Final answer:
Churchill requested American assistance to protect the Suez Canal during WWII. This route was crucial for Allied oil supplies and subject to threat by German advances in North Africa. The successful defense of the canal, coupled with the Allied victory in the Battle of the Atlantic, was essential to maintaining Allied energy supplies and strategic advantage.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the height of World War II, Churchill sought American assistance in protecting oil routes critical to the Allied war effort. The key oil route in question was the Suez Canal, a strategic chokepoint which would have been a significant loss for the Allies if controlled by the Axis powers. In late 1942, the threat was particularly acute as German forces under General Erwin Rommel, dubbed "the Desert Fox", were positioned in North Africa and posed a substantial risk to Allied access to oil through the Suez Canal.
Successful protection and maintenance of the Suez Canal were vital in ensuring the steady flow of resources necessary for the continuation of the war against Axis forces. The Allied victory in North Africa, supported by American assistance, helped secure this crucial route, safeguarding the energy supplies and giving the Allies a strategic advantage. This was a significant aspect of the Allies' strategy, alongside their technological and tactical advances in the Battle of the Atlantic, where sonar technology, naval convoys, and intelligence breakthroughs like the Ultra gave them the upper hand against the German U-boats.