CONCENTRATION OF U-BOATS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23800, 20 November 1942, Page 3

CONCENTRATION OF U-BOATS

* CONVOY’S PASSAGE TO NORTH AFRICA (8.0. W.) RUGBY, Nov. 18. The opinion is expressed in competent quarters in London that never in this war or the last has such a volume of shipping passed through such a concentration of U-boats as existed in the area from well west of Gibraltar to Bizerte and Sardinia during the landings in north-west Africa. It is believed from recent reports that there must have bfeen 30 U-boats in that area during the passage of the convoy, and as they were quickly reinforced, it is possible that as many as 50 were concentrated there. In the face of such a concentration the Allied losses were remarkably few. all but one of the ships having done their jobs and landed troops. The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V.'Alexander) has given a warning that U-boats remain the greatest of all the Allies’ problems at sea. “We have so far succeeded in keeping our ocean lines open,” he said. "Whatever the danger and menace of the U-boat we are not without our answer. Never in the whole of the last three years has it been more necessary to insist on the maximum possible effort if we are to expand the advantage we have gained to build the foundations of victory.” The First Lord also commented that it was probably because the Axis Powers had gambled on their theory that air power could defeat the sea power of Britain that they had not accomplished their purpose. Sea power ■ .had won, as had been demonstrated in the last few days.