Evening star., 1941-09-14
$4,000 Tons Of Ships
Sunk From Atlantic
Convoy, kazis Say
; Vessels of Its Heavy
Guard Also Sent Down,
Germans Declare
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BERLIN, Sept. 13.-Germany's
claims rose today to % merchant
men and three warships sunk in a
convoy of 40 Britain-bound ships
during an attack in the North At
lantic which began before Presi-
dent Roosevelt announced his shoot
on-sight orders to the United States
Navy and persisted thereafter.
In all, the high command de-
elared, $4,000 tons of merchant
shipping were destroyed besides
three warships of its heavy guard
of corvettes and destroyers.
In London, the British said
that except for eight ships lost,
the convoy had reached port af-
ter riding out an Atlantic storm
and surviving repeated German
air and underSea assaults
Claim 40 Ships in Six Days.
Following President Roosevelt S
declaration of policy which the
Axis has taken as a challenge, war
fare by German air and U-boat
forces against Britain and Russia
has dominated German reports.
Germans asserted they had won
air mastery over Leningrad as well
as considerable gains in territory"
on central sector of the Eastern
front.
The war at sea attracted particu-
lar attention in Berlin because Of
President Roosevelt's shoot first"
order. Germans were quick to OBJ
serve that Mr.. Roosevelts speech
was hardly made before the Reich
was scoring another success in its
war on British commerce.
Authorized sources presented what
they called carefully prepared but
unofficial summary of German
achievements from September to
IL showing 49 British freighters sunk
in six days.
2S Are Credited to Subs.
Submarines scored most effectively
against the British shipping, ac-
counting for % of the vessels
claimed destroyed in the six-day
period. Surface war vessels were
credited with sinking five. The air
force was reported to have des-
troyed Is.
Germans estimated they had in
flicted losses totalling 273,000 tons
on British shipping. 1t was further
indicated the air force had seriously
damaged 10 freighters in English
blockade waters.
Losses inflicted by the Germans
on the Russians we're also given for
the six-day period. This summary
showed Germans in the Baltic and
Black Sea areas had destroyed six
Russian merchantmen. three trans
rorts. five cannon boats, two speed
boats, three submarines, three patrol
vessels and two other craft.
Damaging of five additional freight
ers was claimed.
$4,000 Prisoners Claimed.
On land, the summary indicated
the German army took $4,000 Rus
sian prisoners in the six days, While
the air force claimed destruction OF
55 railway trains and three tanks
The army was also reported to have
captured or destroyed 470 tanks ano
$50 cannon.
Today's rront dispatches gave
prominence to the Luftvaffe's as
saults in the Leningrad area. One
front report said Notifications are
being softened in preparation for
storm assault" Dive bombers were
said to have played conspicuous
part in the attack.
German flyers said that after
their first attacks in waves, the
Russian defenses almost ceased to
function.
Dispatches indicated the air force
was still hammering at the outer
defenses rather than the heart OF
Leningrad.
In the central sector, the Ger
mans claimed to have taken almost
5000 prisoners in capturing two
hotly defended villages.