FOUR MINE-SWEEPERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24636, 18 June 1941, Page 4

FOUR MINE-SWEEPERS

CONSTRUCTION AT PORT CHALMERS IMPORTANT ENTERPRISE DOMINION'S WAR EFFORT A contract has been placed with Messrs Stevenson and Cook, of Port Chalmers, in association with several other Dunedin firms, for the building of four mine-sweepers. This information was released to the Press Association in Wellington yesterday by the Minister of Supply and Munitions, Mr D. G. Sullivan, as the result of inquiries instituted by the Daily Times. The mine-sweepers will be built to plans, which have been supplied by the Admiralty and will be complete in every respect. Mr Sullivan said that during his visit to Australia some months ago proposals for a supply of materials had been submitted to various Australian manufacturers and arrangements had now been satisfactorily completed which would ensure a supply of the necessary materials. . ' " Port Chalmers offers an ideal location for work of this nature," the Minister said. "Apart altogether from the fact that there is an excellent site adjacent to the wharves, ship repair work has been carried out for many years by Messrs Stevenson and Cook, whose engineering shops are specially equipped to handle such work. "Tenders are being invited within the next few days for the erection of certain necessary shops, gantries and slipways, and it is anticipated that these will be erected ready to commence operations as soon as the first material arrives from Australia, which will be in about eight weeks' time." The question of labour shortage is one that must, of necessity, be recognised, but from information received Mr Sullivan is confident that it can be overcome. In New Zealand to-day there is a large' number of retired engineers, many of whom have had actual experience in shipbuilding, and. as .soon as the facilities are available and a call is made for labour it is felt that many of these retired •engineers will respond. \ " The building of these mine-sweepers will probably con- , stitute New Zealand's greatest effort apart from the primary | production of foodstuffs," Mr Sullivan added. "Britain today is desperately in need of ships and more ships, and anything that this country can do to make good the losses suffered in tonnage will be a definite contribution that will be appreciated by those in authority in England." A PROMPT COMMENCEMENT FIRST LAUNCHINGS IN JANUARY No time will be lost in commencing the .work of constructing ' large, modern shipyards at Port Chalmers, said a man who is prominently identified with the enterprise yesterday, and the first steps in the building programme will be taken this week. Messrs Stevenson and Cook, in conjunction with several other firms, including Messrs A. G. Price and Co., of Thames, will be responsible for the building of four vessels within 12 months. Two slipways will be built, and the first two mine-sweepers will be launched in January of next year, five month's after the keels are laid. .The ships, which will be of the Castle type, with length of 130 feet, ; willythen be fitted for service, and it is expected that they will be commissioned,three months after launching. As soon as the .first pair is off the. slips the keels of the third and the. fourth vessels will be laid. . . • '< . ■ The shipyards themselves will be of a modern type, with workshops under cover, and the latest equipment, including electric and travelling cranes, will be installed. All the materials for the hulls' and boilers will be obtained from Broken Hill in Australia, and the contracts call for the delivery of the whole of the necessary steel within 14 weeks. The first of the buildings at Port Chalmers will be ready in eight weeks', when the keels of the first two ships will be laid. In addition to the hulls, the boilers will also be made at Port Chalmers, the engines being constructed at Thames by Messrs Price and Co., in conjunction with Messrs John McGregor and Son, Dunedin. The electrical work and plumbing will be undertaken by Messrs A. and T. Burt, and other equipment by the Dunedin Engineering Company. / ,'