A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 42, 13 November 1940, Page 6

A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Menace To British Ships

U-BOAT CAMPAIGN

The serious menace to British and Allied merchant shipping from German submarines, ocean raiders and bombing aircraft to which attention has been drawn in previous articles iu this column is, according to today’s cable message, causing much concern to the United States Press. The comments of the London correspondent of the "New York Times” that Britain is “facing an unprecedented crisis at sea” and giving his reasons for this statement underlines all that has been said ou the problem in this column during the last fortnight. All tbe facts support Mr. Churchill’s recent statement that the increase in the losses ot merchant shipping due to the renewal of U-boat activity in the Atlantic approaches to the British Isles has been more serious than the air raids on Britain. The "New York Times” correspondent emphasizes that the outlook is definitely bleak. British officials, he st.ys, realize its seriousness, but the people do not. Mr. Churchill was absolutely right when he said in London last Saturday that "the enemy naturally is doing his utmost to cut us off from these vital supplies (from overseas]. The maintenance of Sea Power and of ocean routes is absolutely necessary to our victory and is of importance to all who need or desire our victory.” Danger To Convoys

With the defeat of France, wrote Admiral Sir Herbert Richmond three months ago, one important change has taken place in tbe war at sea. The enemy now has the use of the ports on the French side of tbe Channel and those on tbe Atlantic. His facilities for the attack upon British trade are therefore increased. Tbe system of convoys has been proving effective, as the figures for the sailings and losses have shown. How far, then, has the downfall of France affected the security of convoyed shipping? Two principal results are plain. The valuable services of the French Navy are lost to us, and tbe enemy’s light forces at sea and in the air are now able to strike at the trade in numbers and with a continuity which were impossible until be held tbe French ports and aerodromes. Until the collapse of France aud the loss of her ports and tbe assistance of her numerous light naval craft, the convoys of merchant ships were adequately escorted and there was a sufficiency of vessels available for hunting down U-boats. During the last three months, however, the Royal Navy has had to carry on alone against the submarines, not only of Germany, but of Italy, as well. This has necessitated the strengthening of the anti-submarine ilotillas in the Mediterranean; and at the same time tbe Navy has had to provide against tbe possibility of invasion of Britain. Shortage Of Escorts

At the same time, tbe huge volume of merchant shipping accruing to British control, from Norway, Denmark, Holland, Belgium and France, has added immensely to the difficulties of providing protection against submarine and aircraft attack in the Atlantic approaches. With a shortage of destroyers and escort ships, convoys have bad to be swelled to great and unwieldy size, generally comprising a mixture of fast and slow ships, bringing the speed of convoys dow’n to that of the, latter. Convoys of from 50 to 60 ships, tor which one destroyer and two escort ships are all that are available, have become too common. Convoys of handy size and adequately escorted, have proved the best defence against. submarines and their losses were infinitesimal. The rate of loss iu tbe present huge convoys has not. been disclosed officially, but it is known to have been heavy. One age-loug lesson of convoy work needs to be borne iu mind, says Admiral Richmond. Attacks on convoys almost invariably begin with small forces and are met by correspondingly small but sufficient defending forces, lhe euemv, naturally, increases the strength of his attack, the defenders the strength of the defence: and the numbers grow until from single vessels or flotillas of half a dozen or so, they reach the size of what may be called fleets —and fleet actions ensue.

We find ourselves, indeed, in very much the same situation as iu earlier times when weapons were simpler. Either every convoy must be escorted with a force capable of meeting, and defeating, any probable concentration of the enemy, or the enemy must be kept in check by forces of adequate strength, operating off his poits as a covering force to protect the eonioys against massed bodies, while smaller detachments are used to escort the convoys aud protect them against such craft, submarine, aerial or surface, as will be able to circumvent the covering body. Shipbuilding Programme

Meanwhile every shipbuilding slip in Great Britain is working at the highest pressure to reinforce tbe Navy with every type of warship. In beptember, Mr. Churchill said: "Ave are only now beginning to get the increased flow of production from the great ptogrammes started after the war. aud it is very agreeable to see the increases maintained over so wide a tield in <pite of the enemy’s fire from the air. Great Britain entered the present war under a great handicap in respect of destroyers and small naval eiair. In the war of 1914-18 she at no time had sufficient of these vessels. In 1914 the Royal Navy possessed one ilotil a leader and 243 destroyers. During tm war she built 34 llotilla leadeis ‘ 303 destroyers, making a total ot abl such vessels, of which 6< were lost during the four years. In' there were built, after May, 191 , 74 patrol boats, ot 20 knots ranging from 570 up to b9O tons and a huge number of other binall *- were built or acquired. 'LjFjT. some thousands of * ll in the Naw List m 1918. yet an o. 11,cm. as well as the p-boats. were overworked contin.l '’'ai'ilic beginning of this wtir Hi’? Koval Navy possessed about 190 destrkvers. of which 36 have been lost from enemv action or other causes. A ota of 24 were building in September. and when hostilities coutmenced many more were ordered, of this vear, when losses totalled ot, it was stated officially that there bad been a net gain of 24 destroyers, from Which it can be gathered that 54 new S l lmVbeen completed doubtless, more have the The 50 destroyers acquired from the I’nited States were a welcome addition k S SSh «< BrWta'. Nevertheless, there is a long ami a.ciuous road to travel betore the Navy eau possess sufficient resources in destroyers aud other small craft to defeat the submarine menace to British merchant shipping.—(S.D.AV.)