Chapter XXVI: Appendix: VIII

MONTHLY LOSSES SINCE FEBRUARY, 1917, FROM ENEMY ACTION

During the twenty-one months of unrestricted submarine warfare from February, 1917, to October, 1918, inclusive, 3,843 merchant vessels (British fishing vessels included) of a total gross tonnage of 8,478,947 have been sunk by enemy action, a monthly average of 183 vessels totalling 403,760 gross tons. The October tonnage losses show a decrease from this average of 291,333 gross tons, or 72 per cent.

The following gives the tonnage losses by months from February, 1917, to October, 1918, inclusive:

=========+===========+==============+==========+==========+========= | British | Other Allied | Neutral | British | Period. | Merchant | Merchant | Merchant | Fishing | Total. | Vessels. | Vessels. | Vessels. | Vessels. | ---------+-----------+--------------+----------+----------+--------- 1917 | | | | | February | 313,486 | 84,820 | 135,090 | 3,478 | 536,334 March | 353,478 | 81,151 | 165,225 | 3,586 | 603,440 April | 545,282 | 134,448 | 189,373 | 5,920 | 875,023 May | 352,289 | 102,960 | 137,957 | 1,448 | 594,654 June | 417,925 | 126,171 | 139,229 | 1,342 | 684,667 July | 364,858 | 111,683 | 70,370 | 2,736 | 549,647 August | 329,810 | 128,489 | 53,018 | 242 | 511,559 September| 196,212 | 119,086 | 29,941 | 245 | 345,484 October | 276,132 | 127,932 | 54,432 | 227 | 458,723 November | 173,560 | 87,646 | 31,476 | 87 | 292,769 December | 253,087 | 86,981 | 54,047 | 413 | 394,528 ---------+-----------+--------------+----------+----------+---------

=========+===========+==============+==========+==========+========= | British | Other Allied | Neutral | British | Period. | Merchant | Merchant | Merchant | Fishing | Total. | Vessels. | Vessels. | Vessels. | Vessels. | ---------+-----------+--------------+----------+----------+--------- 1918 | | | | | January | 179,973 | 87,078 | 35,037 | 375 | 302,463 February | 226,896 | 54,904 | 36,374 | 686 | 318,860 March | 199,458 | 94,321 | 51,035 | 293 | 345,107 April | 215,453 | 50,879 | 11,361 | 241 | 277,934 May | 192,436 | 80,826 | 20,757 | 504 | 294,523 June | 162,990 | 51,173 | 38,474 | 639 | 253,276 July | 165,449 | 70,900 | 23,552 | 555 | 260,456 August | 145,721 | 91,209 | 41,946 | 1,455 | 280,331 September| 136,864 | 39,343 | 10,393 | 142 | 186,742 October | 57,607 | 41,308 | 13,512 | -- | 112,427 ---------+-----------+--------------+----------+----------+---------