U-BOAT FIGURES.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1920, Page 1

U-BOAT FIGURES.

IRITISH NAVAL SUPERIORITY

At a recent sitting of the War Responsibility Investigation Commission in Berlin, Admiral Koch stated that the speed of the German war cruisers was lower than that of the English cruisers, hut their fighting strength was undoubtedly higher. If Germany had had a few more years for further development she could have brought fight to the English coast, and could thus have achieved greater success.

Admiral von Capelle made the statement that im an encounter in the North Sea, during very clear weather, it was found that the range of the German naval 'guns was less than that of tho English. Regarding tbe number of U-boats which 'Germany had at lier disposal, Admiral lvoch stated that in February, 1917, there were 103, in March 120, ill April 124, in May 128, in Juno 130, in July 131, in August 123, in September 132, and in October 134. Tho lossos in tho same months wero respectively 2, G, 2,7, 3,7, 4,9, and 9. Tho tonnage slink by U-boats in February 191/, was 781,000 tons, and in tho following successive months respectively 1,021,000 tons, 809,000 tons, 1,010,000 tons, 811,000 tons, 808,000 tons, 572,000 tons, and 874,000 tons. Frigate-captain Bartcnbacli said tho figures of tonnage stink reported by Üboat captains wero always reduced by 10 per cent. All unknown ships sunk

wero put down at 1000 tons only. Tlie names of sunken ships were ascertained for the most part by the inter eeption of enemy wireless messages. While Admiral Koch, who was second to the late Admiral Holzendorff at the Admiralty Staff, was giving his evidence, he read a long extract from Admiral Sims’s well-known remarks as to the anxieties of Lord Jellicoe in the spring of 1917, but pulled himself up very short when he got to the eulogistic passage about Mr Lloyd George. Admiral Von Capelle let out the interesting fact that German naval authorities were of the opinion from the very beginning of the war that victory could be secured by ruthless submarining within five or six months. Herr in the Reichstag Main Committee that the effect of American participation in the war would be ‘precisely nil,” but Cohn confronted him with his assertion this poser lie waived aside airily with the remark.that the prophecy was of course, based on the assumption that the submarines would have done wliat was anticipated of them within the period mentioned. Aparently his view (says a Berlin correspondent) is that the one miscalculation amply justified the. other ,about which it was not necessary to say anything further. A curious feature of this stage of the inquiry was that no one, either on the ■Commission or among the witnesses, seemed to have anything like a clear idea as to what the economic effects of j tho submarining in Great Britain really were.