SHIPPING LOSSES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 135, 8 May 1940, Page 7

SHIPPING LOSSES

NAZI MERCHANTMEN. DOUBLED IN FIVE WEEKS. Received May 8, 9.10 a.m. LONDON, May 7. . The Admiralty states that the Germans have lost 800,000 tons of merchant shipping since April 1. The total is 600,000 tons since the outbreak of the Avar, which is 15 per cent, of Germany’s pre-war tonnage. Four British merchantmen totalling 6GS9 tons, one Allied vessel of 1458 tons and two neutral ships of 298 tons were sunk by enemjr action in the week ending April 28. The British loss . was one-third of the weekly average since the outbreak of' the Avar. The enemy losses include tile “Strength Through Joy” pleasure liner Robert Ley, which was sunk in the Skagerrak on the' night of April 12. - , . No information is available whether the Robert Ley was engaged in troopcarrying when she was sunk in the Skagerrak, but it is assumed that she and the other vessels accounted for were employed on duties in connection with the Norwegian campaign, states the British Official Wireless. The inference is also drawn from the Admiralty statement that the 300.000 tons of German shipping lost since April 1 were engaged in the Norwegian campaign on transport work. The Admiralty, describing the German air force’s desperate efforts to counter the power of the Allied navies, says one British A r essel was subjected to' 40 bombing attacks in one day but escaped unliit. shot down four raiders, and seriously damaged another. Two vessels covering the transport of troops shot down five enemy ’planes in three days. It is believed there arc no German naval vessels at Narvik.