Evening star., 1943-09-20
Worlds Biggest Fleet
Now Backs u. ). Bid
For Victory at Sea
Ey the Associated Press.

ES the Associated Press.
Industrial Americas outpour-
ing of ships, planes and NUM-
tions for the Navy has built up
the mightiest sea- air power in
the world-a gigantic fleet
operating around the globe.
A Navy inventory disclosed today
that the feet now includes 14,O72
vessels, 613 of them warships Three
years ago. the Navy had only l076
vessels, of which 383 were fighting
craft
The air arm. described as ''the
most powerful naval air force in the
world" now has more than $4,000
planes of all types, compared with
LIZA on hand in 1910.
During July 1943, the Navy re-
ceived almost 1900 completed vessels
and close to 1000 planes, the report
said. BY contrast, in the same
month three years ago five newly
completed vessels and Is new planes
were delivered.
Record Construction.
mo naval construction program
of comparable size and speed has
ever been accomplished by any other
nation the Navy said, Ability to
build this huge new naval force
and to continue to build at the
present rate-is one of the founda-
ton stones of our military strategy.
1T underlies our amphibious at
tacks in the Pacific, the Atlantic and
the Mediterranean. 1t protects our
long, exterior supply routes running
across thousands of miles of ocean.
Most important, it makes feasible
a strategy of attack, with all the
risks 1t implies. Ability to build
or, if necessary, to rebuild-on this
scale is one of the basic advantages
which the American Navy holds over
fleets of all other nations"
The tonnage of fighting ships
battleships, aircraft carriers, cruis-
ers, destroyers, destroyer escort and
submarines-was 20 times greater
in the first six months of this year
than in the first half-year of the
defense program.
1888 Ships Completed.
The Navy said 1893 new fighting
ships have been completed since
July. 1940, at cost of $4,000, 900 900,
but the greatest addition has been
in landing craft that carry troops
ashore on invasions. The Navy said
1864 new landing boats. costing
$1,000 100000 have been delivered
Emphasis throughout the three
year period-in which So warships
were lost and 129 transferred to Al
lied nations or converted to nom
combat use-was shifted from one
type to another as urgency dictated.
For example. Immediately after the
Pearl Harbor attack, new battle
ships were held to be of greatest
urgency, Their production was
rushed and new capital ships played
a big part in the decisive battles off
Guadalcanal November Is and 16.
1912.
AS the battleship program moved
Into the clear and giant battles were
being fought between aircraft car
riers in the Coral Sea, at Midway
and in Southwest Pacific, the need
was for more aircraft carriers. They
were produced
Destroyer escort construction also
moved ahead rapidly to provide an
answer to the U-boat menace along
merchant shipping lanes.
Speeds Vastly Increased.
Speeds heretofore believed i'm
possible also have been achieved in
production of all types of fighting
craft.
Production of naval aircraft has
been even swifter on a comparative
basis.
Fire power of planes and ships
alike has been increased, says the
Navy.
New Navy fighter planes fire in
one minute five times the weight
of projectiles that their 1910 prede-
cessors fired. A modern battleship's
anti-aircraft flrepower is 100 times
what it was three years ago.
And. with all the new production,
there's more to come. The Navy
says that ships on the ways in July.
1912, had value of $1,80O.O0O 900.
On that same date this year the
value of construction in place" was
$4,000 200 900.