AXIS SUBMARINES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 21 October 1942, Page 2

AXIS SUBMARINES

530 SUNK OR DAMAGED FIGURES NOT COMPLETE (Rec. 12.15 p.m.) Rugby, Oct. 20. j To-day, the eve of Trafalgar Day. , Mr A. V. Alexander, First Lord of ; the Admiralty, revealed that more than 530 Axis submarines had been sunk or damaged by Britain and the United States. This figure does not include any attacks made by the Russian Navy or the Fighting French people before .lune, 1940, nor are the American figures complete. During the last war, the enemy lost less than 200 U-boats. Paying tribute to the Royal Navy, Mr Alexander quoted what Napoleon said in captivity: “It was the British Navy that thwarted me at every turn.” Mr Alexander remarked: “Hitler may well say the same when his turn comes for removal.” Mr Alexander emphasised three particular changes in sea warfare since 1914-18 which enormously increased the task of the Navy and the threat to our communications. They were the greatly increased radius in the striking power of aircraft, far greater endurance and capability of U-boats, and the big extent and variety of enemy mining operations. Countering these was the main task of our naval effort and it was in doing so that the Navy had suffered most of its casualties. These had been large even by the standards of the lost war, but they had not been in vain for the sea lanes of the United Nations were still open and they must be kept open so as to get fuel for our bombers over Germany and supplies could be sent to Russia and outposts like Malta. No second front would be possible unless we coni rolled the sea as well as the air.—B O.W