BRITAIN GREATLY STEPS UP TANK PRODUCTION

Wanganui Chronicle, 10 November 1950, Page 5

BRITAIN GREATLY STEPS UP TANK PRODUCTION

Output Of Factory Near Leeds

LONDON Oct. 31 (By Airmail).— For the first time for five years Britain opeYied her Royal Ordnance factory at Barnbow —just outside Leeds —to the world’s journalists, except those of the iron curtain countries.

Production figures, naturally, were secret, but there was no attempt to conceal the fact that the output from this factory of Centurion tanks, Britain’s finest fighting vehicle, has leapt 50 per cent, since the Governme'nt’s n.ew defencce programme was announced three months ago. These 50-ton tanks, which Ordnance mzn claimed were as good or better than any others in the world, are being turned out to equip Britain’s new armoured divisions. They have Rolls Royce 12-cylinder Meteor engines, an adaptation of the world-famous Merlin, are capable of a speed of more than 21 miles an hour, and carry a 20-pounder gun. The 50 per cent, jump in output is traced to three factors: Increased efforts on the part of the individual worker, a fresh influx of labour a'nd a smoother inflow of materials. Labour, however, has become the chief problem. The factory has about. 1600 workers, enough for a single shift, and within a few weeks the one shift system will be working at maximum capacity. The aim is to reach a day and night shift, peak early in 1952. So far the increase in the labour

force has been adequate to keep pace with the improved flow of raw materials, but it is doubtful if the supply of labour will continue to equal the demand. Each applicant, for a post in the pla'nt is subjected to careful screening by security officers before engagement. The screening usually takes a week or 10 days. Wages compare favourably with most factories in the area. A skilled man earns about £8 10s for a 44-hour week and with overtime piece rates can average about £ll 10s.

The factory was originally designed for the manufacture of light and medium calibre guns. During the war it produced nearly 9000 gu'ns for the Royal Navy and the Army, as well as many spare barrels. Every gun used in the Libya campaign came from it. In 1945, just before the end of the war the factory was converted for the'production of the Centurions. It now has four miles of production lines and a testing area where tanks undergo 75 miles of continued running as soon as they leave the assembly shops. The tests include immersion into a special water tank. The factory is a complete tank manufacturing unit, as well as an assembly plant. The heavy welding plant, the handling techniques a'nd- a number of special purpose heavy machine tools in use in the factory are said to be unique. Almost all of Ihp original machinery had to be cleared when the switch was made from gun to tank production, and much of the new equipment installed had to be specially designed.—Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent.