TOLL OF SHIPPING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20602, 1 November 1941, Page 5

TOLL OF SHIPPING

SURVEY OF LOSSES HEAVY DECREASE The following table gives a comprehensive survey of merchant shipping losses —British, Allied and neutral from the beginning of the war to the end of June of this year, when publication of the figures was discontinued: British, Allied and Neutral.

The Battle of the Atlantic—and of the other oceans —is not yet won. It will continue as long as the war lasts and the enemy can operate his Üboats, raiders and aircraft. Yet during the last three months a very great and important victory has been won at sea by the Royal Navy. , Mr. Churchill announced recently that losses caused by enemy action to British, Allied and neutral merchant ships in July-August-September were only one-third of those for the previous three months, despite the operation by the Germans of ever larger forces of U-boats and long-range aircraft against shipping. One-third ol the April-May-June losses gives a figure of less than 500,000 tons for the last three months. Put another way, nearly 1,000,000 tons of merchant shipping was saved from destruction during the quarter. The importance of Mr. Churchill - statement can be gauged by a study of the official figures. Merchant shipping losses during the quarter Apnl-May-June totalled 1,410,416 tons. Onethird of this figure gives 472-138 tons as the total loss for the July-August-September quarter. This works out at an average of 157,379 tons a month, which is easily the lowest monthly figure since March, 1940.

Ships. Tonnage. Average, Sept., 1939182,400 May, 1940 .. — June, 1940 128 533,902 July 104 400,353 August 88 387,471 September 93 439,637 October 96 423,616 November 87 372,617 December 74 325,616 January, 1941 59 309,731 February 89 350,884 March 124 515,763 April May 135 104 589,273 497,847 June 79 329,296 Thirteen months 1260 5,476,006 Average, June, 1940421,230 June, 1941 Average, July-Aug.-97 157,380 Sept., 1941 —