U.S.A. NAVY

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1942, Page 5

U.S.A. NAVY

CHANGE TO CARRIERS From Battleships [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) WASHINGTON, June 16. Senators Allender and Brewster, members of the Senate Naval Affairs Committee, told the Press that the Navy had decided to abandon the construction of five huge battleships. The cruisers, now under way, were being converted into aircraft-carriers. The new decision will, not interfere with the completion of several battleships, due to be- launched within the next few months.

The loss of the Repulse and the Prince of Wales, coupled with the results of the Coral Sea and Midway .battles, proved a turning point in the Construction policy, from battleships to aircraft-carriers. The House Naval Committee - approved the 8550 million dollar ship construction measure, wherein there is increasing emphasis on aircraftcarriers and pointed omission of battleships. The measure provides for 1400 ships of various types, including 400 in the carrier, cruiser and destroyer categories. The chairman (Mr Vinson) 'said the construction of carriers would begin immediately and the remainder next year. Work would be deferred temporarily on the five battleships, in order to concentrate on the carriers. He emphasised there was no abandonment of battleship building, but events of the war demonstrated conclusively that the aircraft-carrier was the backbone of the fleet. The United States would need battleships as long as other nations had them. The Bill authorised the construction of 500,000 tons each of carriers and cruisers, and 900,000 tons of destroyers and escort vessels.