U-BOATS OFF AMERICA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 86, 22 January 1942, Page 6

U-BOATS OFF AMERICA.

LONG JOURNEYS FROM BASES LONDON, January 20. In view of the American press reports of the activities of Nazi sub-: marines, authoritative circles here regard such a development as a logical sequence of events which are likely to be a German offensive reconnaissance

in force to discover a local area profitable for extended operations. Although * U-boats have been reported off Newfoundland this is the first time they have been close in to the American coast.

For submarines operating from Bay of Biscay ports the journey would he 7000 miles there and back ancl the actual operational time in the area would be limited to 10 or 12 days. On the passage the U-boats would be like-, ly to pass through the convoy routes and therefore have a chance of picking up a target. A patrol of 40 days must be a very severe trial to any submarine in the North Atlantic during the winter and the period might even be extended as was known to be the case of U-boats operating in the South Atlantic. With regard to the suggestion that these submarines were hunting for Mr

Churchill on his possible return jour- ' ne y from the United States, by sea, it is felt that although Grand Admiral Raeder might have had his own hopes in this direction, the evidence was not very strong in its favour as the U-boats would have been unlikely to disclose their positions as early as they did by attacking merchant ships; instead of waiting for “bigger game.”