The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-05-21


 given. The neWly-Won French Atlanti gave Doenitz an initial advantage by providing ideal U-boat bases within easy reach of his prey. From these protected ports, the German raiders slipped through the Brit ish blockade almost nightly during the summer and fall of 1e40 to Turk along Allied shipping routes.
 Far more deadly than the pig boats of World War I, they ex- acted a toll surpassing the worst Allied fear The British, unable to find immediate reply, suffered severe and steadily mounting loss es to their vitally-needed imported goods. By the end of August, her shipping losses had reached an average of 10000 tons each week. Then the Admiralty stopped pub fishing the figures, forewarnlng of still worse to come.
 Surface Raiders Assist
 Enemy surface raiders also ranged the ocean, attacking merchant Ves- sels and avoiding action with AL lied warcraft. They were not always successful in this latter: witness the fate of the pocket-battleshlp Admiral Graf Spec, run to cover by the British cruisers Exeter and Ajax and scuttled off Montevideo har- bor in December, 1940. But still the assault developed month after month, and each month added an estimated 10 brand new U-boats to Adm. Doenitzs fleet.
 In America, a determination took shape to smash the menace and give Britain all help short of war to make it stick. Passage of the Lend Lease Bill in late 1940 and the swapping of 50 average destroy CTS for new Atlantic bases gave concrete evidence of this resolve. There was no doubt America ac- lively was taking sides.
 This American feeling was stiff ened further in May, 1941, with the sinking of the U. s. merchant man Robin Moor. To assure better protection for our ships, American troops occupied Greenland the next month and Iceland shortly after ward.
 In September, the nation was put only one step away from actual war when President Roosevelt or dered the U. S. Navy to shoot on sight any vessel interfering with American ships. The order was prompted by the sinking of the de- stroyer Greer off Iceland that month.
 Switch to U. S. Shores
 But even this threat had little influence on the Germans. A U- boat torpedoed the U. s. destroyer Kearny on Oct. 15 and another sank the destroyer Reuben James two weeks later.
 Surprisingly, when America fi- nally did enter the war in Decem- Der, 1941, the submarine situation took a drastic turn for the worse. U. S. WarshipS were drawn to the Pacific and the U-boats, seeing their chance, switched their attack to this end of the Atlantic routes. With growing boldness and fright enlng success, they began to at- tack the Allied conveys at their ports of origin.
 By this time, the U-boat war, started as an offensive tactic, had become more than that for the Germans. The United Nations were organizing now and were marshaling their forces to smash the Axis. The Atlantic had become the main artery for flood of men and supplies not only for Britain but for her fighting allies there, in Russia, and in the Med- iterranean theater. Even the Far Eastern land front was supported via the south Atlantic routes.
 Thus Hitler's U-boat assault had turned into desperate defensive fight for survival. He had to win it to Stave off Germanys doom.
 Hunt in 'Wolf-Packs'
 By the spring of 1942, he seemed to be doing just that. His under