SHIPPING LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 February 1941, Page 5

SHIPPING LOSSES

BALANCE MUCH AGAINST ENEMY DURING RECENT WEEKS. FLEET AIR ARM SUCCESSES IN MEDITERRANEAN, A British Admiralty announcement shows that since January 7, • Germany and Italy have lost 257,000 tons of shipping. The Geri man losses in that period amounted to 73,000 tons and the Italian to 170,000 tons. Enemy-controlled neutral shipping brought the total tonnage sunk, scuttled or captured since January 7 to 257,000 tons. Since the war began. Britain has swept over 2,000,000 tons of German and Italian shipping from the seas. An Admiralty communique states that a German merchant ship of 4,000 tons which was being used by the Italians as a supply ship was sunk by naval aircraft in the Central Mediterranean. An Italian ship of 6.000 tons was also successfully attacked and when she was last seen she was down by the stern, with smoke pouring from her, and the crew had taken to their boats. Two other ships, one of them an auxiliary warship were damaged by the attacking aircraft, all of which returned safely. On Saturday it was announced that an enemy merchant ship of about 4.000 tons had been sunk and a report yes-! terday stated that an enemy ship of 7.000 tons had w been sunk by aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm off the coast of Tunis. In the week ended on February 9, British and Allied shipping lost by enemy action amount to just under 30.000 tons, including nine British ships totalling 19,000 tons. The losses are not only below the average for the war, but below the enemy's average weekly losses of shipping during the last month.

ENEMY CLAIMS FIVE FIGURES MULTIPLIED BY THREE. (British Official Wireless., i Received This Day. 9.18 a.mJ RUGBY. February Hi. Mercantile losses, due to enemy action, for the week ended at midnight on February 9, totalled 13 ships of 29,800 tons, comprising nine British of 19,364 tons, and four Allied of 10.442 tons. The loss during the week is less than one-half of the average total weekly loss since the beginning of the war. The Germans claim to have sunk during the week under review a total of 102.500 tons of merchant .shipping, and the Italians 5200 tons, making a total enemy claim of 107.70(1 tons, which over three times the true figure. Since the beginning of the war tin; Germans have lost, by capture, sinking! and scuttling, 1,330,(XX) gross tons, and! tiie Italians a total of 623,(XX) tons, !>■! addition, (’.(l.oOi) gross tuns of neutral; shipping under enemy control or use-! fu! to the enemy, have been sunk