TANKER SINKINGS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 87, 6 January 1940, Page 8

TANKER SINKINGS

Losses In Present War ALLIED PETROL DEMANDS Dominion Special Service. AUCKLAND, January 5. Realization by the Nazis of the very Important part played by tankers in the carriage of petrol and oil across the seas is shown in reports received from time to time of sinkings of this type of vessel. Cabled advices show that a total of 20 vessels, belonging to several nations, and aggregating 140,860 tons gross, has already been lost. In times of peace the tanker is one of the most important types of trading ships, but during war it is almost priceless, particularly to those nations without oil wells in their own territory. In 1938 Britain imported 86,750,000 barrels, each of 42 gallons, of petroleum products, and France more than 59,500,000 barrels, a combined importation of 400,000 barrels daily. War needs are probably doubling Britain’s and France’s peace-time requirements, and it is therefore likely that about 33,000,000 gallons of petrol and fueloil must be required daily. On the basis of the two nations needing double their peace requirements, 16 oil freighters must reach Britain and France daily. Comparatively Small Losses. Given this conception of the huge total of tankers which must be reaching the Allies, the total losses are not very great. Cabled messages received since the outbreak of hostilities give details of the loss of only nine British tankers, of a gross tonnage of 67,690. The current Lloyd’s Register states that, the United Kingdom, excluding the Dominions, has 435 tankers, so the war casualties are therefore not very significant. Five of the nine vessels sunk were lost in the week ended September

15, when the convoy system was not fully operating. One, the Africa Shell, was sunk by the Admiral Graf Spee in November, and three were lost last month. __ Possessor of the third largest tanker fleet, Norway has lost five ships of 35,887 tons gross. This includes a large tanker, the Arne Kjode, of 11,019 tons. France Ims lost one, the largest tanker in the world, the Emile lliguet, of 14,115 tons, Sweden two and Holland and Rumania one. Though a number of German supply ships have been sunk or captured, only one commercial tanker, the Emmy Friederich, of 4327 tons, lias been lost, scuttling herself off the American coast to avoid capture. Extension of Fleets. During recent years there has been great activity among the large overseas oil corporations in extending their fleets of oil tankers. Last year foreign navies showed great interest in the possibilities for merchant tankers in time of war. Both the United Stales and Japanese Governments ordered the construction of tankers capable of speeds up to 19 knots. These ships will be suitable for auxiliary service with the fleets.

British owners, however, appear to be not impressed by the very fast “freak” tankers, considering.that high speeds are not a paying proposition from the point of view of the industry. War conditions have shown that efficient convoying has minimized fear of attack on Ibis type of ship, which, under the British flag, rarely exceeds 12 or 13 knots.