WORLD'S TANKERS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 8

WORLD'S TANKERS

AMERICAN SHARE

At the outbreak of war in Europe, the United States had 430 tankers,totalling 5,105,000 deadweight tons, out of a world total of 1507 tankers, totalling 16,000,000 tons. ■

At April 1 this year, America had 914 tankers, aggregating 13,200,000 tons, as against a world total of 1622 tankers, totalling 20,490,000 tons. In other words, during the six years of war, America has jumped from about onethird of the world's oil-tanker tonnage to almost 65 per cent. The rest of the world had only 7,290,000 tons.

Not only has America's tanker fleet increased greatly in number; it has increased from an average size of 12,000 tons with an average speed of 10.6 knots, to an average size of 14,500 tons with a speed of 13.5 knots. In 1944, the American tanker fleet alone transported 16,799,000 tons of petrol, fuel oil, etc. ,

The backbone of the U.S.A. tanker fleet is stated to consist of two types of vessels, the T-2 and T-3, which are so large that they are too big for many world ports. The T-2 is 523 ft 6in long, has a capacity of approximately 6,000,000 gallons, and a loaded draught of just on 30ft. Some of the T-3's are ( 516 ft long, with a 70ft beam, and when loaded with 6,678,000 gallons of liquid fuel have a draught of almost 31ft. Their dead-weight tonnage 's 18,500 tons. The average speed of the T-2 is 15 knots, and of the T-3 16 knots.

Many high executives of the American petroleum industry, while of the opinion that these large tankers were ideal for war, consider them too big for eventual. peacetime needs.