ATTACK ON U-BOATS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1939, Page 5

ATTACK ON U-BOATS

SATISFACTORY POSITION INDICATED MANY ENEMY CRAFT SUNK. j SMALL LOSSES UNDER CONVOY SYSTEM. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 14. There is every reason for satisfaction regarding the anti-submarine campaign, as is shown by a comparison of the figures of the loss occasioned in the last war by the German unrestricted submarine warfare which started in February. 1917. when 114 British ships of 260,000 tons were lost. In March 146 ships of 287.000 tons were lost, and in April, when the sinkings reached their peak. 450 British, Allied, or neutral ships of 852.000 tons were destroyed by U-boats. The convoy system was started in May. 1917. and from then till the war finished 99.08 per cent of the 16,698 ships which sailed in convoy safely completed the voyage. In the present war the convoy system has operated as ships have returned from pre-war voyages, and of those convoyed 99.7 per cent have reached their destination. As regards the fate of the German submarine fleet, it is difficult to give precise details, because when a U-boat founders in deep water no trace is left. But it is thought that Germany started the war with about 70 craft, distributed into large ocean-going, mediumsized, and purely coastal types. To this fleet she can add, it is anticipated, two further U-boats each week. In the first six weeks of the war there is good reason to believe that about one-third of the total German submarine fleet was destroyed or badly damaged. Thus it must be anticipated that by the end of January she will have about 100 craft available, less any sinkings which may occur meanwhile. It is not unexpected, however, that the destruction rate will remain at least the same, for by then the antisubmarine fleet will have been greatly reinforced, and these ships are all equipped with the latest detector and destructive devices, which have been greatly improved since 1918. Further. Germany will have increasing difficulty in providing crews, which must be highly trained. Nor must there be overlooked the devastating effect on thq others of the failure of one U-boat in four to return. In the House of Commons Sir John Gilmour, in reply to a debate on the Ministry of Shipping, stated, in dealing with the convoy system, that so far 3040 ships had been convoyed with only the loss of seven. This was striking proof the co-operation between the navy and the mercantile marine. Though the system inevitably caused interruption and delay in normal working, this delay was being diminished in many cases as the result of discussions with the Admiralty. It had been pointed out in the debate that ships built as replacements in the last war had been found of little use when the war ended. This fact was not overlooked and every spare part available was being now used to construct ships which would be easily adaptable io trade conditions after the war. Sir John Gilmour added that tno Government’s policy was to prevent improper profits from freights, which had been largely achieved, though the inevitable delays and the diversion of ships because of war conditions caused strain and inconvenience. USE OF PLANES FORESHADOWED BY GERMAN PAPER. By Telegraph—Press Association Copyright BERLIN. November 15. The “Voelkischer Beobachter” foreshadows the use of aeroplanes against merchantmen declaring if merchantmen use their guns the plane has the right to employ its own weapons.