Evening star., 1943-01-10
The Submarine Front

ne SuDm0rlne front
In the United States Navy the sub
marine section is known as THE
Silent Service" Much the same is
true of all other naval establish
ments, and of late it has become
even truer concerning publicity
given to submarine activities. The
reason for this official playing down
of news from the undersea front is
perfectly valid. Almost any infor-
nation given out about such matters
might be helpful to the enemy. Even
totals of merchant tonnage sunk
during given period, with no dis
closure of identity or locations, con-
ceivably could aid hostile high
commands in planning their overall
grand strategy. This is why the
British Admiralty long ago discon-
tinued the practice, and our Navy
Department has adopted much the
same line.
However, there is another side to
the story, as it relates to enemy sub
marine activity. In wartime, public
opinion is apt to interpret no news
as good news. So, with almost no
details about sinkings in the press
the average citizen tends to conclude
that they are falling to negligible
proportions and that the submarine
menace is over. This impression has
been heightened by certain official
statements, notably by Rear Admiral
Emory S. Land, chairman of the
Maritime Commission, concerning
the record totals of our shipbuilding
program. 1t appears that last year
more than 100000 tons of merchant
shipping were launched in American
yards, that production is now at the
annual rate Of more than 100000
tons and that the 10000, ,000-ton goal
set for 1943 will be attained or ex-
ceeded. To those staggering figures
should be added the large output of
Great Britain, plus smaller accre-
tions from Canada and Australia.
All this has tended to engender
complacent optimism, especially in
America and to a lesser extent in
Britain. Such public complacence is
hardly justified when it is realized
that sinkings of United Nations mer-
chant shipping by hostile subma-
rines has averaged 100000 tons per
month. That is less than current
production, but the margin is none
too satisfactory for several reasons.
In the first place, it is only during
the past year that shipbuilding has
oyertaken sinkings, and the accu-
mulated deficit must be. made. up.
Secondly, the need for more tonnage
mounts rapidly as vital commit
ments grow by leaps and bounds.
Lastly, it appears that German
U-boat production is likewise in
creasing And Admiral Land him
self has pointed out that these
U-boats "are better, faster, stronger
and with greater cruising radius
than ever before. That indefati-
gable realist, Winston Churchill, cau-
toned the British public in its flush
of enthusiasm over the Allied land
ing in North Africa that "the U-boat
warfare is not diminishing, but
growing, and that it may we'll be
u,orco hoforo ic ho4tarD
Obviously, the U-boat is far from
beaten. Experience has shown that
certain sea lanes like those across
the Atlantic and up our East Coast
can be measurably protected by an
elaborate combination of measures
such as conveys and patrols by
light surface and aircraft. However,
United Nations shipping plows the
seven seas, carrying troops, NUM-
tions and supplies to innumerable
destinations and bringing back nee
essary raw materials and foodstuffs.
With long-range submarines, re-
fueled and supplied by submersible
mother craft" which the Germans
are said to possess, no part of the
worlds oceans is entirely safe from
their depredations. U-boat wolf
packs" are continuously changing
their hunting grounds, so fresh
danger spots keep cropping up. 1t
is never-ending race. between at
tack and defense.
The U-boat thus seems. destined
to remain a constant threat until it's
operative bases and building yards
are either destroyed or so damaged
that hostile submarines fall we'll be-
low the replacement point. And
those are jobs which remain to be
done.
A. llal ar