CONVOY SYSTEM

Evening Star, Issue 24281, 24 August 1942, Page 4

CONVOY SYSTEM

SUCCESS IN U.S. WATERS WASHINGTON, August 22. The director of the Navy’s Public Relations Office (Mr Lovett), said that only five ships had been lost of 2,000 convoyed in Atlantic coastal zones since May 14, when the convoy system was instituted. American shipyards had produced more ships in July than were sunk that month.

Though the battle of the Atlantic is by no means won, sinkings have decreased sharply, and the navy hopes for a further improvement, the New York ‘ World Telegram ’ states. Since Pearl Harbour 356 attacks have been announced on Allied ships in the Noiili Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Gulf ot Mexico, and on the South American coast, almost all the vessels being sung, including eight in December, 42 in March. 53 in April, 51 in May, 78 in .Tunc, 68 in July, and 19 thus far in August. The improvement is due to increased convoying by warships, searching aeroplanes, and trained personnel. The newspaper points out that submarines in the last Great War could submerge only 100 ft, and were easier to depth-bomb than now. when they can descend 600 ft in ■ order to escape the destroyers’ “ ashcans.”