NAVAL REVIEW

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20957, 9 November 1939, Page 8

NAVAL REVIEW

SURFACE RAIDERS FEW SMALL SUCCESSES CONTRABAND CONTROL (Official Wireless) (Received Nov. 9, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Nov. 8 Regarding surface raiders, Mr Churchill, in his review of the naval situation, said that only 10,000 tons had been sunk by surface action. It was remarkable that although one, or possibly two, powerful so-called pocket battleships have been lying athwart the stream of the convoys or vessels crossing the Atlantic they have not been able, so far, to make any capture worth considering.

Mr Churchill ended with a tribute to the French Navy, which he said not for many generations had been so powerful or efficient. “Not only have we been assisted in every way agreed upon before the war, but besides a whole set of burdens has been lifted off our shoulders by the loyal and ever increasingly vigorous co-operation of the French fleet. It seems to me,a wonderful thing that when France is making so great an effort upon land she should at the same time offer to the Allied cause so powerful reinforcement by sea. Seizures of Contraband During the week ended November 4 British contraband control had detained 19,500 tons of goods, of which there was evidence they were destined for Germany. The cargoes included 11,500 tons of cereals, 600 tons of various foodstuffs, 1700 tons of fibres, 1100 tons of cotton, 1100 tons of oil and seeds, 800 tons of hides and skins, 700 tons various ores and metals, 600 tons of coal, 220 tons of tanning materials, and quantities of other commodities, such as chemicals, petroleum products, wool, fodder, oils and fats. The whole of the cereal tonnage was seized from German merchant vessels captured by the Navy. This brings the quantity of goods detained during the first nine weeks of the war by the British contraband control up to a total of about 420,500 tons. During the same week the contraband committee had considered 137 new cases of ships and 77 cases are outstanding from the previous week. The combined total included ships of the following nationalities: 41 Netherlands, 35 Italian, 28 Norwegian, 14 Greek, 13 Danish, 11 United States, 10 Swedish, seven Finnish and seven Belgian. During the period four cargoes were wholly seized and 102 wholly released.

In 33 cases part of the cargoes were seized, in four cases of neutral ships where items of cargo were detained for enquiry were small. These items were landed in this country in order to permit ships to continue their voyages, without further delay. In several other cases in order to' avoid delay neutral ships were permitted to sail with items of cargo which the committee decided should be seized on condition that these items were returned to the United Kingdom at the first available opportunity. Vessels In Control Bases

On November 7 there were 76 neutral ships, in the three contraband control bases in the United Kingdom, 38 of which have been there for less than a week. This total included 19 Netherlands, 10 Greek, 15 Norwegian, eight Danish, six Swedish, two Finnish, seven Belgian, four United States, one Portuguese, one Yugoslav and two Spanish ships have all been in the base for less than a week, and one Italian ship for over a week.