WAR ON U-BOATS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20053, 27 September 1939, Page 5

WAR ON U-BOATS

GREAT PROGRESS MADE MR. CHURCHILL’S REVIEW REDUCTION OF MENACE SEIZURE OF CONTRABAND (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Preai Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) Reed. noon. RUGBY. Sept. 26. In a statement in the House of Commons on the war at sea, supplementary to that made by the Prime Minister, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, gave interesting figures showing the progress of measures for dealing with the U-boat campaign.

The convoy system was now in full operation both ways. The arming ol merchantmen was proceeding apace, and in a very short time the immense mercantile marine of the British Empire, of which about 2000 ships were usually at sea every day, would be armed.

Referring to the curious circumstances that he was back at the Admiralty again after 25 years, moving over the same course against the same enemy m the same month of the year, Mr. Churchill said it gave him an opportunity to compare the position as no one else could, and “I see how much greater are the advantages we possess to-day in coping with the U-boats than we did 25 years ago.”

‘Fruitful and Hopeful Days”

After detailing the improvements in the methods of hunting U-boats, Mr. Churchill said that it was no exaggeration to say that the attacks upon U-boats had been five or six times as numerous as in any period of the Great War. The figure of six or seven U-boats destroyed mentioned by Mr. Chamberlain week ago was probably an under-statement, and since then they had some fruitful and hopeful days. But even taking six or seven, that was one-tenth of llic total enemy submarine fleet as it existed at the declaration of war destroyed in the first fortnight of the war, an.d probably a quarter, and perhaps even one-third of the U-boats which had been actively employed. •

In the first week, the losses of British shipping amounted to 65,000 tons, but in the second it was reduced to 46,000 tons, in the third week to 21,000 tons, and for the last six days only 9000 tons. German merchandise seized and converted to British use was 67,000 tons more than the British merchandise sunk by U-boats. Britain had more supplies to-day than she would have had if no war had been declared. Great Impression Made A great impression was made by Mr. Churchill’s statement. Both the Opposition leaders, Major C. R. Attlee and Sir Arcbruaid Sinclair welcomed the First Lord's encouraging survey, which was the more telling for his insistence on the need for caution in over-sanguine deductions from the figures he gave the House, of which the most notable was the fall o! British shipping losses due to enemy action from 65,000 tons in the first seven days of the war to 9000 tons in the last six days.

War, he reminded the House, was full of unpleasant surprises, and they must expect further losses. But members seized upon his candid disclosure of great improvements in the methods of submarine hunting since the last war, so that work which required 15 or 20 destroyers then could be done by two, and his affirmation that the British attack on U-boats was only beginning. By the •-■nd of October, the navy would have three times the hunting force which was operating at the outbreak of the war.