American task unit 4.1.5 assumed escort responsibility with Gleaves class destroyers Edison and Nicholson, Wickes class destroyers Lea and Bernadou and the Canadian Flower class corvette HMCS Algoma. Edison's commanding officer, Commander Albert C. Murdaugh, USN, was the senior officer of the escort group. The escort group had never operated together before. Bernadou had been modified for long range escort work by replacing the fourth boiler and stack with an extra fuel tank. Toward carried a HF/DF high-frequency direction finding set, and Nicholson had the only functional radar. Lea carried a British ASV aircraft radar with fixed antennae, but the coaxial cable to the antennae was repeatedly shorted by salt water spray. Edison had no depth charge throwers, and was limi