Evening star., 1941-11-15
Atlantic Winter Battle

AtI0ntlC winter Battle
All signs portend that this winter
will see an unprecedentedly desper-
ate phase Of the great sea struggle
called the Battle of the Atlantic.
Congressional repeal of those sec
tionS of the Neutrality Act forbidding
the arming of American merchant
ships and denying them the right to
go to belligerent ports makes it
probable that considerable number
of American vessels soon will be
sailing to Britain, presumably con-
voyed by American warships It is
virtually certainty that these ships
will be attacked by German sub
marines and bombing planes. The
result will be practical state of war
between Germany and the United
States, even though, for diplomatic
reasons, neither country may deem it
expedient to declare war in formal
fashion.
With the United States a virtual
belligerent, the German government
may be expected to throw all her
available resources into the battle
for control of the Atlantic. Already
Berlin announces defantly that the
Reich is preparing to launch a grand
offensive on the ocean, employing
more and larger packs of U-boats
than hitherto, employing new meth
ods of attack, and supported by new
weapons.
The seriousness of this threat
should not be underestimated. Win
ter in the North Atlantic, with it's
rough seas, fog and mistS, is favor
able season for submarines equipped
with radio communications, direc-
tional torpedoes and other modern
inventions which make them much
more formidable antagonists than in
the last war. The sinking of the
British aircraft carrier Ark Royal by
a submarine again proves the danger
to which even the largest ships are
exposed. Also, the torpedoing of the
American destroyer Kearny and of
numerous British destroyers while
on convoy duty shows that the sub
marine can fight back against it's
deadliest enemies with a certain
measure of success. Lastly, accounts
OF survivors from the sunken
freighter Bold Venture reveal the
havoc which can be wrought even in
a well-protected convoy of merchant
ships when stalking U-boats get in
their deadly work. Indeed, there has
been much discussion as to whether
the convoy system should not be
abandoned for all but the slowest
vessels, letting faster ships take their
chances by sailing singly on indi-
vidual routes.
This does not mean that Britain
and America are faced with the
loss of the Battle of the At
lantic. Winston Churchill, in his
recent survey of the war at sea,
claimed that British shipping losses
during the four months ending in
October averaged only 10000 tons
per month, as against a 100000 ton
average for the four months ending
in June. That speaks volumes for
the efficacy of protective measures,
especially when Mr.. Churchill like
wise stated that more German u
boats and seaplanes were being en-
ployed in the Atlantic battle than
ever before.
However, those favorable months
were precisely the ones in which
conveying warshipS and planes could
give the maximum protection. There
is reason to believe that, in the
stormy and murky months of late
autumn and winter, the U-boats may
take larger toll. The decisive an
swer to the challenge of the modern
lied submarine has not yet been
discovered. But a partial answer
seems to have been found. And now
that the American Navy is really on
the job, it will play a major part in
solving the perilous problem.