Evening star., 1942-01-20
j. ). Intensifies
Hunt for U.boats
Off East Coast
Torpedoed Tanker
Escapes; More Roll
Shipping Urged
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
The sudden death of depth
bombs made Atlantic coastal wa
ters an unhealthy hunting
ground today for Axis subma-
rine raiders, but the Navy was
keeping silent for the present on
the subject of enemy mortality.
Despite the character of the
enemy effort, one informed source
remarked that the known results to
date were likely to fall short of Axis
expectations.
The latest submarine attack TO be
announced was not as successful as
its three predecessors, for the raider
failed to make the kill. The raider
torpedoed and shelled the 8,206-ton
Malay yesterday, but she managed
to stay af1oat and limped into port,
with casualty list of five killed
out of a crew of "a.
Tankers Favorite Target.
Like the three ships which torpe-
does have sunk since last Wednes-
day, the Malay was tanker but
there was no disposition here to
draw conclusions on that account.
While it is true that tankers have
been favorite target, it is also
true that they are normally more
numerous in Atlantic Coast shipping
lanes because of the East's heavy
dependence on tanker-borne petro-
leum supplies.
Nevertheless, as a precautionary
measure the Government recon-
mended to the big oil companies
that they increase the use of rail-
road tank cars for transporting their
products to both coasts. The re-
quest noted that, beside the tankers
torpedoed in East and West Coast
runs. others had been taken out of
regular service for military duty.
Petroleum likewise was a major
consideration in another of last
nights moves. United States war
planes were dispatched to the Dutch
islands of Aruba and Curacao. of
the coast of Venezuela. to cooperate
with the forces of the Netherlands
government in protecting those
vitality important oil centers.' I
The aerial reinforcements wAe
insurance against surprise gunhre
or demolition party attack on the
islands by some enemy underseas
raider.
Convoy Losses Reduced.
Sensational as have been the Axis
submarine operations in Atlantic
coastal waters, the Capital was not
losing sight of the main change in
the battle of the Atlantic-the sup
ply line to Britain. The enemy
submarines sent to prey on Ameri-
can coastal shipping mean so many
less to attack the Britain-bound
conveys laden with the important
materials of war. And even before
the present underseas campaign be-
gan over here. there had been a
sharp reduction in convoy tonnage
losses, as even official Naz claims
acknowledged.
! While the problems involved are
vastly more complicated than a
quarter of a century ago. it was
recalled that as soon as the British
and United States Navies began
joint co-ordinated operations in the
last war, the German submarine
losses rose steeply.
In 1916, for example, the number
of U-boats destroyed was IS. just
one more than in the entire period
from the outbreak of the wer to
the end of 1915. In 1917, however.
the total jumped to 66 after less
than nine months of American par
ticipation. And in 1918, it was 88
for little over 10 months. The
United States Navy already lists
IA U-boats as destroyed or dam
aged by American action alone in
its last accounting on the present
war issued a month ago.
Six Days Of Attacks.
The submarine attacks on the
tankers have continued for six days.
The Allan jackson was torpedoed
without warning off the North Caro-
(See SUBMARINE, Page A-A