Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1940. THE NAVY’S SUPREMACY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 136, 9 May 1940, Page 8

Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1940. THE NAVY’S SUPREMACY.

There are good reasons for according credence to the belief expressed at Home that “it is a secret fear that sea power is still the dominating factor in war that inspires the present intense Nazi propaganda, which continues to declare that the British Eleet has suffered severe losses at the hands of the German air force.” It is a fact which tacticians the world over have recognised, and to which Nazi strategists cannot be blind, that the advancement of the air arm has by no means dealt a death blow to the naval service. It is true there were, before September last, doubts as to whether the rapid progress of military aviation had not created new factors with which' ships of war could not contend. It must be painfully apparent to Hitler and his advisers that the Royal Navy has lost none of its sting,, regardless of the most terrifying technique • they have propounded. Last month it was authoritatively stated that Britain had lost seventeen naval vessels, together with the armoured merchantman Rawalpindi, out of a total of 327 war vessels, since the outbreak of the war, whereas Germany’s loss was twentyfour vessels, not counting submarines, out of a total of 77 ships. To place the latter figure in perspective it must be explained that 32 of Germany’s 77 vessels were tiny torpedo-boats, or the still smaller motor torpedo-boats. The significance of these figures is even greater than at first appears. Whereas the British Navy is comparatively unaffected by its losses, the Germans have no longer any semblance of a balanced fighting force at sea. The loss of a large part of the Nazi navy in the battle off the Norwegian coast has enabled the Allies to safely revert to the normal distribution of tlieir navies in the Mediterranean. Not only have the Germans lost more than half their vessels of destroyer size and larger, but so great lias become the destruction of certain types that there is no possibility of the German fleet putting to sea in the near future as a complete operational unit. One of the most striking and encouraging features of recent news from Home has been the emphasis placed on the speedingup of naval construction —and not alone in the category of merchant craft. It lias been revealed that five new battleships of the King George V class, completion of which was not normally expected for many months yet, are already undergoing their trials. In presenting the Naval Estimates towards the end of Eebruary, Mr Churchill hinted that these vessels would be ready “in a short time.” The Navy derives increased strength from tlie new 35,000-ton battleships laid down between January and July, 1937, two of which were launched last year and the remainder of which

have left the yards since the w r ar began. Allowing for the loss of the Royal Oak and for the addition of the five King George Y type, 19 capital ships will be ready very .soon. In September the Navy had 15 heavy cruisers and 43 light cruisers, as well as 179 destroyers, so that, subtracting our losses to date, there are still sufficient forces to split up the Eleet to serve in the various oceans where it is required. A similar story of progress can be related of Erance, who has completed two 35,000-ton capital ships ten months gliead of schedule. These modern ships added to the existing seven vessels in the same category will make a formidable fleet in the Mediterranean, while Erance has also at her Command 19 cruisers and 59 destroyers, together with 78 submarines. Both Germany and Italy are expanding their naval arms to the best of their ability, but, without underestimating their progress, the confidence placed in the Allied Navies can be declared to be thoroughly justified.