MORE AMMUNITION

Grey River Argus, 23 November 1944, Page 3

MORE AMMUNITION

NEEDED BY ALLIES Calls for Speed-up in Output NEW YORK, November 20. Lieut. General Somervell has released the Army Service Forces annual report. It states that sixty per cent, of all 9th U.S. army cargo in the fiscal year ended June 30 last, went across the Atlantic, and forty, per cent, across the Pacific. He said: “Ours is a two front war. In no sense has the Pacific effort been a minor one. Seventy per cent, of our troops 1 went across the Atlantic and thirty per cent, across the Pacific. The army shipped forty million tons of cargo oveii/ea's, and carried 2,600,000 passengers, including troops, replacements and other personnel. The . American troops overseas at present number nearly five million, thus creating the most challanging supply problem that this country; has- ever faced. Each soldier’s requirements in materials has increased from one ton to five tons, since the great war. Each soldier’s maintenance at present required one ton of supplies monthly. Infantrymen now wear new, warmer and lighter uniforms, and carry better rifles and machine guns. Not a single piece of ack ack artillery nor a single piece of heavy artillery from 155 mflimetres up goes back to prewar days. The United States at present, is- producing more war supplies in a single day than in the whole, fiscal year of 1940.

He declared: “Our production of arms and equipment is lagging in forty per cent, of the programme. United States troops on the Western Front are firing over two tons of steel at the Germans eVery minute for twenty-four hours daily, meaning the expenditure on the Western Front, alone, was more ammunition than thecountry is producing during the same period. Aachan could have fallen sooner had the troops had more ammunition. At the same time, the demand for ammunition is skyrocketing

on the other side of the world. General MacArthur recently radioed for five additional shiploads of heavy artillery ammunition. BRITISH FACTORIES RESTARTED. LONDON, November 20. The “Daily Mail” states Shell factories in Britain which ceased production have been restarted, and other factories have stepped up the output to keep pace with a colossal expenditure of ammunition on the Western Front An official in the Ministry of Supply, said: “There is definitely no shortage of shells, but there would be if the factories did not restart . He explained that no factories have been closed which are filling shells. Some factories making casings and forgings have recently ceased production. The output from shell filling factories was cut down and-their staff was reduced when it was thought that supplies of ammunition would be adequate to meet all demands. A decision to resume full production was ffiade long before General Eisenhower’s latest appeal to America for more shells. i 1 demands for final push. NEW YORK, November 21. Speaking at a war bond rally, Mr. Henrv Morgenthau. U.S. Treasurer, •-•aid General Marshal had authorised him to declare that the final push had started in Europe, but the final tornado, which would knock out Germany and Japan, would make previous- expediture of ammunition seem trivial. The whole Tunisian battle, which lasted ninety-six days, cost eighty-eight mortars, whereas in a single month on the German Front we expended over seven-hundred mortars, and in addition, 2,400 trucks and jeeps. .