HUNTING THE U-BOATS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20071, 18 October 1939, Page 5

HUNTING THE U-BOATS

YACHTS AND TRAWLERS WAR TASKS REPEATED LONDON, Oct. 12. Many yachts of varying tonnage, including the expensive craft of millionaires, which two months ago were Hying the burgees of famous clubs, have changed their white hulls for navy grey, hoisted the White Ensign and entered the naval service to assist in submarine hunting. They represent one of the means by which the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Winston Churchill, aims to fulfil his hope of increasing the number of hunters threefold. The naval correspondent, of The Times says that the Admiralty is thus treating the pleasure craft ns a reserve and repeating the step taken in the Great War, when the pleasure fleet did much so-called “housemaiding work,” for which warships could not be spared. The Admiralty has taken over many trawlers for a similar purpose. More than 100 deep-sea trawlers requisitioned in the early days of the war have been fitted out for patrolling and mine-sweeping and have been manned by fishermen and yachtsmen many of whom are veterans of the mine-sweeping work of the Great War. The trawlers, an official statement says, are stationed at many ports along the eastern coast, and, in many cases, arc commanded by their own captains.