The times-news., 1938-12-01
BRITAINBUlLDS
l26 NAVY ships.
7 New Battleships by l94z
Made Goal in Great
est Naval Race
Bv JOSEPH w. GRIGG, JR.
limited Press Staff Correspondent

By JOSEPH w. ONiSS'
United Press Staff Correspondents
LONDON, Dec. 1. (UP)-Great
Britain today is Fastening forward
the most formidable naval build
ing program since the great war
shin race with Imperial Germany
: lust before the World war.
At present more than 135 shlps'
aegregating $4,000 tons dlsplace-
ment either are under construc-
tion or are projected. At a rough
estimate their total cost probably
will exceed $800,000,00O. That
represents an expenditure of SIT
for every man, woman and child
in Great Britain. 1t may well be
even higher ultimately, owing to
the soaring price of armaments.
Britain's gigantic rearmament IS
proceeding quietly, with little OF
the limelight playing on its efforts
to match Germany in the air.
That probably is because the great
European crisis in September
brought home to Britons at large
for the first time the full realiza-
ton of the danger Of lightning at
tack from the air. Even so, today
as in the past and for decades to
come, Great Britain will rely upon
the navy to shoulder the major
burden of the Empires defenses.
PROGRAM FOR 3 YEARS ."
Following are the warships be-
ing constructed under the 1886
37-38 programs.
Five battleships of $1,000 tons
displacement.
Six aircraft carriers of $4,000
tons.
Four 1O,000-ton cruisers.
Five S,000-ton cruisers.
Ten 5-450-ton cruisers.
Nineteen submarines.
Thirty-fve destroyers (of which
1S will be completed shortly).
Five escort vessels.
Four minesweepers.
Three patrol vessels.
Two depot ships.
Ten miscellaneous craft tugs,
tenders, gunboats, etc..
Eighteen motor torpedoboats OF
"mosquito craft" of 25 tons each.
In addition two 40,000-ton bat
tleships, four S,000-ton cruisers
and a number of smaller vessels
have been authorized. Their con-
struction will begin soon.
The first two of the new battle
ships, the King George V and the
Prince Of Wales, probably will be
launched early next spring. With /
their huge ornaments it is said
they will be the most strongly pro-
tected warships ever built.
TWO GIANTS OUT IN 1912
The two 40,000-ton battleships,
Lion and Temeraire, will be laid
down shortly under the 1888 build
ing program. They are due to be ;
completed during 1912. They will
mount 16-inch guns and will be
the largest vessels in the British
navy. except for the 42,000-ton
battle cruiser Hood. 1t is estimat-
ed they will cost at least $50,000,-
900 each. ..
Britain's six new aircraft car
riers, each of 23,000-ton displace-
ment, also are being rushed to
completion. The first of them, the
Ark Royal laid down under the
1885 program, already is finished
and will be put into commission
soon.
The new cruiser program al
ready is we'll under way to COM
pletion. 1t provides for ten 10,-
9O0-ton vessels of the "Southamp-
ton" class, mounting 6-inch guns.
Six of these already are in SER
vice.
1s DESTRoYERS
READY
Within two OF three months Is
new destroyers are scheduled to
leaye the shipyards. They will be
the first installment in a program
of 35 of this type craft due to be
carried out before 1910. This pro-
gram was held up for a time ow-
ing to the tremendous strain sud-
denly thrown on the British arma-
ments industry by the simultane-
Gus speed up in rearmament of all
three fighting services. To equip
the destroyers alone it was neces-
sary to deliver nearly 300 new
model 4.7-inch guns, including re-
serves. These guns have a high
angle mounting never previously
used in the British navy.
Additional destroyers probably
will be laid down under the 1889
program, since it is on these small,
high speed craft that Great Bri-
tain would depend largely in war
time for conveying vital food and
raw materials along the Empire
trade iife-lines.
simultaneously with this vast
program the navy person.
mel has been increased by 10000
officers and men in the past four
wears Tho total ,,our ie 10 nm