FIGURES ANALYSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20112, 5 December 1939, Page 5

FIGURES ANALYSED

i I BRITISH I PER CENT LOSS 171,000 TONS CAPTURED COUNTER TO MINES ! (Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (British Ofticial Wireless.) Reed. 12 noon RUGBY, Dec. 4. Tt is stated in authoritative quarters that since the outbreak of war 410 British lives have been lost as a result of German mine and torpedo attacks on British shipping. The highest month’s nutmlber was •176 in September. The October figure was 124, ana November 103. In December so far seven British lives have been lost. In the same period, 33 German merchant ships, totalling 171,300 tons, were put out of action with a loss, so far as is known, of four German lives, and this only as a result of the U-fboats’ own gunfire. Among German ships recently captured an’d brought to British ports was the Hamburg steamer Eillbek, of 2185 tons, which was built in 1936. The ship sailed from a Canadian port just before the war and arrived at the Azores. She was reported to have left St. Michaels at the beginning of November. The trawler Sophie Busse. of 215 tons, of Wesermund, has also been brought in as a prize. In the week ended December 2, six British ships totalling 23,282 tons, have been sunk by German action and six neutral ships totalling 30,032 tons. The steamer Uskmouth, of 2483 tons, was sunk on November 25, but was not included in that week’s sinkings as the information was not then to hand. As the price of keeping at sea nearly 21,000,000 tons gross of Britidr shipping and removing from the sea 4,500,000 tons of German shipping, and except for piratical raids, keeping the whole German surface fleet in the Baltic, the British Navy has lost since the outbreak of war 53,000 tons out of a pre-war total of 1,500,000 naval tonnage. The most important units sunk were ships over 25 years old. Neither must it be forgotten that the most extensive British building programme ever seen is now in full operation. Since the Genu an laying of magnetic mines 'began 99 per cent of (Britain-bound ships arrived safely and in navy circles it is believed that the Admiralty’s method of de’aling with the new menace is proving very successful. It is also revealed that 144 Germans from Üboats are prisoners in j Britain.