WAR ON U-BOATS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20527, 10 April 1941, Page 11

WAR ON U-BOATS

INCREASING VIGOUR WbRK OF ROYAL NAVY MANY NAZIS CAPTIVES A NOTED COMMANDER (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Proas Assn.) (British Official Wireless.! Reed. 2.15 p.m. RUGBY, April 8. An Admiralty communique states:— "Our offensive against U-boats continues with ever-increasing vigour.

“As pointed out, fluctuations in the success of our anti-U-boat campaign and in the merchant ship losses which we sustain must be expected. The number of U-boats operating lately has been large, and our counter measures have recently met with correspondingly greater success. “In anti-U-boat warfare it is frequently impossible to save life, and we have a record of many U-boats that have been destroyed from which no prisoners were recovered. Nevertheless, we have in our hands as prisoners of war from U-boats which have been sunk more than 50 German officers and considerably over 400 German petty officers and men. There arc also in our hands a number of prisoners of war from Italian U-boats. “Among the German U-boat captains who are prisoners of war is Commander Otto Kritschmer, the captain of U-boat 99. He was regarded in Germany as one of the most notably successful of U-boat commanders. In August, 1940, he was decorated with the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. Last December Herr Hitler bestowed on him oak leaves denoting a higher class of this decoration. He recently received special promotion.”