U-BOAT OFFENSIVE HAS BEEN SCOTCHED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 263, 7 November 1939, Page 7

U-BOAT OFFENSIVE HAS BEEN SCOTCHED.

BELIEF IN BRITAIN.

New Nazi Threats Cause

No Anxiety.

SHIPPING LOSSES IN WAR. British Official Wireless. (lieccived 12 noon.) RUGBY, Xovember 0. In authoritative naval circles, the frequently threatened intensified underwater campaign against mercantile shipping causes no anxiety, and the belief is general that the L-boat offensive has been scotched.

Merchant shipping losses since the first fortnight of war. when conditions were mo>t favourable for submarine activities, have shown a rapid diminution of figures. British ships sunk in September numbered l! 7. of a total of l").">.(i:i(i tons. In October, IS British ships, totalling So.!•">!) tons were sunk, while no Brit'sh ship has been sunk in Xovember.

Oilier Allied ships .-1111k in tlii~ period wore one in September, of 2ti<>o Inns, six in October, t«•! ;i 11 i upr 45,275 tons, and none in November. Neutral ships sunk by U-boats numbered 15 in September. amounting to :>7.254 tons, 17 in October, totalling 44.03S tons. ami two in November, totalling 12.450 tons.

During (lie whole period therefore. 55 British ships, totalling 2:'N.7!)5 tons, seven other Allied ships totalling 47.035 tons and 3 t neutral ships, totalling SI7 tons, were sunk. British losses represent 1.5 per cent of 18,500,000 tons of British shipping on the high seas.

As fur the Oerinan Air Arm's part in naval war. the history of these early months has failed to produce the heavy air attack on British shipping that might have been expected, and those effoi ts that the (lermans have made have been entirely fruitless and expensive. No British ship, naval or mercantile, has been even temporarily disabled from the. air, except the demilitarised Iron Duke, while German attacking forces have experienced losses amounting' roughly to 30 per cent. A cable message says that 28 ships, representing four ennvoys, brought 100.000 tons of foodstuffs to a British port in four days, indicating the safe pa—age of the Knioire's commerce. I be "News Chronicle"' liru—els correspondent -ays it is reported from Helgian Congo that a French -übmarine torpedoed and -.auk the Coniian U-boat -upplv -hip logo, in the vicinity of Lobito.