The daily monitor. (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1940-1942, 1942-01-20
Sinking
Continued from Page l


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 Sue
cessful as it's three predecessors,
for the raider failed to make
the kill. He torpedoed and
shelled the 8,206-ton Malay yes
terday, but she managed to stay
afloat and limped into port, with
casualty list of one killed and
four missing out of crew of
"a.
Like the three ships which
torpedoes have sunk since last
Wednesday, the Malay was a
tanker but there was no DISPOSE
ton here to draw conclusions on
that account. While it is true
that tankers have been fav-
orite target, it is also true that
they are normally more numer-
Gus in Atlantic coast shipping
lanes because of the casts heavy
dependence on tanker-borne pc
troleum supplies.
Nevertheless, as a precaution-
airy measure the government
recommended to the big oil COM
panies that they increase the
use of railroad tank cars for
transporting their products to
both coasts. The request noted
that, besides the tankers torpe-
doed 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 warplanes were dispatch
ed to the Dutch islands of Aruba
and Curacao, off the coast of
Venezuela, to cooperate with the
forces of the Netherlands gov
eminent in protecting those
vitality important oil centers."
The aerial reinforcements were
insurance against surprise gun
fire or demolition party attack
on the islands by some enemy
under seas raider.
Sensational as have been the
Axis submarine operations in
Atlantic coastal waters, the cap
ital was not losing sight of the
main chance in the battle of the
Atlantic--thc supply line to
Britain. The enemy submarines
sent to prey on American coast
al shipping mean so many less
to attack Britain bound conveys
laden with the important ma
terials of war. And even be-
fore the present underseas cam
paign began over here, there
had been a sharp reduction in
convoy tonnage losses, as even
official Nazi claims acknowledge
ed.
While the problems involved
are vastly more complicated
than quarter of century ago,
it was recalled that as soon as
the British and United States
Navy began joint coordinated
operations in the last war, the
German submarine losses rose
steeply.
In 1915, for example, the
number of U-boats destroyed
was Is, just one more than in
the entire period from the out
break Of the war to the end of
1915. In 1917, however, the
total jumped to Sc after less than
nine months of American par
ticipation. And in 1918, it was
80 for a little over 10 months.
The u. S. 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.
AS a phase of the conflict so
close to home, the submarine
war claimed lions share of in
terest here, but the battle stakes
were much bigger in the South
Pacific. And, except for an oc-
casional bright spot, the battle
still Jared ill for the united ma
tions yesterday.
The capital found something
to cheer about in the perform
ance of five American Army
bombcrs that downcd nine Japa-
ncsc intcrceptor planes in an
aerial dogfight in the Indies. The
bombers, the war department re-
ported, last night, had attacked
an enemy airfield at Menado in
northeast Celebes with undeter-
mined results before they tan
gled with the numerically supc-
rior enemy fighters. Two u. S.
bombcrs did not return To their
secret base from the engage
ment, SO the victory price came
high for an air arm that must
husband its limited planes and
personnel carefully for the pres