WAR ON U-BOATS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 July 1942, Page 3

WAR ON U-BOATS

AND SHIP CONSTRUCTION BIGGER OUTPUT URGED IN BRITAIN. ANGLO-AMERICAN NAVAL CO-OPERATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, July 23. A call for more drive, more energy, and more imagination for the shipbuilding programme is made by the “Daily Express,” in an editorial.' It says that doubled output must become the goal. “The British output,” it adds, “is not much more than steady, in contrast with the American programme, and there is need for shipbuilding develop-, ment on a scale comparable with the other war industries. Shipyards which were derelict before the war remain derelict. Men whose lives have been spent in the shipyards are now doing other jobs in the army. The responsibility for the development of the wartime pace is upon the Admiralty.” Admiral R. C. Giffen, who is in command of a United States naval squadron operating as part of the British Home Fleet, expressed the opinion in London that the U-boat menace would eventually be overcome. “We beat the U-boat in the last war, and I think we can do the same again this time,” he said. “Of course, it will be a more difficult task, as they have many more ports from which they can operate. “The United States squadron, which is known as a task force, has been operating with the Home Fleet for five months, and already has been in operation against enemy aircraft. We did well against them; in fact much better than some expected. We serve under a fine man in Admiral Tovey. He is a man we all respect and like. We are all the best friends together.” MORE ATLANTIC LOSSES. Three more Allied vessels have been sunk in the western Atlantic, flying respectively the Norwegian, United States and British flag. There are 35 dead. After sinking the Norwegian freighter, a U-boat emerged and asked the master, Captain Madsen, who was in a lifeboat, for the name of his ship. When Captain Madsen refused to answer, the Nazi captain fired at the boat with a machine-gun, wounding Captain Madsen. The survivors were in the lifeboats for days, and eventually reached Devil’s Island, French Guiana, but when they discovered that they would be interned they pushed out to sea again, and eventually reached the Gulf coast. The bodies of 29 Germans, members of the crew of a U-boat—the first enemy dead to be landed on American soil since the war’ started —were 'brought to Norfolk, Virginia, and buried with military honours. The l bodies, and a few empty lifeboats, were the only things remaining after la destroyer sank the U-boat.