As the battles in the Atlantic intensified in 1942 and 1943 the command made continuous demands for aircraft and crews. Heavily engaged in other theatres, the Luftwaffe could not afford to divert or create forces for Atlantic operations. Along with reconnaissance and anti-shipping operations, Fliegerführer Atlantik provided air superiority to cover U-boat transit routes in the Bay of Biscay against its contemporary, RAF Coastal Command.