GERMAN BLOCKADE

Grey River Argus, 6 February 1941, Page 3

GERMAN BLOCKADE

LAST WEEK’S LOSSES Nine Vessels I British Official Wireless j RUGBY, February 4The shipping losses of 33,604 tons through enemy action, during the week ended at midnight on January 26, are announced. The total was made up of seven British ships of 23,514 tons and two Allied, 10,090 Once again, there were no neutral losses. Although slightly above the average for the month of January, the figure is considerably lower than the weekly average for the whole war, which including Dunkirk losses, is about. 63,500 tons. It may be stated that weekly sinking figures form a fair indication of the strength of success of the U-boat campaign, as the total tonnage of British and Allied shipping at sea, week in week out, does not greatly vary. TRAWLERS LOST. RUGBY, February 4. The Admiralty announces that H.M. trawlers Relonzo and Luda Lady have been sunk. ’There was no loss of life in the Luda Lady. NEW SHIPS BUILDING. IN THE DOMINIONS. i RUGBY, February 4. Commenting on Britain’s mercantile shipping position. Mr Ronald Cross (Minister of Shipping.) said that it was not only in the shipyards of the United Kingdom that new construction was going forward. The Empire shipbuilding yards, by providing new tonnage were helping Britain to defeat the U-boat menace. Canada, which before the war nad about 1,250,000 tons on the shipping register, had launched vessels from the yards at Vancouver, Montreal, and Halifax. A large number of merchant ships were now on the stocks, and it was announced recently that Canada is lo build 18 large merchant vessels for the British Government. There are some 40 shipbuilding and repairing establishments in the Dominion and even before the war, about 4000 permanent, workers were employed. In 1938, repair work was done to the value of over £3,000,000. Although South Africa has not a ship-building industry on a large scale, repairs can be carried out at Durban, when l there are wellequipped repair yards and a drydock.

Australia built only a small number of vessels before the war, but has since greatly enlarged the shipbuilding capacity. A yard is to be established at Whyalla, in South Australia, to build merchant ships up to 12.000 tons and Mr Hughes (Minister for the Navy) had declared that shipbuilding .must, become ,one of the great national industries. * Australian orders amounting to £250,000 for engines and machinery had been placed in Queensland. Strain on British Shipping DUE TO TROOP MOVEMENTS RUGBY, February 4. Speaking of the strain on British shipping, Mr Cross said: I should like to tell you of the extraordinary variety of troop movements which have been -carried out by the merchant navy. We have carried Canadian troops from Canada lo this country, to Iceland, and lhe West Indies; Newfoundlanders to this counliy for the Arm\- anti Navy, and for log-cut-ting; Australians and New Zealanders to lhe Middle East and to Britain; South Africans to East Africa and Egypt; 'lndians to East Africa, Egypt and Britain. In addition, we have moved Gold Coast, Nigerian, Palestine and Sypriot troops. Wei have carried troops from this country' to such a variety of places that J will not detail them to you, for they , cover the world from Bermuda lo Singapore, and from Iceland lo Hong Kong.

Britain's Merchant Marine

NOW GREATER THAN PRE-WAR. SAYS AMERICAN CONGRESSMAN. (Received February 5, 8.5 p.m.). WASHINGTON, February 4. Representative Jonkman, in the House, referring to a report made by Admiral Harold Stark, said:— Britain’s merchant niarine at the end of December ia-t was 17.679,000 tons. This was 261,965 tons greater than it was before th,, war. He said that the acquisitions io the British mercantile marine duringi; h c war has been 3.006,000 tons, a< against losses of 2,741,000 tons. Britain’s acquisitions in sjiips, he said, included ,lhe ’following; New building, 1,185,000 tons; captures ot ships, 410.000 tons; requisitioned Danish, and French ships, 698,000 tons; ships purchased, 543.000 tons. H e said that, the figure he had given excluded the Allied and neutral tonnage that was under- charter to Britain; and, in addition, it excluded the tonnage that was laid up for repairs. Thi s was estimated at. thirteen hundred thousand tons in September. ; SUBMARINE CREW DECORATED RUGBY, February 4. A Distinguished Service Order, a Distinguished Service Cross and live Distinguished Service Medals have been awarded to members ol the crew of the British submarine Thunderbolt —originally the Thetis, which sank in Liverpool Bay in 1939, during a trial’ dive, and was raised some three months later- “I’m- courage, skill and seamanship in destroying an Italian submarine.” FISHERMEN CATCH MINE. OFF VICTORIAN COAST MELBOURNE, February 4. Navy Office officials were informed to-day that a Victorian coast fisherman, feeling a tug on a I me, jerked it vigorously and brought a mine to the surface a few feet from the boat.

The man notified other fishermen nearby. All sailed their boats towards the shore. The mine was also floated inshore. Mineswe<‘|iers in the vicinity' exploded the mine. Navy officials said the mine had apparently broken adrift in i-w re cent bad weather from a minefield, the position of which was known Then* was no cause lor alarm.