SAFEGUARDING SHIPS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20040, 12 September 1939, Page 10

SAFEGUARDING SHIPS

ATTACKS ON U-BOATS BRI T A IN’S RE ADI NESS STATEMENT OF POLICY Considering the large volume ot British merchant shipping operating in the North Atlantic and traversing tiic- numerous sea routes focusing on .he ports of the British Isles, the depredations of Nazi submarines during die lirst week of the war have been relatively small.

The crime of the torpedoing of the \then.ia without warning on the day hat Great Britain declared war on

Germany resulted in the sinking of i valuable liner. But its worst as-

ect was the fact that Ihp ship was arrying 1400 passengers, all of whom

ad embarked before the outbreak of nr. and that many lives were lost.

Since then several other British merchant ships have been torpedoed without warning and sunk. It can

safely be taken for granted, however, that during the week, the Royal Navy has been rapidly putting into effective operation its extensive measures for combating the Nazi submarine menice. It is disclosing no secret to say that these measures are infinitely

more advanced and effective than during the Great War.

The Convoy System

The recent announcement by Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, that it was proposed immediately to institute the convoy system to safeguard merchant ships from the submarine menace- lends interest to the statement on this subject and on anti-submarine defence generally, made by Mr. Shakespeare, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, when the Navy Estimates were being considered by the House of Commons on March IG.

When he assured the House that as a result of over two years’ close cooperation between the Admiralty and the leaders of the shipping industry, they would be ready to institute a system of convoys soon after the outbreak of war on any route where it was considered necessary, he was simply stating a. fact, which the Merchant Servi'ce knew, said Mr. Shakespeare. The methods of convoy, all the arrangements and equipments, and the training of tiic personnel had been examined and preparations were well advanced.

There were now in stock sufficient anti-submarine guns to meet all expected requirements. Over 2000 could be made immediately available for the Merchant Service, and the organisation for maintaining them was complete. Though the stiffening oi tlie deck of a merchant ship 'to carry guns was not a lengthy operation, llicy had not been content to wait tili the emergency arose. The process o! stiffening one deck to take defensive armament was started in 1937, and by the end of the year it is expected that about 1000 would have been so stiffened.

This effect required the close cooperation of shipowners, as the stiffening could only be carried out when the ships were made available for a sufficient time. Over 0000 officers of the Merchant Navy had already attended courses in convoy protection or gunnery, and courses were being continued this year for seamen. At the outbreak of war a large number of ships were directly taken over for anti-submarine work by the Navy. These vessels had been ear-marked and the appropriate armament and equipment for all these vessels was already in stock. Methods of Detection If science had stood still, if there had been no new developments in anti-submarine warfare, the adoption of a system of convoy on the outbreak of war would by itself enable us to deal with the menace of the submarine. But science has not stood still. He could not reveal the nature of the advance, but he could say that he believed our methods of detecting, hunting, and killing submarines were more advanced than any others in the world.

He (Mr. Shakespeare) had taken part in a hunt for submerged submarines whose position was unknown, and he had imposed conditions which satisfied him as to the bona tides of the test, in case the scientists were taking advantage of the gullibility of the layman. In nine cases out of 10. without any doubt, the exact position of the submarine was detected. The right lion, member for Epping, who had satisfied himself in a similar way of the progress made in this development, would 'contradict if he thought that was exaggerated. Mr. Churchill: No, I agree.

Mr. Shakespeare, continuing, said !mt the Admiralty did riot claim that '.his method was infallible under all conditions. Under certain conditions, particularly with inexperienced crews, 'failures would occur. But he claimed 'fiat the proved success of convoys and the development of scientific methods of detection put them in a belter position to deal with the menace of the submarine. That did not mean that they would not need to continue their efforts to create a large pool of anti-submarine vessels for these purposes. An Admiralty Secret

What, successes, if any, the Royal Navy's anti-submarine operations have achieved during the last week have not been disclosed. The Admiralty has stated officially that it is not always desirable to publish details of the destruction or damage to enemy submarines, and therefore it should not be assumed that no successes have been achieved.

This statement is in line with the policy adopted during the latter part of (he Great War, when virtually no information regarding tjpe destruction of enemy submarines was divulged. This was greatly resented by the German. authorities, and moved them to extravagant falsehoods regarding British anti-submarine methods. The veil of British secrecy was also very trying to the morale of German submarine crews.

It is known that Germany’s losses of submarines during the Great War numbered upward of 200. During the intensive campaign against merchant (hipping from February, 1!) 17, to the end of the war 14!) enemy submarines were lost. Under the terms of the Armistice HiO German submarines were surrendered at Harwich. According to the latest available official information Germany possessed early this year 20 submarines, of which 111 to U 24 were of 250 tons and armed with three torpedo tubes md one machine-gun; U 25 to U2G were of 712 tons and armed with six torpedo tubes and one 4.2 in. gun; U 27 to U3G were of 500 tons and armed with five torpedo lubes and one 3.7 in. gun.