NEW ALLIED SHIPS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 230, 29 September 1942, Page 3

NEW ALLIED SHIPS

EXCEED SINKINGS

Vessels Built Hundreds Of

Miles From Sea

U.P.A. and British Wireless

Rec. noon. LONDON, Sept. 28. Sir Arthur Salter, head of the British Shipping Mission to the United States, has revealed in Washington that during September the United Nations together are for the first time turning out ships faster than the year's rate of sinking. Henceforth," he said, "unless the enemy s attacks are more successful we will have more ships to transport troops and supplies. But America's increasing armed strength is outstripping her rate of ship production.

The Paris radio quotes a report from Lisbon that two new contingents of United States troops have landed in South Africa.

The radio reports that the American shipbuilder, Mr. Henry J. Kaiser, has established shipyard's north of Capetown.

In the shipbuilding world increasing attention is being paid to prefabrication, writes a labour correspondent, quoted by British Official Wireless. In order to expedite the output of new tonnage, this method of ship production is being more and more resorted to. Material is supplied by firms outside the shipbuilding industry. Ships are built to standard designs and are almost entirely constructed in land factories, hundreds of miles from the sea .

Henry J. Kaiser, West Coast shipbuilder and aeroplane manufacturer, has had several disputes with the War Production Board over his scheme for the production of giant cargo planes. Obstruction to his plans has been mainly due to the influence of rival aeroplane construction corporations. He advocates cargo planes as an aid to solving transport problems owing to shipping losses. The Henry Kaiser shipyards are building 10,000-ton Liberty ships, and at the end of August established a record by launching a vessel 24 days after its keel was laid. Mr. Kaiser predicted then that in a few months his yards would produce 10,000-ton vessels on an 18-day schedule.