GRIM WAR AT SEA

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 7, 4 October 1943, Page 5

GRIM WAR AT SEA

New U-Boat Tactics

By Telegraph.—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (Deceived October 3, 8 p.m.)

OTTAWA, October 2. Latest advices of (he three-day L'-boat attack on an Atlantic convoy indicate that six Allied ships, including three war vessels, were sunk witli heavy loss ot life. At least two U-boats were sunk and six possibly damaged. The Associated Press of Great Britain correspondent says the action marked the re-opening of the Battle of the Atlantic after a four months’ respite. British, American and Norwegian survivors said tile U-boat pack followed two Canada-bound convoys like a pae.c of sharks for 10 days till almost in sight ot the coast. , , ‘ The opinion is expressed that the enemy used new and more deadly torpedoes, sinking one ship within a minute and another in four minutes. The three warships lost were the St. Croix, Itclien and Polyanthus. Photographic Evidence.

Photographic records of the battle disclose that the U-boat packs were organized the same as surface fleets with vessels designed for special jobs. As an example. at least one U-boat is shown with 10 anti-aircraft and other guns firing from the deck. This, U-boat is believed to be specially fitted for defending a fleet from planes. Future enemy tactics, it is believed, will be' confined to such concentrated attacks. Naval authorities described Germany s new type of torpedo as combining magnetic guidance with accoustic detonation, and said that a torpedo fired at a ship from astern overtakes the vessel and explodes within radius of the propeller. Vibration totally disabled the ship, and with her propeller gone she was then an easv target for a point-blank torpeno. Reports from Maceio, Brazil, staiethat a U-boat twice torpedoed the 0000-ton Brazilian passenger ship. Ipapage, which sank within four minutes off Corunpe Point on September 26. Its commander, Antonio Barra, said ne tried to beach the ship after sighting the U-boat, which machinegunned passengers and crew in lifeboats. Eighty wounded were taken to hospital. Six passengers and 19 of the crew are missing.