Thursday,
HONGKONG TELEGRAPH
March 6, 1941,
5
REVIEW OF ALLIED FIGHTING AND MERCANTILE
FLEETS IN COMMONS
LONDON, Mar. 5 (Router).—The Herculean task of the British Fleet in modern conditions-performing the task of the five fleets in the last war-was outlined by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr A. V. Alexander, in the House of Commons to-day.
The House was debating the token estimate for the Fleet, but Mr Alexander declared: "The British Fleet itself is no token fleet nor are our ships phantom ships, though they may be a nightmare to our enemies."
Hence sald Mr Alexander, he had no hesitation in asking for "asy more ships, very good ships, greater numbers of men, very fino men, great quantities of stores of the most substantiai kind."
and
questions concerning her
TC-
where Italian prisoners and even pumping bouts, proved that the great body water ashore to the thirsty troops.
Shipping Lossca of the Fleet of August, 1830, mained intact.
Up to May, 1940; losses of Bellish, Mr. Alexander would say to the Allied and neutral ships from enemy Gerinan Navy: "We are quito pre-action averaged 40,000 tons a week. The task of the Fleet had beenpared to take you on with only the The next seven months remained ob- mugnined by the collapse of France ship, which you profess to have atinately at an average just under which had altered the whole fabric sunk."
Coming Into Service The collapse of of British strategy. France jave the Germans now a naval Ally in Italy numerically stronger at sen than the Germans themselves. It did more than turn Mussolini inte an accomplice to a pirate-It gave the pirate himself to sally forth.
new luira
whence
When the threat first loumed up. the Navy had Just completed a vant series of operations from the mist shrouded cliffs of Narvik to the sun-
The number of ships in most classes, especially the destroyer class, now at sea or instantly ready for the sea is greater than at any time since the war began.
00,000 tons. During the last 11 weeks, Losses
averaged about 61,000 tons. The First Lord did not uttribute im- the diminution entirely to the proved measures of protection but thought that they were justified in counting them as at least one certain reason among other possibiRles,
to
enemy
bathed beaches of St Jean de Luz. yards and the orkers in shin-attack us in this vital spot-lurking
of which history has probably never
seen a parallel.
Dunkirk Losses
The ships coming into service this
"We must expect the enemy year will of themselves make up a formidable force, judged by almost make heavy attacks and we muy re-
ceive grievous blows. The any other naval Power's standards.
Even in the face of enemy bombing, has used every conceivable means to the efforts of the
persistence mincs, powerful ralders, aircraft, and skill of the manngements have stealthy E-boats and submarines. maintained naval Production In a Our Defences Growing
markable manner.
Our
long-term Counter-measures to long-range of construction are aircraft attacks are being developed, The Navy bore is part with the programmes Merchant Navy and civilian volun-maturing and a high output of short- sald Mr Alexander, though he would teers in extricating hundreds of thou-term construction has been reached, not reveal their nature.
IL may not be appreciated how As our resources grow, so will the sands of our troops from Norway and
our ships, though not rider's opportunities become fewer. France. It was not a task fur which frequently our ships were designed. Consider-designed for the role of bombing artil. As for U-boat attacks, expansion of will become ne-lery, have carried the wor into enemy aerial reconnaissance especially
cepted,. strayers, by skill,
und
able losses were "Whip and sant bombardments in support of the Chelny to avoid while the R.A.F, will
devotion duty,
to de ports as well as carrying out inces-progressively more difficult for the continue to dislocate the organisation
the Navy deprived | Army in Libya. to
the enemy of anything like the
that he had comtidently anticipated,
but the Navy was seriously depicted
Fleet Air Arm
The Fleet Air Arm has also be-
of U-boat patrols by attacks upon
bases. their
sea on mereased number of 19 to provide at the very moment when the whole come a notable weapon of offence; escorts will enable problem had become more complex the present war, it has destroyed greater protection for convoys and to
cruiser,
these advantages will be added im- with the exit of France and the entry one enemy battleship, one
three destroyers, four submarines,
marines, pravenients in unil-submarine tactics, of Italy.
four other naval vessels and 15 Meantime we continue to infiel By swinging strides, however, we
enemy submarine immeasurably improved our supply ships in addition to damaging losses upon the have With forces initially much at least two battleships, two cruisers, fotillas. To give the German Naval position.
Admiral Sir Andrew Cum-four destroyers, four miscellaneous Staff their due, they change U-boat inferior,
sferaft and 20 transport or supply, tnetles when they become too costly ningham and Vice-Admiral Sir James
and new tacties demand changes in Somerville not only kept the Italian ships.
In addition to disturbing the our own measures which take time to fleet cooped in the Mediterranean
ers enemy's possession of his own coastal perfect. but
neutralised It even in waters which Italy specially cintmed as hers.utes, British submarines have des
troyed
something like 100 chemy In every encounter, our crew had shown such superiority that units of the Italian Navy scarcely venture to dispute even the waters around their
bases.
Winter Gales,
During winter gales, British convoy escort forces paid the price of all navies whose tradition is to keep the seas regardless of weather if there was duly to be done.
Enemy communique claims would seem to show that we had lost roughly twice the number of capital stilps, aircraft carriers and cruisers with which we entered the war and submarines
Armed, Merchantmen
The defensive arming of merchant
warships and supply ships.
After tribute to the Navy's ships has been justified by the time
1
assiduous and successful clearing of mines which are constantly being sown in many waters, Mr Alexander said that the Navy's qualities of resource were exemplided by Admir- al Cunningham's recent operations against the Italians.
ty use of guns, which have enabled merchant semen to preserve them- selves and turn the tables enemy.
on the
The claims of encing official com- uniques about merchant tonnage Hunk amount to double Dur petual Josses losses, though some of these In Mediterrancan With limited forces, Admiral Cunnnot be known to the Germans.
New
delivered from ships are ningham's staff had to provide move British yards plus those abroad, and ment of supplies to Greece, Malta the volume of captured enemy ships and the main bases in Egypt. In now in our service has replaced more addition, they had to dovetail into th
than two-thirds of the tonnage of their offensive operations against the British ships lost by enemy: enemy lank in Libya the business of In addition we have the advantage In fact the daily work of the Fleet veritable world transport agency of chartering ships of states over- and such outstanding achievements as į in carrying troops
ten by the enemy. Oil the other those of the Ark Royal, which had newly-conquered beaches and har hand, the enemy has lost over many times answered the German bours, transporting great crowds 2,000,000 tons sink, captured
more
than (Laughter).
the all
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Novel are the methods which have been evolved to board up shop windows which have been blown in by bombs in London and other cities. Perhaps one of the most strik- ing efforts' is the one illustrated here in which an attractive appeal for R.A.F. volunteers fills what was
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Britons Warned To Leave Yugo-Slavia
VICHY, Mar. 5 (Reuter).--The British Consulate in Bel- grade has addressed a circular to all Britons in Yugo-Slavia advising those who are not kept an urgent business to leave the country, according to dispatches to the official French agency.
Most women members of the staff of the British Legation and the Consulate in Belgrade and families of the Legation staff
are already preparing to leave.
Asian War's Link With
Europe
Sir Ronald Campbell, the British Minister to Yugo-Stavia, returned to Belgrade yesterday. from Athens where he went to see Mr Eden, the Foreign
retur
Discretion LONDON, Mar..5 (Reuter)--It is learned in London that the British Minister in Belgrade hos for some- time been able at his discretion LONDON, Mar. 6 (Reuter).to advise British subjects with no Thanks to Admiralty salvage or-The inextricable connection of urgent reasons for staying, to leave ns Germany Yugo-Slavia as soon ganisation, the total tonnage rescued the Sino-Japanese war with the started occupation of Bulgaria. and saved up to the end of last year European war was the subject of leaving Yugo-Slavin, they are doubt-
Of the 50 destroyers which the an illuminating lecture to the less acting on his advice. United States transferred to us, some Royal Central Asian Society by
was over 1,000,000 tons.
have already delivered attacks on
If some British subjects are now
Yugo-Slavia Mobilisation BUDAPEST, Mar. 6 (UP)--The enteny submarines and others, in the Mr II. D. Liem, the London cor-
"Central official German news agency reports course of their escort duties, have respondent of the
that Sofia and eight other cities have shared in the rescue of victims of News" agency of China.
mobilized all men between the ages enemy attacks.
Like the Germans, he said, the of 10 and 15 and all women from 20 The peoples .of the British Com-
Japanese preached that they were the to 50 under the civilian mobilization monwealth have given unstinted sup-Herrenvolic" of Asia. The technique law.
ort in the ivar at sea. Canadian
port
destroyers have taken a share of the of the two nations was exactly similar. Having selected a victim for absorp- destroyers tusk of protecting sea- tion, they goatel him by increasing
borne trade across the Atlantic.
Australian
HIG
voys.
cruisers and destroyers, persecution till he rebelled when they Aid Britain Bill
mands.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 5 (Reuter). denounced him as gulity of provoca- Zealand cruisers have Now participated with great distinction and text of self-defence.
tion and annihilated him on the pre--The Senate approved of an amend- inent terminating the operation of success in the operations in the Mediterranean and the Middle East Danger To Burma the Ald to Britain Dill on July 1, and the protection of Important con- Mr Liem stressed the danger to 1943, or carlier, if approved by the
Burma of the Japanese designs on majority of both Houses. South Africa naval units are also Indo-China and Thailand, and the making very welcome contribution importance not only of the strong in the Mediterranean and the small reinforcements to Mulaya but of the but highly efficient Royal Indian Dutch East Indies' resolute resistance Navy is doing valuable work in the to Japan's obviously political de- Persian Gulf und Indian Ocean.
said Mr Llem, was already Mr Alexander did not betray the suffering scule privation in many strengths of the naval contingents of essentials and could not risk further Free France, Poland, Holland and aggressive adventures which would Norway but they are most useful re- Inevitably involve war with Britain inforcements and are steadily ex- and America if she were boldly faced, punding, he said.
lis references to China's. gallant The Belgians, having no vessels of resistance and her unequalled Im- their own, have come forward to help portance In exercising man the other ships und he was glad Japan were warmly applauded. to say that there is now a Belgian
Allied Navies
section of the Royal Navy,
check on
Alexander Japanese Shipping
In conclusion. Mr specially paid tribute to the "gallant fight of the small but heroic und efficient Greek Navy."
Execution Of Hardy Nords
Losses In War
CHUNGKING, Mar. 0 (Reuter).~ Naval Headquarters of the Chinese National Military Council yesterday Announced that 102 Japanese ships
had been sunk and 188 damaged by Chinese choro batteries and river mines up to the end of 1040.
27
The vessels sunk include medium-sized warships and 20 trans- ports.
*LONDON, Mar 5 (Reuter).— Stating that tho sentences ure
The damage done to Japanese ship- "revolting and cnn only cvoko feelings of dingust and aversion," the pink is estimated at nearly $200,000,-
Swedish newspaper Socialde Mokraten" reports, according to the Norwegian telegraph agency, execution at the beginning of
ary of three Norwegians; c
to death by the German milltary
military dispositions.
000,
Canberra-Tokyo Relations
TOKYO, Mr. B (Reuter)-Com- court al Bergen for espionage. The menting on the recent speech of Mr. charge was one of maintaining a R..G. Menzies, the Australian Prime Kccret wireless transmitler and Minister, a Government spokesman sending information about German said: "This time I think Australin Is very fair. Until now they have discussed problems with Japan only It is feared that, a similar fate awalls ten Norwegians who were re-from a 'logical viewpoint. Now Mr cently sentenced on a similar charge Menzies has indicated a readiness to at Haugesund where a further-13-or approach matters from a more realls 14 Norwegians are awaiting trial.; Mic point of view."
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