MARINE LOSSES IN WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 July 1916, Page 3

MARINE LOSSES IN WAR.

UNPARALLELED DESTRUCTION. An American journalist, writing a few weeks ago, remarked tliat the submarine had appeared for the first time in the Rnglish Channel. This was said to be due to the fact that the chain netting that had hitherto barred their passage into the Channel was damaged during the recent storm, and the fJerman craft were quick to take advantage of it. It may be interesting (lie went onT to note the total results of the submarine, mine, and seizure campaign up to date. These have been published by the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce at Washington on the basis of a dispatch from the United States commercial attache at London and under date of March 21. The entire tonnage of all belligerents captured or destroyed is 8.774,'2l fl, represented by 2103 vessels, (ireat Britain has lost 4Sii ships with a total tonnage of 1,500,415. Erancc. Italy and Russia together have lost 107 ships with a tonnage of 282,187. (iermany has lost 1101 ships, with a tonnage of' 1,278,1)00. Austria has lost SO ships with a tonnage of 207.GG4, e.nd Turkey has lost 124' ships of unstated tonnage. Neutral nations, the more or less "innocent bystanders," have lost 730 ships with a tonnage, of Tlie results may be summarised thus: The. Allies have lost 052 ships with a tonnage of 1,78.8,002, and the Teutonic Powers have lost 802 ships with a tonnage (excluding Turkish tonnage), of 1,543,004. These figures do not discriminate between submarines, mines and seizures, and probably they are not complete, since some of the losses are concealed. Moreover, the ship-yards have been extraordinarily busy everywhere, and some of these losses have certainly been replaced. At the same time they serve to give an idea of marine destrnetiveJiess without a parallel in the history of warfare.