Sinkings Reduced In the Atlantic

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 187, 8 August 1941, Page 6

Sinkings Reduced In the Atlantic

ATTLEE REVIEWS THE WAR SITUATION (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Aug. 6. The Lord Privy Seal, Mr. O. R. Attlee, opened a debate on the Consolidated Fuijd Bill iu the House of Commons to-day with a statement on the war. He stated that the democracies were still figliting for their existence against a strong and ruthless enemy. After saying that the German hope of a rapid advance in Russia had been disappointed, Mr. Attlee turned to the Battle of the Atlantic. He said that an increasing number of U-boats had been operating since spring but that provision had been made to meet this danger by providing more anti-submarine craft. Corvettes had been doing valuable escort service, and the heavy scale of the defence in heme waters had turned the enemy farther afield, so that the battle was now being fought over an area which stretched far out towards- the United States coasts and far south in tropical African seas. “In this battle,” the Minister said, “we liavo suffered severo losses, and we shall not bo satisfied while theso losses continue; but we can look back on the last two months with reasonable satisfaction. I cannot give the House detailed figures without presenting the enemy with information which ho would very much liko to have, but I can say that our imports have been maintained at a satisfactory figure in spite of all the enemy's efforts.” 360 Per Cent. Exaggeration

Mr. Attlee pointed out that the enemy had been unable to broadcast a single claim for a successful attack by U-boats between July 11 and July 28, but said that in the last few days the Nazis had made contact with one southbound Atlantic convoy and claimed to have sunk 140,000 tons of shipping, as 'well as a corvette and a destroyer. In fact, there were no destroyers present, as the convoy was escorted by cor- [ vettes, which gave a very good account of themselves, “the U-boats had reason to know.” Although ho was unable I to give exact details of the tonnage I sunk, Mr. Attlee said he was able to 1 state that the enemy's claim represented an exaggeration of at least 350 per cent, and probably 700 per cent. | The war at sea, Mr. Attlee said, had 1 its offensive as well as its defensive side, and enemy shipping was continually being attacked. July was a good month. Apart from attacks on warJ ships and small units, 92 enemy ships of a tonnage of 459,000 tons were sunk, 1 damaged, or put out of action during the month. Mr. Attlee then turned to the naval assistance rendered in tho Syrian campaign, whero tho primary task was to prevent supplies from reaching the Vichy forces. In this, they had been completely successful. No single British ship was lost in these and other operations against Vichy warships. Vast Scale ,of U.S. Aid Turning to the African theatre, Mr. Attlee said that only a small pocket- of Italians, assisted by bad weather, were still holding out in Abyssinia, but elsewhere in the country Haile Selassie, with his Cabinet of Ministers, was beginning to reconstruct his country the first one to bo rescued from the aggressor's yoke. Officers had been placed at his disposal by his Majesty’s Government, and financial assistance was being afforded. “A great factor differentiates- our situation from that of last year the vqstly-increased scale of assistance from the United States,” Mr. Attlee declared. “Not only docs this flow of material exceed anything received from America during the last war, but it is sent to us under tho extraordinary generous terms of the Lease-Lend Act.’ 1 Mr. Attlee then spoke of the rising tide of resentment against tho Nazis which was appearing in the occupied territories, and again urged tho necessity for continued effort against a very powerful enemy. “The nations of Europe,” he said, “look to us not only to destroy Hitlerism, but to show, by practice as well as by percept, that we offer a true alternative to Hitler’s new order.”

“In tho British Commonwealth policy, wherein the freedom of every part does not detract from the unity of the whole, we demonstrate how it is- possible for peoples diverse in race, religion, and language to work together on the basis of a common way of life.”