MERCHANT SHIPS LOST TO AXIS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 208, 30 May 1941, Page 8

MERCHANT SHIPS LOST TO AXIS

561 Since War Began CAPTURED, SUNK AND SCUTTLED

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, May 28.

Nearly three million tons of enemy merchant shipping has been disposed of, between the beginning of the war and the middle of May, it is stated in authoritative quarters in London.

Figures show that German ships captured or seized number 61, totalling 274,000 tons, and those sunk or scuttled 285 ships, totalling 1,499,000 tons. Italian ships captured or seized total 39, aggregating 183,000 tons, and those sunk or scuttled 176, totalling 599.000 tons. Germany has, therefore, lost 34(1 ships, totalling 1,773,000 tons, and Italy 215 ships, totalling 1,082,000 tons. In addition 38 ships of other countries, in the Axis service, totalling 67,000 tons, have been disposed of. ' Bomber and Coastal Command aircraft alone sank or certainly hit between. March 13 and May 14 61 ships off the enemy-occupied coasts, a great deal of this shipping being coastal traffic. The latter figure affords telling evidence of the enemy efforts to use coastal traffic to the maximum to solve transport problems wherever possible.

That the enemy is still trying to circumvent the British blockade by sea Is shown by the fact that in a recent week—April 23 to 30—14 German and 19 Italian ships were accounted for, most of them being sunk. In addition, evidence lias reached this country of the extreme unwillingness of Norwegian crews to sail, and of intense efforts to recruit Scandinavian crews for the German service.