GERMAN NAVAL LOSSES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 118, 17 April 1940, Page 7

GERMAN NAVAL LOSSES

MERCANTILE FLEET RAVAGED TENTH OF PRE-WAR TONNAGE (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received April 17, 10.25 a.m. RUGBY, April IG. According to an official Admiralty statement it is believed that a number of German ships have been sunk in Norwegian ports. It is probable that the total of German mercantile iosses amounts to over 400,000 tons, or some 10 per cent, of their total pre-war tonnage. At present there are no definite reports of any British or French ships having been lost in connection with the German invasion of Norway.

FEW NEUTRAL SINKINGS. During the week ending midnight on April 14 lour neutral ships totalling 14,426 tons were lost and one Allied ship, namely the Norwegian Tosca (5128 tons). Neutral ships lost were the Okoania (Greek), Syoaborg (a Swedish tanker), Inez and Velocitas (Swedish) and Dutch fishing craft. Incomplete reports so far received show that the following German ships have been captured or sunk. All the ships sunk were employed as transports or naval auxiliaries: The steam trawlers Friesland, Nordland and Blakenburg, and the steamship Alster. totalling 9498 tons captured by Britain. Tile steamships Kreta (2359 tons). Rio de Janeiro (5261 tons), Amasis (7129 tons), Posidoniu (about 5000 tons), lonia (3102 Ions), August Leonhnrdt (2593 tons), and the trawler Moonunk (321 tons) were sunk by British submarines. The steamship Main (7621 tons) was sunk by a Norwegian destroyer, the Ravenfels (8460 tons) was sunk by a British destroyer, the An tares (2593 tons) was mined or torpedoed, and the tanker Skagerrak (6044 tons) was scuttled to avoid capture. The total German loss is 50.486 tons, and with vessels captured, 59,981 tons. Thus the total German mercantile tonnage lost since the beginning of the war is 363,930 tons. The Admiralty statement points out that at least a further 18.000 tons are estimated to have been sunk by British submarines, specific details of which have not yet been received. Up to April 19, 16,751 British, Allied, and neutral vessels had been escorted in British convoys with the loss of 29 ships—a ratio of one in 577. There had been no losses in convoy during the week in which 711 British, 51 A Hied, and 228 neutral ships were convoyed. Mr R. S. Hudson stated in the House ot Commons that the total number of British merchantmen sunk by enemy submarines up to April 10 was 81, including seventeen miscellaneous vessels, mainly under 500 gross tons.