Evening star., 1941-11-26
Axis to Be Stronger
At Sea in 1943
Writer Discusses Strength
Of 'TotuIiturion Menace
In Atlantic and Pacific
By Arthur J. Mdrder.


| cannot get across the little herring pond
called the English Channel, how can
they ever successfully cross the vast ex-
panse of the Atlantic in an attempt to
invade this hemisphere? The fallacy
of this reasoning lies in the hard fact
that since the dawn of history oceans
have been the highways Of, not barriers
against, invasion.
These highways-the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans In the case OF American
defense-can be denied an invader pri-
marily through superior sea power. Con-
versely, were either ocean to fall into
Axis control, 1t would offer little or no
assurance of security. A victorious
hostile fleet in command of either or
both oceans could seize advanced bases
within the Western Hemisphere and
from these launch a direct invasion or
establish an economic blockade. The
vital question, then, is this: do we have
sufficient sea power to cope with the
armada Of our potential enemies?"
Bases, personnel, small craft and the
fleet air arm are important constituents
OF sea power. But the determining
factor in naval campaigns is the relative
strength of the opposing battle lines.
The American fleet today possesses IT
battleshipS-l5 older units and the
first two ships of the 35 ,O0O-ton North
Carolina class. Fifteen battleships are
building: Three North Carolinas, seven
IoWas of $4,000 tons each and five Mon
tanas of a new 58000-ton design Great
Britain has in commission l8 battleships
Including the five King Georges, the
last two OF which are nearly ready and
has four 40000-ton Lions building The
glo-American total is 35 afloat and l9
under construction. Russia has no
modern battleships in service, only three
relics Of preWorld War vintage The
35 O00-ton Third International at Lenin-
grad is the only battleship which is
known for certain to be under construc-
ton. II is not far advanced, and. should
the Germans enter Leningrad. un-
doubtedly will be blown up by the Rus
slams.
On the other side Of the fence we find
the Germans with five battleShlpS. In
commission are the two 26000-ton
Scharnhorsts and the 40,000-ton Tirpitz.
Building are two sisterships of the
latter The two ancient Schliessens
have little battle value. Italy has the
two 35,0O0-ton Littorios tthough one
may have been sunk in the battle of
Cape Matapan) and two sisterships,
the Roma and Impero, building. She
also has three 23000-ton ships CDoria,
Duilio. and one of the Cavour class
old ships, but modernized and the equals
Of our three old tubs, the Texas, New
York and Arkansas. Japan, the third
member Of the Axis, can boast of 10 bat
tleships, with at least five more building,
probably Of 10000 tons. In summary.
the totalitarian powers can place into
the battle line Is battleships, with 9
more building.
AS matters stand then, the Anglo
American combination has two-to-one
superiority in big ships. 1t also has
two-to-one edge in cruisers and de-
stroyers, and a three-to-one margin in
aircraft carriers. In submarines. how
ever, the Axis has a superiority Of three
to one. These figures point to one con-
clusion: Our battle fleet can hold the
Pacific. with British. Dutch, and Russian
cooperation, and the British, with our
help, can keep the Axis at bay in the
Atlantic. A vigorous offensive naval
strategy is possible in both oceans
indeed. is being prosecuted in the
Atlantic.
But If Britain goes under, We imme-
diately should have to face naval power
superior to our own. Discounting the
British feet entirely ION the assumption
that Germany would seize or acquire as
many ships as would be destroyed by
their crews or would manage to join our
feeb the indisputable facts are these:
Britain's collapse would leave our II
battleships facing hostile Axis armada
of 18 battleships. Furthermore. a Brit
ish collapse would enable the Germans
to win control of the Mediterranean.
All semblance Of independence in Vichy
would vanish. Therefore, to the Axis
total should be added Vichy's four pow
erful battleships -th two 26oo0ton
Dunkerques and the 35 ,0O0-ton Richelieu
and Jean Bart. The latter, lying in an
unfinished state at Casablanca, could be
completed in six months, and the Ger
mans could train crews within six
months of taking over the ships.
The picture grows blacker as we look
into the immediate future. Whereas the
1,.+ ~ tba Nor{b CoroIipoc fbn South
Dakota, the Indiana and the Massa-
chusetts-will be ready in 1942-43, all
nine battleships building for the Axis
will be completed by l943. Thus, by that
year the Axis will have 81 battleships
to put against our 20. These figures do
not include the two German pocket
battleships of 10000 tons, nor the four
12,OOO-1 Is ,OOO-ton japanese pocket battle
ships which will be completed in 1941-42.
The japanese type is faster and better
protected than the German. To neu-
tralize this threat, six Alaskas of between
$4,000 and 10000 tons have been ordered
this year, but they will not be ready
before 1914 During the years 194447
the II monsters of the Iowa and Montana
classes will be ready. We shall then have
80 capital ships, or possibly enough for a
defensive naval strategy, If in the next
year or two no new capital ships are
laid down by the Axis. However, the
danger zone Of 1941-1943 must first be
crossed
Although we may have battleship
equality when the two-ocean Navy Is
ready, we still shall remain inferior to