The Battle of the Atlantic
In the week ended March 23rd-24th the total of British, Allied and neutral merchant ships lost by enemy action at sea fell to 59,141, which compares with an average of 65,000 tons a week for the whole war. This is the third week to show a progres- sive reduction after the disastrous figure Of 140,814 for the week March 2nd-9th. Three weeks is, of course, too short a period on which to base any safe calculations—it has been prudently pointed out that the future losses may be heavier, though on the other hand they may be less. But it is possible to say this : the opening of the campaign of the Battle of the Atlantic is certainly the period in which the Germans are making some. thing like their maximum offensive ; their U-boats have been launched en masse, their bombers are in full force, and there are raiders still at large. The British counter-attack against the U-boats, both at sea and at their bases, will gather momentum. and their depredations should tend to be subject to the law of diminishing returns. Our air strength for dealing with bombers is growing, and the raiders will one by one be rounded up. We should expect the enemy to gain the most spectacular results at the beginning of the campaign, though of course adverse weather would at the start diminish them. But it must not be forgotten that our losses are cumulative. Replacement is a grave problem, and it is gratifying that Sir Arthur Salter has gone to America to help to solve it.
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