THE WAR AT SEA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 October 1939, Page 6

THE WAR AT SEA

BRITAIN’S GOOD MARGIN LITTLE EFFECT ON MERCANTILE MARINE. ENEMY’S HEAVY LOSSES. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright, (Received This Day. Noon.) LONDON. October 17. Tn his statement in the House of Commons on the anti-snbmarine eampaign. Mr Winston Churchill (First Lord of Ihe Admiralty) said: “The French Navy also has been active and certainly has taken its toll, but it is not for me to give figures on this subject. We believe that from about sixty U-boats ready for action at the beginning of the war, about a third have already been sunk or seriously . damaged. U-boats of the latest ocean-going type represent a proportion of about, one-fifth of those put out of action. We actually hold survivors from three of this higher class. Such skilled crews could not easily be replaced.

Mr Churchill added that the U-boats had succeeded thus far in sinking 156,000 tons of Britain’s 21,000,000 tons of mercantile shipping. To these losses could be added 18,000 tons lost as a result of mines or accidents. Britain had captured 29,000 tons of shipping from ‘he enemy and had benefited by the commissioning of new ships totalling 104,000 tons. * “It will be seen,” Mr Churchill said, “that while our mercantile marine remains practically unaffected by U-boat warfare, the losses inflicted on the enemy, if continued, could certainly not be endured.” NORWEGIAN SHIP SUNK ALL MEMBERS OF CREW SAVED. (Received This Day, 11.10 a.m.) OSLO, October 17. The entire ship’s company of the Norwegian steamer Lorentz W. Hansen, numbering 21, were saved after she had been sunk in the North Atlantic. The means of sinking are not stated. ATLANTIC CAPTURE FRENCH TAKE GERMAN MERCHANTMEN. (Received This Day, 12.40 p.m.) PARIS, October 17. The French have captured 'a German merchantman in the Atlantic.