UNDER. CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1939, Page 8

UNDER. CONTROL

GERMAN SEA WARFARE Mr Winston Churchill’s Survey DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS THE PURSUIT OF ENEMY RAIDERS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. Noon.) RUGBY, December 6. Reviewing’ the progress of the war at sea, in a statement in the House of Commons, Mr Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty) said the main attack of the enemy had been concentrated upon the Royal Navy and on seaborne commerce. “We have always more than two thousand ships at sea and between a hundred and 150 move every day in and out of our hai hours in the United Kingdom alone,” Mr Churchill continued. “This immense traffic must be maintained in the teeth of a constant U-boat attack which never hesitates to break the conventions of civilised warfare to which Germany so recently subscribed. “The destruction of U-boats is proceeding normally,” Mr Churchill continued, “and in accordance with the estimate I have given to the House of between two and four weekly. In ihe last week five certainly met their fate, either from our flotillas or the co-operating Air Force.” Mr Churchill said the U-boats had passed from using the gun to using the torpedo and from summoning ships on the surface to sinking them at sight, without warning or provision for the crew. “In addition to our armed merchant cruisers,” he said, “we have armed already more than a thousand merchant ships for self-defensive purposes and the process is continuing with all the speed possible. Before long we shall have 2.000 ships so armed. The convoy scheme is now in full operation. Very few ships have been attacked in convoy .and less Ilian one in 750 have been sunk. The magnetic mine, deposited secretly by U-boats under the cloak of darkness in the approaches to onr harbours, or dropped by parachute, may perhaps be the Dictator’s miieb-vannted secret weapon. It is .certainly a characteristic weapon and one that will bo for over associated with his name. More than hall' our losses in the last month have been due to the magnetic mine, but more than two-thirds of the total losses from them have fallen, not upon belligerents but upon neutrals. The magnetic mine is neither new nor mysterious. Its secrets are known to ns. The preparation of counter-measures was already .far advanced before the first magnetic mine was laid in British waters. “The price for sea control must be paid. It is often heavy. We make it a rule to publish all losses of British warships by enemy action at the earliest moment possible and to inform relatives. There has been no exception to this rule. We have lost the Courageous, the Royal Oak, two destroyers and a submarine blown up by accident, totalling 50,000 tons. We have also lost the Rawalpindi. Britain at present is building nearly a million tons of warships of all classes. Much of this building is at an advanced stage. It is my sure belief that we have got German sea warfare under control, but the war is full of ugly and unpleasant surprises and we must expect a steady toll of losses. I trust these good tidings will stimulate us to greater efforts when the fierce and obstinate conflict rises to its full height. The watchword for each and all, as for the Royal Navy, should be: ’Carry on, Dread Nought’.”

WATCH ON GERMAN SHIPS

All the speakers in the ensuing debate paid tribute to Mr Churchill's cautious and comprehensive statement and expressed the general anxiety that German raiders are still roaming in the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Sir Archibald Sinclair urged a stricter watch to prevent German ships escaping from neutral harbours to carry supplies to raiders and added that it might be right to conceal the sinking of one of these raiders because the information would be useful to the enemy. Sir A. Sinclair also questioned delay ;n the release of information of naval losses. Mr Churchill, intervening, denied that news of losses was withheld once relatives had been informed. Commander Sir A. I?. J. Southby said that information that steps were being taken to destroy the German raiders would be appreciated, as the public was alarmed at their continued existence. Mr Churchill replied that it would hardly be timely to disclose these measures.