AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24721, 25 September 1941, Page 6

AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

The vitally important role that is being played by the American shipbuilding industry in the continuous drama of war at sea is emphasised by two items in the news of the past twenty-four hours. One message relates to the launching of the United States battleship Massachusetts, seven months ahead of scheduled time. The other gives the information that, since authority was given, twenty-four British warships have been repaired in United States ports, and that twelve of them, including the battleship Rodney, have again put to sea. It is an encouraging fact that the output of tonnage, both naval and merchant, from American yards is being maintained at a rate which offers justification for the hope that the Battle of the Atlantic will yet be won without critical impairment of the Allied position at sea. It is admitted, needless to say, that Allied losses of tonnage in all categories have been appallingly heavy. By the middle of last month, for example, sea warfare had, according to an American computation, cost Great Britain more than 800 vessels, and the sumtotal of the losses of belligerent as well as neutral Powers at that time worked out at an average of two ships a day. British yards, working at pressure but subject to enemy attack, had no prospect of coping unaided with the dangerous situation -that was seen to be developing at an early stage of the war. The rate of construction, however, that has now been reached by the industry in the United States —with every possibility of its maintenance and, indeed, its improvement—has changed the outlook materially to our advantage, although it is yet too soon to indulge in over-optimistic speculation on that score. It was reported from Washington a few weeks ago that the marked speed-up in the construction of merchant and naval tonnage had led administration officials to predict that the current shipbuilding programme of the United States would be finished far in advance of what had been believed possible six months before. It was then the expectation of the

Navy Department that, if no serious labour troubles intervened, the twoocean navy of the United States would actually be in commission in 1944 instead of 1946 as originally estimated. The auspicious launching of the new battleship seems to indicate that this remarkable result will actually be achieved. At the same time the United States Maritime Commission believes it will be possible for the increase in the output of merchant tonnage to be maintained, leading to the launching of 7,000,000 tons of such shipping in 1942 and again in 1943. According to Rear-admiral Land, chairman of the Commission, present results suggest that production in those years will approximate two ships a day—sufficient virtually to cancel out the present rate of sinkings. On August 1 American shipyards had some 945 merchant vessels, of an aggregate 5,883,570 gross tons, under construction or contract. During July eight ships averaging about 7000 tons each were completed, while six more were launched. The figures for ships under construction and contract at that time included 60 that were being built to British order, and many of the others were expected to be transferred to British control under the Lend and Lease arrangement. From these achievements it is reasonable to hope that the weight of American industry, in the production of ships as in other equipment of war, must decisively influence the future course of the struggle against Nazi-ism.