THE CONVOY SYSTEM

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20923, 30 September 1939, Page 8

THE CONVOY SYSTEM

GOOD RESULTS BY NAVY LULL IN U-BOAT WARFARE PROTECTION OF SHIPPING (Official Wireless) i (Received Sept. 30, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 29 The speed with which the Navy acted in instituting the convoy system can be appreciated from facts made public today. By September 7—only four days after the outbreak of the war—outward convoys were already running. The arrangement of convoys for home-coming merchantmen naturally took* somewhat longer, but the first convoy was operating in a homeward direction a week later. After just under a month of war Britain has got into operation a convoy system which compares in extent very favourably with the ultimate effort achieved in 1918, and the Navy has made full use of the experience gained during the last war. There has certainly been a lull in U-boat attacks on British shipping. This may be due to the “changeover” which must be taking place between the first batch of German submarines which were on the trade routes at the outbreak of the war and reliefs which are likely to take their place. During the lull the convoy system is being improved and will soon get fully into its stride. It will protect merchantmen not only from Üboats but against air attack or raids from any armed ships which Germany might get on the high seas. The Navy’s Foresight The Navy showed foresight in other directions by providing before the hostilities started defence courses for officers and men of the merchant navy and by stiffening the number of merchant ships so that eventually they might have gun protection of their own. The Navy has already attained a position comparable to the one it found itself in nearly three years after the start of the last war.