THE ROYAL NAVY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 123, 6 March 1941, Page 6

THE ROYAL NAVY

REVIEW OF ITS GOOD WORK. GREATER STRENGTH THAN EVER NEW ZEALAND’S PROUD PART. (United. Press Association—Copyright) (Red. 1 p.m.) LONDON, Mar. 5. Introducing the Navy Estimates in the House of Commons, the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander) dealt with the problems which faced the Navy on the fall of France. Since then, he said, we had immeasurably improved our position and tho Italian Fleet had not only been cooped up in the Mediterranean by forces initially much inferior, but had also been neutralised in'waters Italy specially claimed as her own. In every encounter, added Mr Alexander, British superiority both in fighting and in morade had been so marked that the Italian Navy would now scarcely venture to dispute waters around its own bases Mr Alexander added that during the last six months the British Navy had. suffered losses, especially in light forces, but these were not excessive considering the magnitude of the task performed. In spite of this and the necessary returns for refitting, the number of ships of most classes, especially destroyers, now at sea or instantly ready for sea, was greater than at any time since the war began. In addition, the benefit of the large building programme put in hand since the outbreak of the war was beginning to be felt. Mr Alexander also outlined the activities bf the Fleet Air Arm, mentioning its feat at Taranto and the destruction of a number of enemy warships. British submarines also had not been idle. They had destroyed something like 100 enemy warships and supply ships. Enemy surface raiders, too, had not got away without suffering damage, and, in fact, not every raider met had lived to raid another day.—British Official Wireless. Concluding his speech, which lasted an hour, Mr Alexander said that New' Zealand cruisers and Australian cruisers and destroyers had taken part with great distinction in the success of operations in the Mediterranean and the Middle East in addition to the protection of important trade and military convoys. “I think the names of Achilles, Leander, Sydney, Australia, Perth and Hobart will, throughout history, be bound up with the general story of the achievement of the Royal Navy,” said the First Lord. The Parliamentary Secretary for the Admiralty (Mr Warrender) said that thousands of ships were now carrying close-range anti-aircraft armament. The Admiralty was equipping vessels as fast as possible. Defending the use of oil instead of coal, he said that tho battle of the River Plate would not have been a British victory if the cruisers had not been using oil fuel.