Evening star., 1943-05-01
Allies Step Up Plans
To Hunt Down U-Boats
And Guard Convoys
Canada Announces
Air Petrol Extension;
Jops Try WoIfpocks

Air PotroI Extension;
Jops Try WoIfpocks
By the Associated Press.
Signs that the German U-boats
soon may be the hunted instead
of the hunters in North Atlantic
sea lanes coincided today with
hints that japanese subs have
shifted their undersea strategy
and started raiding South Pa
ciflc supply lines in Nazi wolf
pack style.
Reversal Of the German role was
seen in a Canadian announcement
disclosing realignment of commands
and greatly expanded protection for
vital conveys moving between Can
ada and England.
The switch in japanese undersea
| tactics-hitherto limited largely to
battle action in conjunction with
warshipS-Was indicated in a COM
munique from Gen Douglas Mac
Arthur's Allied headquarters in Aus
tralia. 1t said the japanese have
opened submarine attack "in some
| force in the waters east Of Aus
tralia,"
Few Details Given.
| East of Australia means the Coral
Sea and, beyond there the ocean
lanes used by the Allies for rein
| forcements and supply. Thus, it
would seem the enemy attack is
definitely directed against the sup
ply lines from America and between
Australia New Guinea, New Zealand
! and New Caledonia. despite the
communiques dearth of details-de-
tails which Gen. Macarthur said
would be supplied as soon as they
will not assist the enemy.
Such a supply line stab woul1
mark the first japanese try at wolf
pack hunting style and Japans first
. major submarine strategy shift
| from combat action to supply raid
ing For the most part. though,
experts here preferred to wait for
the details before specializing as to
whether the enemy has thus
changed its underSea pace.
However the Atlantic action pic
| ture seemed clearer. Most impor-
tant new anti-submarine phase seen
here in the Canadian announce
ment is a planned extension of air
patrols from Canada eastward and
| Britain westward to close 500 mile
gap IN mid-Atlantic where the con-
voy lanes up to now have been
without air protection.
Planes and ships together, the
Ottawa statement said, will guard
every mile of the route from North
America to Europe Probably the
greatest weakness in convoy pro-
lection in recent months has been
the lack of bomber patrols in the
mid Atlantic gap. Planes are the
U-boats most deadly enemy and
their mere presence over a stretch
of dangerous water often is enough
to keep wolf-packs submerged and
slow down their movements.
Will Hunt U-Boats.
Beyond the immediate job Of
guarding conveys, however, it ap-
peared that the Atlantic powers
were about ready to strike out often
sively-to hunt down and sink the
U-boats long before they approach
convoy. Start of such tactics has
repeatedly awaited construction of
| enough ships and planes to do the
stressing the growth of the Cana
dian navy and airforce, suggested
this point had about been reached.
Under the realignment of COM
mands, the North Atlantic battle
area has been split three ways and
| the Canadians given supreme opera
tional control in the Northwestern
Atlantic, the British in the Eastern
Atlantic, and the United States,
through Admiral Royal S. Ingersoll.
| Atlantic Fleet chief, in the Western
Atlantic and along the convoy routes
to North Africa.
Rear Admiral L, w. Murray Of
the Royal Canadian Navy, Ottawa
revealed, has been papointed COM
mander in chief, Canadian North
west Atlantic. and Air Vice Marshal
George johnson was named to direct
| the operation of long-range Cana
dian and United States planes which
will patrol halfway across the ocean.
The new commands were worked
out at naval conference of the
three nations held here early in
March and the Navy subsequently,
announced that complete agree
ment" had been reached on COM
batting the sub menace, but no de-
tails were given.
Some significance was attached
to the fact that the Atlantic Fleet
command now will be able to con-
centrate more attention, if not more
warships, on the protection of con-
voys bound for North Africa, thereby
stressing that area as a potential
starting point for invasion of Europe.
U-Boots Losing Bottle
I. AxI~sk:~ C&-L C~~