STRIKING FACTS OF BATTLE OF ATLANTIC

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 164, 13 July 1945, Page 5

STRIKING FACTS OF BATTLE OF ATLANTIC

ELEMENTS INVICTORY

Only One Ship Lost In Every

131 That Sailed ■ British Official Wireless Rec. 12.30 p.m. RUGBY, July 12. Only one ship was lost in every 131-that sailed in the Battle of the Atlantic. This was one of many striking facts disclosed by the Admiralty in an account of. the contribution made by the Royal Navy, the Royal Canadian Navy and other Dominion navies and . European navies : working under British.control, and by the R.A.F., R.C.A.P. and other-Dominion air forces, towards victory in the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest and one of the most crucial battles of the war.

In five years and eight months 75,000 merchant ships were escorted in or across the Atlantic in 2200 ocean convoys, the largest of which totalled 167 ships. The total number of ships lost was 574. . There were days when there were as many as 7QQ- cargo ships at sea, in the Atlantic and 100 warships protecting : .- ..,..'.':' .-.'•.. . ,::'.;..•. ~: . , ■■. ■ Air and Sea Escorts ..: • More than 200,000,000 miles were sailed by merchant ships in convoy in the - Atlantic, and naval escort vessels made some 13,200 separate escort voyages of many days' duration protecting them. They • were also escorted by aircraft of Coastal Command and the R.C.A.P i; involving no fewer, than 43.800 sorties. . Nearly 260,000 British mines were Jaid -in ail -theatres of war; 460 German and 65 Italian submarines were sunk by our naval and air forces, and in. addition, from preliminary information obtained from German records and captured officers,: some 120 more U-boats appear to.. have been sunk from various causes not assessed. A total of 81 midget Üboats were also captured or sunk in the North Sea. .■ :- ' All these U-boats are distinct fromthose surrendered after May 8.