WAR AGAINST U-BOATS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 152, 9 April 1941, Page 5

WAR AGAINST U-BOATS.

EVER-INCREASING VIGOUR.

LARGE NUMBER OF PRISONERS i '

(Rec. 11.5 a.m.) LONDON, April 8. An Admiralty communique says; “Our offensive against U-boats continues with over-increasing vigour, it is .pointed out that fluctuations m tho success of our anti-U L boat campaign and in losses of merchant ships which wo sustain must bo expected. Ihe number of U-boats operating lately has been large and our counter-measures have recently met with correspondingly greater success. i «‘i n anti-U-boat warfare it is frequently impossible to save life and wo have record of many U-boats that ha\ e been destroyed from which no, prisoners have been recovered. Nevertheless, we have in our hands as prisoners of war from U-boats which had been sunk moro than 50 German officers and considerably over 400 German petty officers and men. There are also in our hands a number of prisoners of war from Italian U-boats.

“Among the German U-boat captains who are prisoners of war is Commander Otto Kritsclimoi, captain of li-boat 99. Ho is regarded in Germany as ono ortho most notable and successful ‘of Üboat commanders. In August, 1940, lie was decorated with tbq lCnights Cross of the Iron Cross. Last December Hitler bestowed on him tho oalc loaves, denoting tho higher class jof this decoration. Ho recently received special promotion.”—British Official : Wireless.