SHIP CONSTRICTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1941, Page 6

SHIP CONSTRICTION

FOR NAVY & MERCANTILE MARINE

BRITAIN'S MIGHTY EFFORT.

MANY WARSHIPS COMPLETED

(British Official Wireless.» (Received This Day. 10.50 a.m.) RUGBY. February 21. Naval estimates before the war made it clear that Britain would have a rapidly expanding navy from 1938/39 onwards and now it is possible to state that a very large programme of ships, especially smaller ships, have already been built during this war.

Including many ships built in the Dominions, the naval building programme today is at a higher rate than al the peak period of the last war. It has been said that if a British admiral could sail forthwith with all the ships Britain has completed since the beginning of the war he would think he was sailing out "a considerable fleet.”

Regarding merchant ship construction. comparisons suggest that Britain is doing better than in the last war. In 1915. the whole tonnage built was about 650.000 tons and in 1916 the figure was 550.000 tons. The rate of construction now is much higher than either figure quoted.

Some idea of the magnified shipbuilding effort is gathered from the fact of the country's labour forces having risen by about 60 per cent since the beginning of the war. When a comparison is made between the limited resources of the present time and the naval forces operated by the Allies in the last war. in the five fleets then available, the. strength of the effort today can be well appreciated. In the last war. the Allies had as many as 930 destroyers, of which perhaps a round 500 would be available at one time for raid protection. Because speed of output is the chief factor. Britain is very much in the position of building a standard ship today. The welding of hulls is being carried out as far as expert labour permits. Today, the British Navy is holding! its own, though facing the additional! menace of powerful air attacks. In the whole four and a half years of the; last v.ar. the country lost only 8.(JOO 1 tons of shipping by aircraft attacks.) Not only is there a great weight of * direct attack today, but also the s’ow-j ing of mines from the air. Regarding i American destroyers, it is learned that) these have already rendered consider- j able aid to this country. Many are in! regular service and at least one or two! have been concerned in attacks on* U-boats.