SEA CONTROL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 December 1939, Page 7

SEA CONTROL

BRITAIN’S FIRM HOLD ENEMY GUERILLA TACTICS. HARASSING -BUT INDECISIVE. (British Official Wireless.l RUGBY. December 9. An interesting independent assess- ■ ment of the present and future position of sea warfare is given in the newspaper "Economist.” which says that the Germans. whose naval strength bears no comparison with the Allies’, have admittedly done well — strategically rather than morally so far but not well enough to bring them is sight of their objectives, namely, the command of western European seas and the blockade of Britain. They have made the waters of the North Sea for many miles out from lhe German coast difficult and dangerous feir craft of all kinds. They have sporadically wrought destruction off the English coast itself. And they have still to deploy the full combined force of their resources below, on and above the sea. For them to risk any major combat would be to court disaster. At sea the Germans can be no more than guerillas. Guerilla warfare is harassing. As Mr Churchill never hesitates to make plain, it means periodic losses, sometimes serious, for the stronger' Power. But it can never be decisive. In three months the Allies have detained 735.000 tons of contraband destined for Germany. Since midnight last Monday Germany’s seaborne exports have been doomed to seizure. These facts show which way the balance of sea power is tilted.