JAPAN’S SHIPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 February 1942, Page 8

JAPAN’S SHIPS

TOTAL OF 6,750,000 TONS

According to the latest figures available, Japan had 2418 vessels of over 100 tons, totalling 5,750,682 gross tons, at the end of February, 1940, and including 47 tankers totalling 440,000 tons, says a cablegram from the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of the British Empire received by the New Zealand Associated Chambers. If 500,000 tons be taken as a reasonable estimate of Japanese construction during each of the two years 1940 and 1941 —and there is no reason to rate it any higher—Japan’s merchant fleet can be reckoned as about 6.750,000 tons when she went to war. Out of this fleet she has lost at least 45 merchant or transport ships, including three of 10,000 tons and one of 17,000 tons; while many others have been damaged. Roughly two tons of shipping are required to take an infantry man a short journey with his ordinary equipment; to transport armoured divisions and artillery on long journeys, some of which last six days, means many more tons per man. Furthermore, once a landing is effected, the invader’s real problem is only just beginning. Although troops may find enough to'feed themselves on the spot, ■ill ammunition, spare parts, and replacements must come from hume._ If those do not arrive regularly, the invading force is as good as lost. This, then, is the tremendous task which Japan has set her merchant navy. It has to keep up a steady stream of supplies to overseas Japanese forces, some of them 300 miles from home; it has to maintain this service regardless of losses and in the face of constant surface, under-water, and air attack; and at the same time it has to provide many ships for traffic between Japan and the Chinese mainland, which is of vital importance since the cutting off of Japan’s supplies from the American continent. Whether such a task is within the power of a merchant navy under six and three-quarter million tons remains to be seen. BRITISH LOSSES REPLACED.

Before the outbreak of hostilities, British shipyards had on hand what was to all interns and purposes a new navy, and an immense tonnage of mercantile work, says a Lloyd’s List report quoted by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce. Warship tonnage then building on the Clyde and at other naval building centres was much greater than our aggregate losses to date. The bulk of that tonnage has been completed and the flow ol orders to yards in the past two years has been continuous, so it may confidently be said that the industry has replaced losses. At the same time the demands on the Royal Navy and the merchant fleet have steadily risen and we never can be in the position of having too many ships in the present war. Battleships of the King George V. class completed since 1939 have practically made up lor our loss, so that our capital ship position is approximately what it was at the start of the war, while the enemy's losses have been relatively greater; and the Qlyde-built cruiser Galatea, the sinking of which was announced recently, was joined in the service by many sister-ships; but a speed-up in naval work is essential to meet the increased requirements of our sea power since the entry of Japan into the war.