PEAK EXPECTED IN FEW MONTHS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 32, 8 February 1943, Page 5

PEAK EXPECTED IN FEW MONTHS

(Rec. 9 a.m.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 6. The Naval Secretary, Colonel Knox, told the Press that more German submarines are now operating than last June, when sinkings of merchantmen were at their highest. He said that Hitler was unquestionably relying on submarines in the Atlantic for a major effort, and was devoting all his conjstruction facilities to submarines. ! "We are doing our utmost to produce anti-submarine craft," said I Colonel Knox. "The principal submarine concentrations are in the North Atlantic, south of Iceland, on the route to Britain. There is a secondary concentration on the North African route. Submarines cannot operate too close to Gibraltar. Sinkings continue off Brazil. Our remedial measures are progressing." Rear-Admiral Clark Woodward says in the "Journal and American": "Many naval strategists fear that the Axis submarine offensive in the coming spring will be similar to that of April and May, 1917, which was the most crucial period in the Great War. The Allied shipping losses in 1942 are estimated at 7,00,000 tons, whereas there was construction amounting to 8,000,000 tons. The losses last summer were well ahead of construction, but the ratio has been reversed in recent months. Many army and navy officers believe the available tonnage is insufficient to transport and maintain additional large forces overseas." Admiral Woodward estimates that the German submarine fleet totals 400 at present, of which approximately 135 are constantly maintained in service; also that new construction averages 30 ja month, which is twice the number sunk. It is expected that the fleet will reach a peak level of 500 or 600 in the next few months, when Hitler will be able to launch a gigantic offensive.