Evening star., 1941-11-06
Mass U-boat Attacks
May Force Breakup
Of Convoy System
II American CiviIiun
Techniciuns Feared Lost
On Way to England
~ the Associated Press.


On Way to England
~ the Associated Press
The menace of German sub
marine raids in the North Atlantic
raised speculation in naval circles
today that a complete turnabout in
strategy, subordinating the use of
conveys, might prove the eventual
answer to the U-boat wolf pack
technique.
The central theory in the various
methods being explored was that
mass submarine attacks would be
rendered largely Ineffective if armed
merchantmen travelled singly in
stead of being punched in conveys.
The discussions accompanied two
fresh developments in the battle of
the Atlantic-the announcement
that II American civilian techni-
clans had been lost en- route 70 Eng
land and the disclosure that U-boats
have been operating close to New
foundland.
The latest American casualties
were men who had enlisted in the
British Civilian Technical Corps for
non-combatant duty abroad. Their
loss was made public last night by
the British Press Service on behalf
Of the Royal Air Force delegation
here.
The ship which carried the tech
nicians 'is presumed to have been
sunk" the British said, and "tele-
grams have been sent to the next of
kin" The name ct the ship and
the approximate date of the sinking
were not disclosed.
Added to other recent casualties
IN the armed services and merchant
marine, the new losses increased to
l40 the known toll of American
lives in the last three months.
The names of the American tech
nicians lost, as given out by the
British Press Service, follow:
w. j. Ash, Weehawken, N. j.
j. A. Blain, Brooklyn, N. Y.
D. c. Blossom, Oklahoma City,
Okla.
A. L. Crosby, San Jose, Calf.
j. F. Countryman, Elkhart, Ind.
G. Easton. Absecon, N. j.
r. E. Folk, Polo, III.
P. Gilfond, Brooklyn, N. Y.
R. Godfrey. Saylsville, R. I.
M. McNulty, South Orange, N. j.
j. Price, White Plains, N. Y.
H. P. Simonson. Brooklyn. NJ Y.
T. c. Sines, Sarasota, Fla.
C. Singer, Jamaica, Long Island.
j. c. Spear, Vallejo. Calf.
C. L. Stratton, Woodland, Wash.
A. Templeton, Beecher City, Ill.
The Canadians lost were:
w. c. Andrews, Sarnia, Ontario.
j. D. Barter. Calgary, Alberta.
Would Arm Ships.
Exponents of the single-vessel
strategy to outsmart U-boat packs
said that its logical application
called for a minimum use of conveys,
the routing of ships over wide va
riety of constantly changing sea
lanes and giving them guns to fight
attackers.
That, it was said. would free a
large number of naval vessels to pa
troll the areas north and southewest
of the British Isles in search of SUBJ
marines plying between European
bases and their Atlantic hunting
grounds.
If. In addition, the United States
Navy increased its effective patrol
range beyond Icelandic waters by de-
veloping bases on the British Isles,
the Germans might find their North
Atlantic raids much less profitable.
World War Development.
The convoy system, naval men say,
was developed to a high point Of
perfection in 1917 and 1918. Its sue
cessful operation, then as now. de-
pended on the submarines great
risk in attacking a group of ships
protected by destroyers.
The record Of the United States
Atlantic Fleet SO far in the present
war, however. generally is taken
here as indicating that to some ex-
tent at least the submarines of to-
day no longer take such great risks
Guided by highly sensitive sound
detection equipment and operating
In groups with the aid of very eff
cient radio communication, they at
tack under protection of night and
avoid the dangers of open encounter
with surface vessels by daylight.
Skilled Men Recruited Here.
The II Americans who, along with
two Canadians, were reported lost
by the British presumably were
skilled radio men, technicians or
mechanics. Britain has been seek
Ing to enlist several thousand such
specialists here to help in the man.
ufacture. maintenance and repair
of important equipment used by the
British armed forces.
The recruiting has had general
Government approval here on the
ground that those who sign up fol
the Civilian Technical Corps. as the
service is called, will not only help
the British war effort but also &C
,quire experience of value to the
United States if this country be.
comes belligerent.
Volunteers are given draft de.
ferment, if they are in that age
bracket, and are permitted to trave
on ships of be.ligerent nation
Such travel is prohibited by the
Neutrality Act, save for a few ex'