U-BOATS ON U.S. COAST

Southland Times, Issue 24649, 22 January 1942, Page 5

U-BOATS ON U.S. COAST

Long Journey From

Bases

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, January 20. With regard to American Press reports about the activities of Nazi submarines, authoritative circles in London regard such a development as the logical sequence of events. It was expected that there would be a German offensive reconnaissance in force to discover a local area profitable for extended operations. Although the U-boats have been reported off Newfoundland this is the first time they have been close in to the American coast. For submarines operating from Biscay ports the journey would be 7000 miles there and back, and the actual operational time in the area

would be limited to 10 or 12 days. On the passage the U-boats would be likely to pass through convoy routes, and, therefore, would always have a chance of picking up a target. A patrol of 40 days must be a very severe trial to any submarine in the North Atlantic during winter, and the period might even be extended by meeting suppljr ships at a rendezvous, as was known to be the case with U-boats operating in the South Atlantic.

As for the suggestion that these submarines were hunting for Mr Churchill on his return journey from the United States by sea, it is felt that, although Admiral Raeder might have had his own hopes in this direction, the evidence is not very strong in its favour, as the U-boats would have been unlikely to disclose their positions as early as they did by attacking merchant ships instead of waiting for “the bigger game.”

At least four people are dead as a result of the attack on the United States tanker, Malay. The survivors said that after the shelling the lifeboats were lowered with 15 of the crew and passengers while the rest remained aboard trying to repair the damage. Immediately after the attack scores of military planes took off to search the coastal waters for submarines. IN INDIAN OCEAN The first evidence of an enemy submarine in the Indian Ocean was provided when a ship was torpedoed on the night of January 14, 270 miles off the west coast of Sumatra. Five members of the crew were killed and four were wounded. Seventy-seven of the passengers and crew took to the lifeboats; The submarine then sank the ship by shell-fire. Two of the lifeboats landed at Batu Island.