MIGHTY FLEET

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 128, 1 May 1941, Page 7

MIGHTY FLEET

AMERICAN NAVY. Figures showing the remarkable expansion of the United States Navy, published last- month in the Boating industry, an American technical shipbuilding periodical, reach proportions little real.sod in New Zealand. Millions of dollars are involved in the construction at yards on both coasts ol America of a mighty fleet of war vessels. The summary has been made of vessels in construction on February 1 this year.

The chief feature is the building ol 17 battleships. They have already been ! named as follows : —North Carolina, iAVashington, South Dakota, Indiana, I Massachusetts. Alabama, lowa, New | Jersey, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Montana, Ohio, Alains, ! New Hampshire and Louisiana. Cable | advice published this month announced j that the North Carolina had been commissioned. Described as the world’s ' deadliest battleship she will be followed bv similar ships. The AVashingI tun is nearing completion. Twelve aircraft-carriers arc under 'construction. They are the Hornet, Essex, Bon Homme Richard. Intrepid. Kearsarge, Franklin. Hancock. Randolph. Cabot, Bunker Hill. Oriskanv and Tieondcroga In addition to these ships the building programme includes 51 cruisers, 79 submarines, 204 destroyers and three destroyer tenders. There are nine minesweepers, 17 coastal minesweepers, four netlayers. four repair ships, seven submarine tenders, five submarine rescue vessels, 20 seaplane tenders, three minelayers, ! 08 submarine chasers and- 18 motor torpedo-boats.