MORE NEW TONNAGE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 21 January 1939, Page 5

MORE NEW TONNAGE

THE BRITISH NAVY ESTIMATES FOR 1939 I U.P.A.—By Electric Telegraph-Copyrlghtl LONDON, 19th January. The naval correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph,” Mr Hector Bywater, says that the Navy Estimates which are to be published at the end of February, provide for new tonnage, Including battleships, cruisers. and destroyers, increasing the 600,000 tons of naval work already in hand to the highest peace-time level. By approving the naval expansion the Government rejects the principle that war can be decided by air bombardment, which American and German strategists believe can only result in a deadlock, a blockade determining the issue. NEW GERMAN CRUISERS BERLIN, 19th January. The 10,000-ton warships Seydlitz was launched at Bremen. She is one of the two light cruisers of the 1936 programme which were being armed with Gin guns and which are now revealed as being equipped with Bin guns mounted in four twin turrets, bringing them into the heavy cruiser class. It is officially stated that the alteration follows the talks with Britain in December.