Evening star., 1943-05-04
Production Records
For Planes and Ships
Broken in March
Navy Increased IS Pct.
BY Vessels Added This
Year, Knox Says
BY the Associated Press.

Record-breaklng prOductlon
totals In aircraft, warships and
merchant vessels were rolled up
in March, chairman Donald M.
Nelson Of the War Production
Board reported today, but first
quarter arms output still fell far
short Of the rate needed to meet
military plans for 1943.
Aircraft output scared to $500
planes and heavy four-engined
bombers topped the 50o-a-month
rate for the first time, Mr.. Nelson
disclosed in his ninth and most
detailed monthly production report.
Naval and cargo ship construction
was "the greatest on record" he
said. noting the completion Of the
A5,000-ton Battleship Iowa in March
and limiting, in these words, that
more are coming:
"It is expected that from now on
many of the larger warships started
early in the war effort will be COM
Ing into active service"
A report Of increased production
also came from Secretary of the
Navy Knox, who told his press con-
ference that the Nation has arrived
at the peak period" of war produc-
ton and that Navy plane and ship
output in April set new records.
Combat aircraft delivered to the
Navy, Mr.. Knox added, ran to four
figures for the first time"
Moreover, the number of new YES
sells of all classes except landing
craft completed by the Navy during
the first four months of this year,
the Secretary said, was equivalent
Ito Is per cent increase in the
numerical strength of the fleet and
It's auxiliaries" over January of
this year.
April was good month in more
ways than production, Mr.. Knox
reported, adding that merchant ship
losses were down considerably as
compared with March. Just why,
and how long that will continue, I
do not know" he said.
Overall munitions output in March
was IL per cent above February,
though the daily rate change was
small because February was three
days shorter. Taking the first three
months together, however, Mr.. Mel
son was able to say:
"In the first quarter Of 1943 we
produced almost $4,000 artillery
pieces, including more than 1000
anti-aircraft guns and more than
5000 anti-tank guns. Our factories
also turned out about 235 900 ma
chine guns and more than 1,000, 900
rifles and submachine guns"
Nevertheless, Mr.. Nelson warned
that steel production is nearing its
peak and that the armament goals
cannot be met unless the production
pace Is accelerated SO per cent be-
yond the first-quarter records.
Munitions output for the first
quarter of 1943 was only 18 per cent
of output scheduled for the year,
the report said. indicating that av-
erage quarterly output for the sue
SSSullls Qudl tClS lhOOV dFS1 o6C q
per cent of program, or half again
as large as in the first quarter, tc
meet schedules in accordance with
military plans
Cargo Ship Launchings.
Launching of 1874 merchant ships
in March indicated that American
shipyards had reached a production
rate Of 100000 tons a year-ap-
proximately the 1943 goal-though
subsequent months will have to be
at higher rate to reach the years
objective"
That higher rate already has
been achieved was disclosed in yes
terday's report of the Maritime Com
mission that l57 merchant craft.
totaling 100000 tons, Xere deliv-
cred in April and that five launch
,ngs day now has become routine u
April's record production brought
1943 output to 536 ships, aggregating
5,370. 200 deadweight tons, the four
month total exceeding the total ton
mage constructed during the first
nine months of 1912.
April construction was at an an
nual rate exceeding 19,000,0 900 tons.
A West Coast yard, California
shipbuilding Corp, Wilmington,
Calf. broke all previous records for
a single yard by delivering 10
Liberty ships.
The Oregon Shipbuilding Corp,
Portland. Greg. Took second place
with II Liberty ships. and the
Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Bal
ttmore, delivered 16 Liberty ships.
Labor Turnover High.
Mr.. Nelson quoted the commission
as reporting. however. that high
rates Of labor turnover were threat
sning seriously the shipbuilding
program"
March arms productions compared
with February in the major cate
gories, was shown as follows:
Aircraft, up IL per cent.
Ground ordnance (tanks, guns,
stc), up per cent.
Navy and Army vessels, including
ordnance, up IA per cent.
Merchant vessels, up per cent.
Miscellaneous munitions vehicles
uniforms, etc., up IL per cent.
The Treasury and Government
corporations spent $7,112 ,0O0. 900 in
March for war purposes, daily rate
4 per cent above February. The
index of munitions production
which takes November, 194l, as
100, reached 533.
Mr.. Knox said during April there
was an increased number of Alliec
attacks on enemy submarines, but
he added that 1t was impossible te
tell just how successful they were.
There was mo significant in.
crease in April over March In the
number of enemy submarines in op.
eration,' he added, "and the mum.
Der Of attacks by our forces was due
to the increase in escort vessels anc
In air coverage."
Destroyer Escort Ship Praised.
The Secretary described the new
destroyer escort as a very satisfac.
tory type" Of anti-submarine ship