MORE SHIPS FOR NAVY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 244, 16 October 1939, Page 5

MORE SHIPS FOR NAVY

BRITISH ANNOI N( EMEN T Auxiliary vessels to the number of ISO are to be purchased or built for the Navy this jear. it was announced in the House of Commons by Mr. Geoffrey Shakespeare, Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty, on August 2. reports the Daily Telegraph. These vessels are additional to the large programme of battleships, cruisers, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and other lighting units which was authorised last March. The extra programme now announced which is to be financed by a supplementary estimate of about £11.000,000, comprises 107 trawlers for mine-sweeping and anti-submarine work. 87 of which are to be bought outright and the remainder specially built to Admiralty specification; 56 socalled whale-catching vessels, which are really large trawlers equipped for patrol and anti-submarine duties, and will be laid down almost immediately; 10 large mine-sweepers; 6 vessels for guarding the* booms which will protect ery important harbour and anchorage at home and overseas in wartime; one cable ship; and one floating dock, to accommodate naval vessels up to 5000 tons, which is to be purchased. War of Attrition The conclusion to be drawn from this suostantial addition to what may be termed "the fringes of the Fleet” is that the authorities anticipate that potential enemies are planning an intensive campaign against our tracie routes and harbour approaches, both naval and commercial, by means ol submarines and mines, says the newspaper’s naval correspondent. In other words, a war of attrition may be expected, rather than a plan of strategy based on decisive a«ion o\ enemy battle fleets. It is the conviction of most naval officers that such a campaign would be foredoomed to failure, owing to the remarkable progress which has been made in anti-submarine tactics and the development of methods for protecting ships against mines. When the new trawler and whalecatchers are in commission the Navy will possess well over 200 of these useful vessels, the majority of which w ill be well armed and equipped with secret gear for detecting submarines and repelling attack by aircraft. I understand that plans have been made to complete the new programme in record time. Mr. Shakespeare intimated that a further increase in navai strength may be announced before the end of the year. By that time, in any case, the newconstruction in hand for the Navy is certain to exceed 1,000,000 tons, a figure which it is believed had never before been approached either in time of war or peace.