CHURCHILL’S WAR REVIEW

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLX, Issue 14839, 10 September 1941, Page 6

CHURCHILL’S WAR REVIEW

ACCOUNT OF HISTORIC MEETING SHIPPING POSITION DISCLOSED. HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES. (Received 11.54 a.m.) (British Official Wireless-*) RUGBY. September 9. The first war review by Air Winston Churchill was prefaced in 'the House, of Cominor-S. by a statement of the war situation, with an account arf the meeting with President Roosevelt afc which he said the conclusions reached "on the. four main topics were firstly, the eight-point declaration; secondly the .measures for help for the Soviet; thirdly, the policy to be pursued towards Japan; and fourthly a large number of technical matters dealt with by the Service Chiefs oj both countries. In dealing with the eight-point declaration Air Churchill declared. “Although the principles of the declaration have long been familiar to the British and American democracies, the fact that it is a united declaration, sets up a milestone or monument which needs only the stroke, of victory to become a permanent part of the history of human progress ” Speaking of the Battle of the At- 1 lantic,. the Premier said the actual figures of shipping losses in July and August would not be given as it is inadvisable to give the enemy too precise, or early, information as to the success or failure of his manoeuvres.” The public and indeed the whole world however have derived the impression that things have gei:/e much better in these two months. T cannot deny this is not so. Air Churchill added amidst cheers. The improvement of the sea war manifested itself in the falling off of sinkings and the consequent increase in the arrival of valuable cargoes and the estimate ho had made at the beginning of the year looked as though it would be exceeded. A further manifestation of improvement was the great rise in the destruction of enemy shipping these last three months, achieved by brilliant new tactics of the Coastal Command aircraft and exploits of submarines. By these two weapons the destruction of eneniv shipping is enormous “I may say the sinkings of British and Allied shipping by enemy action in July and August added together do not amount to muc h more than a third ol the German and Italian tonnage wc have sunk by aircraft and submarines. Our achievement has been even more remarkable when it is remembered the target presented to the enemy was ten, possibly twenty times greater than that offered to the British forces.” Great Britain's world-wide trail.* I involved 2,000 ships and never fewer than 400 were in danger zones. Air Churchill said a high tribute is to be paid to the submarine, service and added that during 1941 British sub marines sunk or seriously damaged seventeen enemy warships, some i which were U-boats and 105 supply ships varying from large 20,000-ton liners to Caiques laden with troops. British successes have been the n - ot patience and exertions, although he added, “let us hear no more fine, talk about the* Battle of the Atlantic being won.” Referring to his visit to Iceland Air Churchill said the United States and British naval and air forces were stationed on the Island and would play an ever increasing part in maintaining supplies.