EFFICIENCY PROVED

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20951, 2 November 1939, Page 8

EFFICIENCY PROVED

CONVOY SYSTEM EXCELLENT RESULTS TRADING IN SAFETY (Official Wireless) (Received Nov. 2, 3.15 pjn.) RUGBY, Nov. 1 The extent to which the British convoy system has already been developed is shown by the fact that already nearly 2500 Allied merchant ships have voyaged under the convoy. The efficiency of the system is proved by the reduction in merchant ship losses over those incurred in the first week of the war. before the system was in operation, and the fact that up to date only eight ships in a convoy have been lost. Three of these losses were inflicted on the same convoy. The loss of one ship in 300 although regrettable, cannot be regarded as serious. One satisfactory deduction which can be made from the efficient working of the convoy system is that there is no shortage of escorting craft and patrol vessels. No navy can keep up in peace time a sufficient force of escort and patrol craft to enable all maritime trade to be made instantaneously 100 per cent secure in the event of war. The British Navy did, however possess a large force of escort and patrol craft at the outbreak of the war and this force already had been enormously increased. Overcoming the Submarine The best and only completely efficacious method of defence for the maritime trade is the destruction of enemy forces operating against that trade. In this connection it is significant that the British anti-sub-marine forces, which were the most efficient in the world before the war, have already oeen trebled in strength. Their efficiency has been proved not only by the heavy submarine losses incurred by Germany but by the fact that German submarines operating against our maritime trade have been forced to cruise further and further away from the local areas of trade. This means that their opportunities for t doing serious damage have been i greatly reduced.