GERMAN BLOCKADE

Grey River Argus, 16 January 1941, Page 6

GERMAN BLOCKADE

FEWER SINKINGS In First Week of 1941 [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, January 14. The year began with reassuringly low losses in merchant shipping from enemy action. Official figures for the week ended midnight, January 5/6, record the sinking of four British vessels, with 14,687 total tonnage, and no allied or neutral losses. The week’s total was the fifth lowest of the war, and contrasts with a weekly average of 62,536 since the outbreak'.

Although reasons for the low total must generally be a matter for conjecture, it is felt in authoritative quarters that the weather conditions early in the year were bad for flying, and likely to restrict activities of magnetic minelaying enemy aircraft as well as bombing attacks on ships in coastal and Atlantic convoys. At the same time, heavy R.A.F. bombing on numerous occasions of German naval bases and occupied French bases, is presumably having an effect on the number of effective German submarines. Italian submarines would not be affected to the same degree, but these might also have been somewhat reduced by British air attacks on their bases.

A third contributory cause is likely to be tiie slow but continuous increase in British convoy escorting flotillas.

No German claims to have sunk mercantile tonnage appear to have been made in regard to the week under review other than the retrospective claim that a raider sank 6*4,155 tons of shipping in the Pacific. No comparison with the figure for the week therefore is possible. the raider losses having been included in the earlier weekly totals as soon as reported, and notified in the figures already published.

A CORRECTION. RUGBY, January 14. Officially amended figures were given by the Admiralty—more than a year after —for shipping losses during the sixteenth week of the war (to 24/12/39), reducing from nine ships 6,355 tons, to six ships, 5.400 tons. It would appear that three British ships, of comparatively small tonnage have been carrying on for over twelve months, when they had been officially written off as losses.

TRADE With enemy [Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] LONDON, January 14. Doreen Grant Gibbons, a woman company director, 32, together with two co-directors, was charged al. 'he Old Bailey with having financial ami commercial dealings for the benefit of the enemy. They were allegedly instrumental in a cargo of important material, antimony, reach. ng Germany, via Sweden. All pleaded not guilty.

SOUTH AFRICAN MINESWEEPERS RUGBY, January 14. ( Prior to departure of the flotilla, the South African crews manning the mine-sweepers were inspected and addressed by the JVUinisLei* yi Railways, who on behalf of Genet.al Smuts paid a tribute to the sterling work of the seaward defence work in keeping the sea route round inc Union safe, thus maintaining the trade and commerce of South Africa. He added that • South Africa, the youngest service, was taking its pLue in the same command with the oldest, greatest, and proudest lighting force in the world- —the British Navy.