NOTABLE SUCCESS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20096, 16 November 1939, Page 5

NOTABLE SUCCESS

| ONLY SEVEN LOSSES CHECKMATING RAIDERS HEAVY TOLL OF U-BOATS LAST WAR COMPARED (Elec;. Tdl. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Oflicial Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Nov. 14. There is every reason for satisfaction regarding the anti-submarine campaign, as shown by a comparison of the figures of the loss occasioned in the last war by the German unrestricted submarine warfare, which started in February, 1917, when 114 British ships aggregating 200,000 tons were lost.

In March, 146, of 287,000 tons were lost, and in April, when the sinkings reached the peak, 450 British, Allied or neutral ships of 852,000 tons were destroyed by U-boats.

■ The convoy system was started in May, 1917, and from then until the war finished 99.08 per cent, of the 16,698 ships which sailed in convoy safely completed the voyage.

In the present war the convoy system has operated as the ships have returned from pre-war voyages, and of those convoyed 99.7 per cent have reached their destination.

Nazi Submarine Fleet

As regards the fate of the German submarine fleet, it is difficult to give the precise details, because when a U-boat founders in deep water no trace is left, but it is thought that Germany started the war with about 70 craft distributed into large oceangoing, medium-sized - and purely coastal types. To this fleet she can add, it is anticipated, two further U-boats each week.

In the first six weeks of the war .here is good reason to believe about one-third of the total German submarine fleet was destroyed or badly damaged. Thus it must be anticipated that by the end of January she will ’lave about 100 craft available, less any sinkings which may occur meanwhile. It is not unexpected, however, that the destruction rate will remain at least the same, for by then the anti-submarine fleet will have been greatly reinforced and these ships are all equipped with the latest detector and destructive devices, which have been greatly improved since 1918.

Crews Highly Trained

Further, Germany will have increasing difficulty in providing crews, which must be highly trained. Nor must be overlooked the devastating effect on the others of the failure of one U-boat in four to return. In the House of Commons, the Minister of Shipping, Sir John Gilmour, in reply to a debate on the Shipping Ministry, stated, in dealing with the convoy system, that so far 3040 ships had been convoyed with only the loss of seven. This was striking proof of the co-operation between the navy and the mercantile marine.

Although the system inevitably caused interruption and delay in normal working, this delay was being diminished in many cases as a result if discussions with the Admiralty.

It had been pointed out in the debate that ships built as replacements in the last war had been found of little use when the war ended. This fact was not overlooked and every spare part available was being now used to construct ships which would be easily adaptable to trade conditions after the war.

Sir John Gilmour added that the Government’s policy was to prevent improper profits from freights which was largely achieved through the inevitable delays and diversion of ships due to war conditions which caused strain and inconvenience.