CONVOY PROBLEMS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 51, 24 November 1941, Page 8

CONVOY PROBLEMS

Conditions Vastly Improved HEARTENING REPORT

(British Official Wireless.» RUGBY, November 21.' A heartening report of improvement in convoy conditions since the stait o the war was given by Rear-Admiral I’. Burges Watson, Commodore of Convoy, in an interview, in which he said that the position was now much better lu the Western Ocean.

Escorts are large, and convoys are now escorted the whole way across. Escort ships have become much more cunning in hunting, and a U-boat commander needs great courage to stir up the hive which a convoy has now become. The days of unprotected convoys are past, said Rear-Admiral Watson, and there is no longer any need to break formation and scatter when a torpedo attack is feared. v Tlie Rear-Admiral said he ielt confident that the worst of the so-called Battle of the Atlantic was past. U-boat tactics have changed since the war began, said the Commodore. Starting with daylight submerged attacks, operating near the coasts, the U-boats found this method too cos -y, and so ranged further afield looking for unescorted convoys. Then night attacks were developed, which was followed by shadowing by day and closing in on the convoys on the surface at night-time, with only 11 conning-tower above water and lemjy for a crash-dive at a moment’s notice. This form of attack had given the Germans their greatest success UH steps were taken to counter it effectively. Meaning of Sea Power. ~ Mr. A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, speaking at a City Livery Club luncheon, said that the last four months of war had proved once more what a tremendously vitafactor is sea power. If it were not for the sea power which Britain has 'been able to wield, her position in the struggle would have been sad indeed today. The Navy had to carry' on, firstly, to bring to Britain’s shores without undue hindrance —though that hindrance was serious—food, raw materials, munitions and guns, and all overseas supplies to supplement the production of her own industry and labour. They had a very grave experience in the first 12 months in what was termed the Buttle of the Atlantic, though, of course, the task of the Navy in securing these vital supplies had not been. confined to the Atlantic. However, compared with last July the position now showed a very remarkable improvement. “Given the use of sea-power we can make a choice of the theatre of war in which wo can strike best, and through sea-power we shall bring tins tremendous struggle to the end which we all desire.”