NOTABLE HEADWAY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1943, Page 3

NOTABLE HEADWAY

IN WAR AGAINST U=BOATS REPORTED BY BRITISH FIRST LORD INCREASED DESTRUCTION OF RAIDERS. FALL IN ALLIED SHIPPING LOSSES. LONDON. June 2.

The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr Alexander, announced today that May bad been the best month yet for the destruction of (’-boats, and in the last 12 months the number of killings had been better than in the whole 'of the previous period of the war.

In the last six months the rale of destruction of U-boats had bettered by 25 per cent the preceding six months. The number of U-boats used in the last two ' months appeared to have fallen.

In Allied losses of shipping March was a bnd month, though not the worst of the war, but. due principally to the American launchings, there was a substantial net gain in the ■ Allied tonnage in that month. In the two following months losses fell again to the level of the three months before March, and even below. In the first five months of this year the merchant shipping losses were lower by over one-third than in the corresponding period of last year. In April our imports were the highest since the beginning of 1942. Mr Alexander said that in addition to the U-boats destroyed large numbers had been damaged. The number of U-boats in the Atlantic battle during the last two months appeared to have decreased. This no doubt was due to more than one cause, but principally to the rising tide of kills at sea. The improved situation reflected the growing size of our escort forces, both ships and planes and the growing total of our new weapons and devices.