GERMAN SCHEME

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21100, 30 April 1940, Page 10

GERMAN SCHEME

SHIPPING ATTACKS CAPTAIN W. E. PARRY'S VIEW LITTLE SUCCESS ATTENDS (By Telegraph.—Special to Times) WELLINGTON, Monday It appeared that Germany had decided to drop attacks on merchant shipping by surface raiders, said Cap-

tain W. E. Parry, C. 8., R.N., commander of H.M.S. Achilles, when he addressed the New Zealand Club at a luncheon in Wellington. Before the war the naval authorities had been aware of the possibility of conflict with Germany and also with other Powers, said Captain Parry, in describing what had exercised the minds of those in authority in their endeavours to foresee the problems they would be called up to face. In the Great War, Britain had a Grand Fleet of large ships waiting outside Scapa Flow to engage an enemy fleet of like size. Today the German fleet was not of the same size, and it was obvious before the war, her ships being designed for long cruises, that Germany’s intention would be to interfere with all trading ships. Therefore, it had been seen in advance that it would be part of the Navy’s job to protect shipping from these attacks. Submarine Menace The submarine menace was also foreseen and the result had been that they were pretty well ready to deal with it, too. Reading the figures of merchant shipping lost, it might be thought that they had not done very well in this connection. Approximately 2 per cent of British mercantile marine tonnage had been lost, most of which would have been made good by building. One hundred per cent efficiency in dealing with submarines was not claimed, but if enemy submarines were sunk once in every two attacks or even once in four, the submarine crews would lose their morale very quickly. Naturally, the Admiralty had been diffident about introducing the convoy system, because it meant the delay of ships, and the reduced speed of a convoy, in effect, reduced the carrying capacity of ships by 20 per cent. For instance, a ship that would have done five round trips a year in normal circumstances, would do only four trips under the reduced speed and other delays of the convoy system. Result of Graf Spec Action One result of the action with the Admiral Graf Spee seemed to have been that Germany had decided to drop attacks on trade ships by surface raiders, and. as recent events showed, her activities had been extended in another direction. The surprise invasion of Norway would give Germany scope for a class of warfare in which she was more experienced: the German was a fine soldier but as a sailor he had not had so much experience. There was going to be some stiff fighting in Norway, and what would happen if Sweden were involved, he did not know. The extension of the fighting front gave the Allies something to hit at, and if they could get a solid blow in there, it would have an effect throughout the world. “It is a grand thing you are doing here for the Navy in supplying us with men, and the more you can do for us the better,” said Captain Parry. "As an Englishman I am very grateful to have such fine chaps on my ship. We are gradually replacing all Imperial ratings with New Zealanders in the New Zealand Division as we train the men up.”