THE WAR AT SEA

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 34, 9 February 1940, Page 7

THE WAR AT SEA

SINKINGS AND SEIZURES

GERMAN CLAIMS

CONTROVERTED BY ADMIRALTY

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) (Received February 9, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, February 8.

The German High Command claims that since the outbreak of the war Germany has sunk 409 enemy and neutral merchant ships of a total tonnage of 1,493,431, and that the navy has seized 354 ships of a tonnage of 607,881 which have been brought to harbours for prize court proceedings. It admits the loss of 42 vessels of a tonnage of 236,957, of which 141,525 tons was scuttled, 13,106 confiscated in enemy harbours, and 82,326 captured. The British Admiralty controverts the German claims, and says that up to February 4, 274 merchant ships had fceen lost, of which 143 were British, the tonnage being 505,998; 14 French (76,689 tons), and 117 neutral (342,357 tons). The German navy, it states, has not captured any British or French ships. The German figures must apply entirely to neutral vessels. The French Minister of Blockade, M. Pernot, revealed that since the outbreak of the war the Germans have destroyed 319 neutral ships, of a ton- ! nage of 1,144,957, amounting to 1.6 jper cent of the world tonnage of shipping.