NORTH ATLANTIC

Evening Star, Issue 24016, 15 October 1941, Page 7

NORTH ATLANTIC

BATTLE TAKES FAVOURABLE TURN NOT A SHIP LOST FROM AMERICAN CONVOYS (Rec. 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, Oct. 14. The British United Press special correspondent at Reykjavik reports that tho fact that not a single ship was lost by enemy action from convoys which United States warships escorted across the North Atlantic since October 16, the day on which. Colonel Knox announced that convoys were running to Iceland, is considered the clearest indication that the Battle of the North Atlatic has taken a favourable turn. British and American naval officers, although agreed that United States participation has greatly strengthened the trade routes, are careful to emphasise that the situation may change at any time. A high British naval officer said: “This fight goes in cycles. Sometimes we are able to keep the submarines off for weeks at a time, at other times they hit two or three convoys in succession.” The correspondent continues that since tho attempted torpedoing of the Greer there has been no known torpedo attack against American destroyers, although many escorting destroyers report the presence of submarines only a short distance from their convoys. Apparently the submarines do not desire to provoke incidents, or they fail to penetrate the heavy screen of escorts. Tho German tactics at present appear to be to concentrate between six and 10 submarines in “ wolfpacks ” on the edge of tho shipping lanes and to send out a single submarine on scouting duty. When the scout spots a convoy it summons the pack for a mass attack if conditions are favourable. Sometimes one submarine surfaces on the edge of a convoy to draw off the escorts, while tho remainder, lurking nearby, slip through the gap in the defence ring for a mass raid. A group of submarines in one case came up in the middle of a convoy and fired torpedoes in both directions, so that a running fight ensued and considerable damage was caused. Naval quarters believe that faster merchantmen is the real solution of the problem, but these are impracticable at present, as many old ships are in use.

DUTCH EAST INDIES ARMY IN MOURNING FOR THE LATE COMMANDER (Rec. 9.15 a.m.) BATAVIA, Oct. 14. _ Tho Netherlands East Indies army is in mourning until November 14. _ During the opening of to-day's session of the Volkaraad in the presence of members of the High Advisory Council the President, M. Jonkman, paid a tribute to Lieutenant-general Berenschot. Major-general. Ter Poorten is arriving to-night at Bandung and is taking over the army command. Hundreds of condolences are_ pouring in to the War Department, including one from Sir Robert Brooke-Pop-ham. Lieutenant - general’s Berenscbot’s body was taken to Bandung, escorted by motorised army units. [Lieutenant-general G. J. Berenschot, Commander-iu-Chief of the Netherlands Indies Army since 1939, was killed in an aircraft accident.] AMERICAN WORKERS PLEDGED TO STAND BESIDE ALLIES (Hoc. 10.5 a.m.) SEATTLE, Oct. 14. Addressing tho American Federation of Labour convention the president, Mr W. Green, pledged American workers to stand beside Britons and Russians to the bitter end._ He hinted at American participation in the war. “If it becomes necessary for us to do more than work the mines and factories we will meet the call unitedly and courageously,” he said. “We will answer the challenge, knowing that the torch of liberty will continue to burn brightly if the Allies win.”

GESTAPO IN PRAGUE EIGHT PERSONS EXECUTED LONDON, Oct. 14. Tho Prague correspondent of the British United Press says eight persons wore executed in Prague to-day, five for high treason and three for sabotage, of whom two were Jews. Seventeen were also handed over to the Gestapo. AIRMAN’S DILEMMA EQUAL TO THE OCCASION i (British Official Wireless.) (ißec. 10.30 a.m.) RUGBY, Oct. 14. While over France yesterday on one of our daylight raids tho leader of a squadron had to turn back because the oxygen apparatus was working properly, states tho Air Ministry. To become a straggler and bo detached from a squadron over hostile territory with the air full of enemy fighters is not fun for any pilot, but this squadron leader had no choice. As he expected, he was soon pounced on by some Messerschmitts looking for likely victims, but the straggler proved anything but an easy prey. To escape from the enemy he dodged and twisted so effectively that two German fighters crashed into each other in trying to follow him. Ho returned safely. WOMEN FOR WAR WORK REGISTRATION AT FORTNIGHTLY INTERVALS (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 10 a.m.) ’RUGBY. Oct. 14. The registration of women lor war work will now proceed at fortnightly intervals. Since August men and wonmi have been registered alternately. The last registration of men was made last Saturday, Women born in 1913 will register ou October 25, and tho 1910 class will ho reached on Docenjbei! 6-