OUTLOOK BETTER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 November 1942, Page 5

OUTLOOK BETTER

BUT U=BOAT PROBLEM STILL SERIOUS ADMIRAL CUNNINGHAM CONFIDENT. ALLIED NAVAL SITUATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, November 22. “The U-boat problem is still the greatest menace facing the United Nations, but I have no doubt that we shall overcome it by breaking the morale of the submarine crews,” said Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham at a Press conference at Allied headquarters in North Africa. “The activity of U-boats in the Western Mediterranean has definitely slackened in the last 48 hours. The Royal Navy and the R.A.F. have given the German and Italian submarines a good knock. About 50 enemy submarines have been operating in the Western Mediterranean and in the Atlantic just off Gibraltar, but our losses in the opening stage of the North African campaign were considerably below expectations and not out of proportion to the results obtained. The Luftwaffe harassed the ships supporting the troops entering Tunisia, but the damage was minor.” Admiral Cunningham said he doubted whether the French fleet at Toulon would ever join the Allies. Some units of the Italian fleet had been moving westward, but contact had not been established. If the Germans and the Italians were cleared from North Africa the Mediterranean would be opened to fast convoys, though some ships would still have to use the Cape route. It would be conservative to say that the reopening of the Mediterranean would save 2,000,000 tons of merchant' shipping. As a result of the United States navy’s efforts in the Pacific and the acquisition of the North African bases the Allied naval situation was improving every day, particularly in the Atlantic. The victory of the United States navy in the Solomons was a very fine show.

SHIPPING LOSSES

IN WESTERN ATLANTIC,

NEW YORK, November 22. The Navy Department reported that Axis submarines operating in the western Atlantic sank four United States, two British and two Norwegian merchantmen during the past week. Six of these were sunk off the northern coast of South America, where submarine activity has been increasing in recent weeks. Eighteen persons were killed and at least 363 rescued in these attacks. An unofficial Associated Press of America tabulation shows that 532 ships have been sunk in Atlantic waters since Pearl Harbour.