BATTLE OF ATLANTIC

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 9, 6 October 1941, Page 8

BATTLE OF ATLANTIC

Too Early Yet To Say That It Is Won (British Official Wireless.) (Received October 5, 5 p.m.) RUGBY, October 4. The satisfactory news relating to the Battle of the Atlantic which was given by Mr. Churchill in the House of Commons and the announcement by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Food, Major Lloyd George, relating to the ability of the nation to concentrate on the accumulation of secondary foodstuffs, naturally have been received with great pleasure. Competent commentators draw attention to that part of Mr. Churchill’s statement in which he said: “I deprecate premature rejoicing over these considerable facts. I indulge in no sanguine predictions about the future. We must expect that enemy U-boat warfare, now conducted by a larger number of U-boats than ever before, will be ‘ intensified.” - j The Battle of the Atlantic is bound to be a loi)g-fougbt-out contest, and though British counter submarine i forces are growing rapidly in size, the area over which the campaign as a | whole is being waged is very wide- | spread and the services of tile Navy are I wanted directly or indirectly in every theatre of war. The Battle of the At- | lant'ie is bound to fluctuate and though , all competent observers express abso lute confidence in the outcome the balance is bound occasionally to swing in favour of Germany.

As Mr. Churchill pointed out, al the present time and despite any calls ol the Russian canipaigu, there are more U-boats operating against Britain than ever before. The enemy's production of these eraft is something upon which he has devoted particular concentration. at Hie same time assuring that the yards where they are built are as widely dispersed as possible.

Undoubtedly Royal Air Force attacks have caused dislocation, but the Air Force, like the Navy, has a great multitude of duties Io perform and cannot be everywhere al once. Informed quarters express the opinion that while there is every reason to say that Hie Navy is performing a difficult task superlatively well it is indeed too early to say that the Battle of the Atlantic is won.