UNIFIED ACTION

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20087, 6 November 1939, Page 9

UNIFIED ACTION

NAVIES OF ALLIES FRENCH EFFICIENCY FORMIDABLE STRENGTH l MINISTERS CONFER

j (Bloc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Official Wireless.) i Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Nov. 4. t The visit to Paris by the First Lord a of the Admiralty, Mr. Winston i Churchill, and his conversations with t the French Minister of Marine, M. . Campinchi, and Admiral Darlan, com--1 mander of the French naval forces, i emphasises the close co-operation of t the French and British navies. The French Navy to-day is a strong, highly efficient force. It is ' stronger in every arm that the Germany Navy and its composition is ' peculiarly well suited to combat Ger--1 man methods of sea warfare.

Even at the outbreak of war, France had seven capital ships in commission, two being fast battle-cruisers of 2G.000 tons, armed with 13-inch guns. They are well suited for dealing with Germany’s ‘’pocket" battleships and were, in fact, built as replies to those ships. France has seven large, fast cruisers mounting Bin guns, and 11 din gun cruisers. She has also 32 light cruisers—exceptionally fast ships of about 2500 tons, mounting five 5.4 in guns. The French destroyer strength con-

sists of 4(3 modern destroyers, while there are 7!) submarines —a slightly greater number than Germany possessed at the outbreak of war. This fleet, with its large number of auxiliary craft, is a formidable force which is playing an. important part in the maintenance of Allied sea power. Operationally, the co-operation of the French and British navies has been close since the very beginning of the war. The French and British navies have been working in close liaison in the establishment and maintenance of patrols and the provision of convoy escorts as well as in the prosecution of an offensive against German U-boats. The French Navy has also been

playing an important part in the interruption of German maritime trade and in capturing German merchant vessels on the high seas. In this connection the capture by a French submarine of the German merchant ship, Chemnitz and in escorting her into a French harbour made submarine history. The Paris talks between the heads of the French and British navies, therefore, are but an outward, visible sign of the friendly co-operation which is growing day by day.