PROGRESS IN SHIPBUILDING.

Otago Witness, Issue 3352, 12 June 1918, Page 20

PROGRESS IN SHIPBUILDING.

A California shipyard launched a destroyer in 17£ days, which is a world's record. At Hull, ior an 84 per cent, completed destrover, the previous record was 27 days. " • Forty-four ships were constructed in the United' (States during May, totalling 263,570 tons. The total construction for fiv9 months is 170 ships, aggregating 1.112,897 tons.

During May 32 wooden vessels were launched in tho United States, aggregating 80,430 tons. Tho total launchings for the month were 71 vessels, aggregating 344,000 tons. The British Admiralty announces the completion of .197,274 tons of merchant shipping during May, compared with 111,533 tons in April. The Admiralty comments that this satisfactory output is a great credit to the whole industry, especially to the firms engaged in fitting out the vessels, whose efforts to reduce the period between launching and the completion of vessels have produced_ satisfactory results. Tho average time in fitting out has been considerably reduced —for example, a 5000-ton steamer was completed 19 days after being launched. This acceleration in fitting out increased the output in May. The French Marino Department announces that the tonnage destroyed by enemy action for the five months of 1918 is half that for the corresponding months of 1917. Britain and America during May alone construtced more shipping than tho Germans destroyed during April and May, and we destroyed double tho number of submarines the Germans constructed. Chiefly owing to the decreasing activity of submarines, the Norwegian merchant tonnage constructed in May exceeded the month's losses by submarines for tho first time since tho "ruthless campaign began. The Norwegian merchant fleet now comprises 3263 ships, of 1.952.000 tons.