Evening star., 1941-08-03
England Slowly Gains
In Battle Of Atlantic,
Latest Figures Indicate
Shipping Loss Reduction
In Midsummer Held
Encouraging Sign
Nv H. 7. ]. sSARGINT,

BY H. J. j. 'SARGINT,
Foreign Correspondent OF The Star and
Consolidated News Features.
LONDON, Aug. 2.-The battle OF
the Atlantic is slowly turning in
favor of the British. That is the
conclusion one draws from the latest
figures of shipping losses which, by
the way, will be the last to be pub
lished in a monthly list, and the
impression I myself obtained during
q recent prolonged journey in the
North Atlantic with an eastward
bound convoy.
The turn of the tide, I should say,
occurred when the Bismarck was
sent to the bottom and the Scharn-
horst and Gneisenau were spotted
by the r. A. F. at Brest and put out
of action. The sinkings directly due
to submarine action are quite def
nitely beneath the average the Ger
mans would like to see.
AS first lord of the admiralty, A
Alexander recently said the oper-
ations against Allied shipping in
the Atlantic have not been very
successful. Without being too opti-
mistic, this would seem to indicate
that the British and their associates
have a grip on the situation which
they did not have before.
Midsummer Drop Good Omen.
Particular point is lent to this
view by the fact that the reduction
in shipping losses has occurred in
midsummer, at a time when day
light in northern latitudes lasts
well over 20 hours between sunrise
and sunset. At night neither sub
marine nor bomber can do its work
properly because ships now travel
without lights. Therefore if in the
long hours of daylight it is possible
to hold the enemy in relative check,
II is not unreasonable to hope that
better results may be looked for in
the darker days ahead.
I saw something of the working of
conveys in the North Atlantic a few
weeks ago and I can say that at no
hour of the "a were the ships in
visible from the guard vessel in
which was travelling A submarine
could have spotted them several
miles away and of course a bomber
from a far greater distance. June,
July and August are the worst pos
sible months from the point of view
OF the defense Of conveys and it is
therefore very encouraging that i'm
provements in the sinkings are oc-
curing just now.
We have to look for this improve
f1ent in the greater use which is
being made of large ships in con-
voy, and a particular tribute must
be paid to the wonderful work of the
British bomber command which day
and night goes on bombing German
submarine bases and chasing the
boats themselves. When the story of
the work of the bombers in this war
comes to be written, the world,
think, will be astounded, not only by
the pluck displayed by the young
pilots flying these machines but by
the tireless application with which
these planes work in all weather at
all times of the year.
Loss Suppression Unpopular.
The fact that shipping losses will
no longer be published monthly has
created certain amount of sur
prise and some disappointment.
These monthly figures succeeded the
weekly figures which the Admiralty
used to publish. When the state
inent was changed from once a week
to once a month it. was said that
the alteration had been made in
order to prevent valuable informa-
ton reaching the enemy.
Now the further alteration has
been decided upon to prevent in
formation reaching the Germans.
But 1t Is not clear to this writer
how information of this kind is
going to be of use to Berlin, say a
fortnight or three weeks after the
events to which it refers.
I look upon the publication of
sinkings from the point of view of
q rlewspaperman who realizes that
there is considerable propaganda
value in the figures, particularly If
those figures are heavy. I am quite
certain that the Germans will take
advantage of Britain's self f-denying
ordinance to publish figures OF sink
ings with great frequency and exag-
geration and I make bold to say
that the German figures will be
hard to overtake and correct and
will not have a good effect on the
public opinion of countries which
still have the right to possess a
public opinion.
For instance, the Axis claims of
sinkines for the last month in
which British figures we're given
were l65 per cent higher than the
British figures.
Paper CounseIs FranknesS.
One paper, commenting on this
decision of the government, ques-
tions whether it Is wise to withhold
the monthly figures and to indulge
In what 1t calls a statistical black
out" from the point of view of
American relations with this coun-
try. 1t adds that 1t would seem
n1gnly important VnaL tne brlIlSn
should be as frank as possible about
Atlantic losses. ! agree with this
opinion and I am looking forward
to a possible change in the system
Of publishing this Information.
To turn to the other side of the
picture. it should never be forgotten
that enemy merchant shipping is
being destroyed at an increasingly
high rate. The costal traffic all
along the French, Belgian, Dutch
and Scandinavian seaboards is be-
ing harried by British submarines
and British aircraft as it has never
been before and the losses to the
enemy are graver than people
imagine.
One fact that is easily overlooked
Is that a large proportion of Euro
pean freight Is carried by sea. In
spite of the network of railways
on the Continent, seaboard traffic
round the great coastline on the At
lantic and in the Mediterranean
was very considerable in peace time