U-BOATS DRIVEN OFF

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 290, 8 December 1939, Page 7

U-BOATS DRIVEN OFF

SUCCESSFUL BRITISH METHODS MAINTENANCE OF MERCHANT FLEET [ British Official Wireless. ] RUGBY, Dec. 6. Reviewing tne effect of the German campaign during the first three months of the war against Allied and neutral merchant shipping, the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. W. Churchill, said Britain began the war with 21,000,000 tons of merchant shipping. From this total she had lost during four months in which she had been subject to every form of attack, both fair and foul, 340,000 tons. The net loss, after taking into acocunt transfer of ships from foreign flags, enemy prizes, and newly-built vessels, (amounted to only 60,000 tons, j "For every 1000 tons of British [shipping lost, 110,000. tons have entered I the ports of this threatened island,” he said. During November nearly 250,000 tons oi shipping entered oi cleared from British harbours for every 1000 tons lost —a proportion of 250 to one. At the same time British losses ol warships, always necessarily of a higher rate, had been only half the losses suffered in the first three months of 1914. Mr. Churchill stated earlier that two German pocket battleships and certainly no other criuser had been let loose in the North and South Atlantic or near Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. He said very great reinforcements of British hunting craft in home waters, already tripled since the beginning of the war, would come into service in 1940. More Severe Ordeal. "The Asdic method of detection is increasingly proved and as our margin in hunting craft increases the oraeal to which the U-boat is subject will become ever more severe,” he said. "In consequence of our defences and the defence of merchant ships, Üboats found it easier to attack neutral shipping than vessels of Britain and France. Losses of British merchant ships in October were half what they were in September and November. They were only two-thirds what they were in October. Neutrals lost halt as much again in the second month as they did in the first, and double as much in the third month as they did in the second. In fact, in the third month neutral losses by mines were twice as great as British losses and neutral losses of all kinds were onethird greater than belligerent losses. "It is indeed a strange kind of warfare for the German Navy to engage in when, driven off their declared enemy, they console themselves by running amok among the shipping of neutral nations. This fact should encourage the neutrals to charter their ships to Great Britain for the duration of the war, when they can be sure ol [making larger profits than they have [ever made in peace and have a complete guarantee against loss.”