UNDER CONTROL

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 9

UNDER CONTROL

SUBMARINE THREAT

UNEXPECTED GERMAN

ADMISSION

THE TOTAL LOSSES

(British Official Wireless.)

(Receiyed January 18, 10 a.m.) RUGBY, January 17. The three British submarines which, as the Admiralty, announced yesterday, must now be regarded as having been lost, are the first submarine losses by enemy action in eighteen weeks of warfare, and it is noted that the Germans were only aware of their success against two of them, the Starfish and the Undine. These losses contrast remarkably with the German submarine losses, which are conservatively estimated at about twelve times this number. This relative immunity from loss is not due to any policy of holding back British submarines. The official announcement refers to the particularly hazardous service on which these vessels had been engaged. The nature of these hazards may be gauged from a graphic account of the experiences of an unnamed British submarine which struggled home after being temporarily disabled by a heavy enemy attack in German waters. More recently, the Ursula, a sister-ship of the Undine, and the Salmon, a sister-ship of the Starfish, on similar patrols achieved successes in attacks.on German warships which must be set against these losses. All three lost craft were of a small type suited for operations in narrow and shallow waters. Meanwhile the extent of the German submarine losses has been confirmed from an unexpected source—a German propaganda broadcast from Frankfurt. The commentator, referring to these losses, said: "We need not pay attention to Mr. Churchill's tall stories. We have plenty of submarines still, to say nothing of those which are being turned out in the dockyards. The wish of the English is father to the thought. They say they have sunk 70. If they said 35 it would be a bit nearer, the truth.". In fact, the Allies have never claimed to have sunk 70. The only aggregate claims were made last Saturday by the French Minister of Marine, who estimated that altogether 30 German submarines have been sunk. So far from throwing doubt on Allied statements, the broadcast has served to confirm their moderation and accuracy. The "Manchester Guardian" comments:. "At a moderate estimate, fully half the U-boats with which Germany began the war have been destroyed by the British and French Navies. The submarine threat has been brought under control, and it is in the light of that predominant fact that the present losses in an. exceptionally risky enterprise must be viewed. They are, moreover, handsomely offset by figures now available of the, success of the convoy system, namely, ships safely escorted 6363, and the number lost 12. If the mass of the people here and in neutral countries could, fully envisage the courage, skill, unceasing vigilance, and hardship ensured to make this achievement possible there would be.less foolish talk of inaction." . 1