Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-07

forces can Gull
tribute much, but they cannot do
everything. One of the major
weapons of the type Of blockade
which Germany may now adopt Is
the submarine.
1t was with the submarine that
Germany came near defeating Great
Britain in the last war. The Prime
Minister'S speech indicates his be-
lief that intensified submarine &C
tivities on the part Of Germany may
now be expected. For such an ex-
pectation there seem to be sound
reasons.
First, any submarines which Ger
many might have laid down at the
beginning of the war would just
now be ready for service. Next, If
Germany acquired any submarines
from France, it would have taken
just about the length of time that
has passed since the fall of France
to train crews for them. About 10
French submarines are unaccounted
for. besides some 20 that were being
built. Many of these may have
fallen into German hands at Cher
bourg, Brest and other ports. Next,
the aid of Italy is available, with
118 submarines, plus whatever num-
Der were laid down under the 1910
estimates.
Long Nights Aid Subs.
Finally, winter is approaching
with its long nights in the vicinity of
the British Isles, which give the
submarine a good chance for long
runs on the surface, economizing on
electric current. The longer the
hours of night, the better chance
the submarine has to evade its dead
ly enemy, the patroling seaplane OF
the coastal command,
Germany is in far better posi-
ton for submarine operations
against Great Britain than she was
in the last war. Then she held
only the short stretch of German
coast on the North Sea and a cou-
pie of ports on the Belgian coast.
Now she holds the whole coast of
the continent from North Cape to
Brest and to the Spanish border.
This not only increases the oppor-
tunities of her U-boatS but also
the cruising efficiency of each u
boat; for it is plain that a subma-
rine which has TO go TOO miles Gas
from Wilhelmshaven) to reach her
cruising ground in the mouth Of the
English Channel cannot stay nearly
so long on her station as one which
only has to 60 80 miles las from
BresD. Moreover. Germany can now
use aircraft to help her U-boats.
Aircraft can, of course, attack ship
ping; they also can locate targets
for U-boatS. The German genius
for coordination of different type
of weapons here has a field for
its display.
If Germany can now employ some
thing like 100 to $50 submarines of
her own, plus, say, so acquired from
the French, backed up by aircraft.
great difficulties can be caused to
Britain's overseas traffic. If Italian
submarines can be added, so much
the better from the German view
point.
Surface Raiders Effective.
The news that a pocket battle
ship is at sea suggests that in addi-
ton to submarines and aircraft, the
Germans are again going to use
surface raiders. Here the long night
is once more a factor. The. convoy
system beat the submarine in the
last war; the powerful surface raid
er is one answer to the convoy sys-
tenn, aircraft being perhaps another
The enormous demands made upon
British capital ships, aircraft car
riers and large cruisers by the search
for the Deutschland and Graf Spec
last year may well suggest to the
Germans that even a few raiders at
sea now might not only inf1ict severe
damage on British merchant ship
ping but also might force the
British to take ships out of the
Mediterranean at time when the
situation there is crucial.
In order to deal with the sub
marine, the British need first Of all
more destroyers, more patrol YES
sells and more seaplanes and flying
boats. 1t is now probable that the
Is destroyers of the L and M classes,
laid down in the winter of 1883,
are in service, and additional de-
stroyers laid down at the beginning
of fhn uyor ORC Y,raba h1u met oOy,, -