BRITISH NAVAL CONSTRUCTION

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25607, 23 September 1948, Page 5

BRITISH NAVAL CONSTRUCTION

NO MORE CIVIL WORK BY ADMIRALTY MANY SMALL SHIPS TO BE REFITTED (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) _ . LONDON, September 21. immediately after the announcement by Mr Herbert Morrison of a slow-down in demobilisation, the Admiralty dockyards, a number of which nave been doing commercial work, nave been given instructions to revert io naval construction A n Admiralty spokesman said today J-uat existing civilian contracts would be completed, but no new work “?is type would be undertaken. Chief attention would be given to restoring light surface naval craft such as frigates and destroyers. At Chatham. 40 war-damaged minesweepers are immediately to be refitted and 26 destroyers which have been laid up at Portsmouth for the last

three years are to be refitted before the end of this year. Eight destroyers of the reserve fleet have left Harwich during the last week to be refitted in other dockyards. While the dockyards are concentrating upon the refitting of small ships, work may be slowed down on some of the heavier units, among them the 35.000-ton training battleship Howe, which was, due for trials about the middle of next month.

About 500 naval vessels are at present laid up in various British ports, and it is now expected that 100 of them will be overhauled and ready for service before the end of the next financial year in April.

Through the release of large numbers of dockyard workmen, who had been engaged upon civilian work, it will be possible tn expedite the refitting of naval vessels.

The Navy, is also giving high priority to the refitting of Roval Navy auxiliary tankers. Twenty-two tankers are due for overhaul within the next year, and it is expected that 10 of them will be back in service before tho end of the year. To sneed un air rearmament., the Rolls Royce Comoanv is negotiating with unions and the Government with the object of resuming Sunday shift work at the firm’s engine factories in Derby. It is also that Roval Ordnance factories in South Wales, which have,been used for civilian nroduction, will revert to aircraft production.