Evening star., 1941-12-21
GreensIode Tells of Subs
Preying on Shipping

Enemy submarines are proving
OF the East and West Coasts of
the United States, the Navy De-
partment revealed yesterday. and
limited that some American shipping
had been attacked.
This report. coupled with the news
that an American submarine had
sent torpedo home in a Japanese
transport in Pacific waters, indi-
Gated that both this country and
her enemies had sent long range
undersea craft into action in at
tempts to tighten blockades.
No Girect report came from the
Navy Department on actions by or
against the enemy submarines which
lurked of the Atlantic or Pacific
Coasts. The revelations, in both
cases, were made in the course of
statements by Navy officials ap-
pealing for cooperation with the
war effort.
Rear Admiral John w. Greenslade,
In a formal statement issued in San
Francisco, told of the presence OF
enemy craft in the Pacific. waters.
Admiral Greenslade, commandant
OF the 18th Naval District, made the
statement in connection with an ap-
peal to West Coast welders to stay
on the job in shipyards. instead of
carrying out a threatened strike.
Subs Preying on Shipping.
He said the Navy had definitely
confirmed reports that submarines
which observers presumed to be
Japanese-were preying on shipping
of the coast. He told the weIders
that shipping which was lost to enc
my submarines had to be replaced
if we were to win the war.
The fact that ne said the sub
marines were 'preying" on shipping
contained the hint that some at
-tacks had been successful.
The news that submarines were
hunting shipping near the Atlantic
Coast was also given out indirectly.
In a statement issued by the Navy
Department here, radio stations
we're cautioned against weather
forecast broadcasts, even when they
involve only isolated areas far from
the sea.
Weather Data Used.
To make the point, the Navy told
this story:
A "weatherwise" commanding Of
f1cer at an Atlantic naval base re-
Gently heard a radio announcement
of sub-freezing weather in the
Dakotas and temperature of nine
degrees to Duluth.
From his knowledge of continent
tai weather tracks, he deduced that
a few days later 'his patrol area
would have clear day or too with
high visibility and conditions ideal
for enemy submarine attack"
Special precautions were taken in
patrol work on the calculated day,
which turned out as predicted, and
in the course of operations it be-
came apparent that enemy sub
marines had also picked up the
same information and made the
same deduction.
"It was pointed out that the in
formation so inadvertently broad
cast would also have been of benefit
to an enemy air attack along any
port of the weather route in the
North American continent"
Canadian Chief Recalls Warning.
In Ottawa, Vice Admiral Percy
Nelles, chief of the Canadian Naval
Staff, commented on the United
States announcement of undersea
activity in the Atlantic by recall
ing his own warning on November S
that German U-boats were operat-
ing of the coast of Newfoundland.
II said at that time that Nazi sub
marines would be operating shortly
near the coast of Nova Scotia" he
recalled.
The American submarines sue
cessful attack upon the Japanese
transport was the second time last
week that the Navy announced
sinking of a transport. In addition,
1t had been stated earlier in the
week that one of our submersibles
had probably sunk destroyer.
Blockade Effort Began.
These submarine operations were
widely taken as an indication that
the Navy had begun the long and
laborious process of laying block
ade about Japan to cut of the
flow of raw materials to her indus
tries and of food to her over
populated islands.
The Navy said in its communique
that there were no developments
to report in any American war
theater except the Far East, leading
to the supposition that the Marines
ut Wake Island were still In com.
Mand Of the situation there.