LOSSES OF BRITISH SHIPS HALVED

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 121, 23 May 1940, Page 8

LOSSES OF BRITISH SHIPS HALVED

(By THeerspb—Prf*» Assn.—Couyrtgbt.) ((Received 22, 11.45 a.m.)

LONDON, May 21. It is officially announced that during the week ended midnight on May 12 eight British, French and neutral ships totalling 15,008 tons were lost by enemy action. These included four British vessels totalling 8955 tons. The British loss of tonnage was under half the weekly average since the outbreak of the war. Dutch vessels captured and destroyed in Dutch harbours are not included.

The loss of the Campinas by a mine on May 10 makes the known total of German imercantile losses approximately 630,000 tons since the outbreak of the war. A further five German vessels with a tonnage of 25,000 tons are believed to have been sunk by torpedoes, making the total enemy vessels believed to have been sunk, but not identified, 190,000 tons, a grand total of 820,000 tons, or learly 20 per cent, of the German pre-war tonnage. To May 15, 20,768 British, French and neutral ships had been convoyed by the British Navy and only 31 had been lost. Of the 3063 neutral vessels convoyed three had been lost. At May 14 prisoners from German submarines totalled 29 officers, 96 petty officers and 142 men.