Evening star., 1940-02-13
Britain Expanding
Patrols 10 Smash
hazi Blockade
Air and Naval Forces
Enlarged to Combat
Mines and Bombs
~ the Associated Press.


Mines and Bombs
~ the Associated Press.
LONDON, Feb. 13.-Great Britain
Is expanding her air and naval
coastal patrols suddenly and swiftly
to smash Germany's mine-and-
bomb blockade of British shipping.
The admiralty announced 1t was
recruiting 10000 additional fisher
men for naval patrol duty in the
war against German mines. The
air force, with a big British plane
construction program already in ef-
feet. was disclosed to be buying
heavy planes from "at least one
other air-skilled neutral" besides the
United States. This cautiously-d
scribed nation was believed to be
Italy
The admiralty announced that
German action had sunk six ships
three British and three neutral
during the past week. British losses
were the Beaverbunn, Munster and
Chagres, totaling 1885 tons. The
neutrals lost were the Estonian
Anu, the Netherlands Burgerdijk
and the Swedish Orania, aggregat-
ing 1923 tons.
18 Lost in Convoy.
Up until last Wednesday, the ad-
miralty said, only 10 ships were lost
In convoy out of 1924 escorted. One
of the two neutrals lost, the Greek
steamer Keramiaii, was sunk by q
German submarine which was sub
sequently destroyed, the admiralty
declared.
Indication of a British naval sue
cess was given in an official an
nouncement giving the names OF
eight German submarine officers
and men taken prisoners.
This made total of l6 names an
nounced in the last "a hours. The
bare announcement gave no indica-
tion of where or when the men were
captured.
Since the war started 10000 fish
ermen have entered the navy to help
Britain fight three dimensional
war" against submarines and mines,
surface raiders and planes which
have bombed and machine-gunned
fishing boa.s and ughtships.
Survivors of the British trawler
Togimo, 290 tons, landed today on
the southeastern coast of Ireland
and reported their ship had been
shelled and sunk by a German sub
marine. One of the crew was killed
and three seriously injured.
Eleven survivors, all suffering from
exposure, reached land after SPEND
ing % hours in an open boat.
Torpedoed without Warning.
Survivors of the Orania, 1854 tons,
said on reaching a British port to-
day that their ship was torpedoed
without warning Sunday in the
North Sea and sank within three
minutes.
A British warship picked up the
10 survivors, but a lifeboat contain
ing the captain, his wife and IL sea-
men is missing. British lifeboats
are searching for it.
The British trawler Gurth, 226
tons. was wrecked on the east coast
of England today. The crew Of
nine was rescued.
Reuters British) dispatches from
Oslo today reported the Norwegian
motorship Snestad, 4,110 tons, was
sunk Sunday by mine or torpedo
and her crew saved The Snestad
was bound for Philadelphia in bal
last to get cargo of coal for Nor
way.
800 Recruited Weekly.
About 300 fishermen are being re-
cruited weekly in the expansion of
naval patrols, one source said. The
age limits are 18 to As, but expert
enced men up to 66 have been ac-
cepted. One man of u was reported
found in the ranks.
Pay ranges from IS weekly for
seamen to $40 weekly for enginemen.
Additional allowances are made for
dependents or when the seaman Is
employed in minesweeping or anti
submarine work.
The air force, already with big
airplane construction program in
progress, is buying planes-mostly
Of the heavier type-ln the United
States and is training flyers of the
empire in Canada.
To balance this development Of
men and machines, the air force
issued call today for radio experts,
said to be wanted especially for the
elaborate air defense system, which
is co-ordinated through complicated
signaling methods.
Repeated British contentious that
their planes are superior to Ger
many's In quality, if not in numbers,
were given support today by high
" authoritative source, which said
the r. A. F. had shot down 50 Ger
man planes over the North Sea
and coastal areas since the war be-
gan and damaged 20 others so that
they were probable losses"