ON THE SEAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1943, Page 6

ON THE SEAS

COUNTERING U-BOATS

RUGBY, May 18. It has been revealed that the U- I boat menace in the Atlantic gap, the vital stretch of water which cannot. be covered by shore-based aircraft, is! being reduced by escort carriers of the Royal Navy. These pocket sea- ■ dromes, all of them converted mer-: chantmen, sail with convoys, and with their Swordfish aeroplanes' maintain essential air patrols and thwart many U-boats. They also fly ‘ off Seafire aircraft to guard merchantmen from attacks by bombers. It is announced that, an American- I

built’ escort aircraft-carrier has now ioined the Battle of the Atlantic. The first obligation of these half-size carriers is to get convoys through and counter-attack U-boats. The Allies thus hope .to close the relatively small gap in mid-Atlantic where U-boats have hitherto been safe from air attack. The new carrier, H.M.S. Battler, carries Seafires and Swordfish. Its service nickname is the “Woolworth carrier,” because it is mass produced. It has steel and chromium fittings and also a self-service cafeteria. The Battler and her sister ships should be most valuable during invasion operations. GERMAN FOOD SHORTAGE LONDON, May 19. The first admission since the out-

break of war that the British blockade is responsible for reductions in German rations was made by the Reich Minister of Food (Rieke) in a broadcast address over the Berlin radio. He said he wished to explain the painful facts behind the recently announced reduction of the meat ration, because there had been much questioning on the decision. “You must realise,” he said, “that cattle depend on imported feeding stuffs, and the British blockade has made imports difficult. We are forced to reduce both the cattle herds and the pig production. We know the Germans won’t relish eating vegetables in place of meat, but they must accustom themselves to it.’Even vegetables will have to be reduced, partly because of shortage of labour and partly because of weather.”