U-BOAT CAMPAIGN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 59, 12 March 1943, Page 5

U-BOAT CAMPAIGN

MASS-PRODUCED ESCORT VESSELS NEEDED FASTER CARGO SHIPS Recd. 6 p.m. Rugby, March 10. The mass production ot escort vessels is of prime importance in plans fo» defeating the U-boats. Ttiis was emphasised oy the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander, replying in the House of Commons during a debate on Navy estimates. He said the Board of Admiralty and himself regarded the position as ot great menace and it was certain to oecome increasingly difficult, because with every move forward on the offensive, with every piece of new territory released from the enemy’s grip, and with our campaign widening, we would want more escorts and mere would be more demands on our cargo ships. The speed with which they could be moved up must depend no. only on increasing our merchant tonnage, but also on increasing our offensive for the killing of U-boats. Mr. Alexander said better results might be obtained if we could have fast merchantmen, but that would require escorts ot equal speed, and that was not the situation he had to deal with when he assumed office. To have concentrated on the building of last ships after Dunkirk would have led to disaster, but as the labour and general situation improved we had turned as far as possible to building faster ships than the standard tramp type. Mr. Alexander also explained that, after unfortunate delays, entailing modifications, the production of the Barracudas, the new torpedo-bombers for the Fleet Air Arm, which was stopped for a time, was now satisfactory. The planes were coming forward in increasing numbers and were beginning to form operational squadrons.—B.O.W.