Evening star., 1944-12-29
BY WILLIAM ]. WHEATLEY.

The United States, with the
greatest feet in the. world, now
has 61,045 vessels of all types
carrying the battle to the enemy,
the Navy Department announced
today.
During the year just ending, the
Navy revealed, it built 420 combatant
ships, including 2 battleships, 8
aircraft carriers, 81 escort carriers,
2 battle cruisers, 2 heavy cruisers, IL
light cuisers, "a destroyers, 1877 de-
stroyer escorts and II submarines
The figures showed a tapering of
in the construction of combat ships
and an increase in landing craft,
auxiliary attack ships and other sup
ply vessels which have carried the
Allied offensive to enemy shores in
Europe and in the Pacific.
$1,000 Aircraft.
For its air operations, the Navy
said, it has on hand $1,000 aircraft of
all types, which, it added, is the size
at which it is stahilizing its air
power. OF this number 20,070 were
constructed during 1914, which DEM
onstrates, the Navy points out, the
high rate of obsolescence and attri-
tion attendant upon keeping naval
air power supplied with the newest
and best planes.
In frank disclosure of its present
composition and construction rec
ord of ships, planes and munitions,
the Navy sounded warning that in
order to continue its successes it
must have the unrelenting support
OF the men and women in industry
Already, it says, a severely critical
manpower shortage in many ship
yards is SO serious that the return
Of battle-damaged ships to the feet
is being delayed. Furthermore, many
ships, long overdue for overhaul,
still are cruising on missions in the
Pacific because adequate repair and
maintenance facilities are not avail
able. The Navy estimates that by
December, 1945 about $4,000 work
ers will be needed for repair work
alone, primarily on the West Coast.
Meanwhile, thousands Of workers are
needed Immediately to bring critical
Navy production up to scheduled
levels.
Schedule Readjusted.
The Navy said that production
schedules have had to be adjusted
below certain operational needs be-
cause of the hard realities of the
present manpower situation. Even
now, although operational plans for
the feet have been adjusted to the
capacity of Navy suppliers, these are
not being achieved in number Of
essential items, because Of the man
power shortage.
"On the critical list for 1945 at the
present time" the Navy said, ARE
carriers and cruisers, some of which
have been delayed by labor shortages
as much as nine months; rockets,
high-capacity ammunition and 40
nm. guns, for which requirements
are steadily increasing; maintenance
and repair parts for the feet, air
planes and advance bases vitally i'm
portant to keep our ships in fighting
trim; aircraft. especially certain new
types; dry cells, radar, wire and wire
rope. Approximately 25,000,000 feet
of wire rope needed in the first
three months of l945 will not be
available until June or later, unless
more workers are obtained for the
producing plants"
1,167 of Combat Type.
Of the 81 ,045 vessels in the fleet,
1,167 are combatant types from
battleships to destroyer escorts, 1883
are patrol and mine craft, l,348
are auxiliaries, such as supply ships,
oilers and attack transports; 54,206
are landing craft and 2,471 District
craft
Great emphasis was placed on
landing craft and attack vessels dur
ing 1914, with construction of ST.
724 of the ships used to batter the
way for landings on enemy held
shores.
| Added to the list of warships. to
make up, the total of 1,167 now, with
the fleet, are los fighting craft Of
prewar age which still are turning
their big guns on the enemy.
Cost S2,952, ,725,000.
To maintain the scale of present
Pacific naval air operations, pro-
duction of vitally needed new planes
must continue at top speed. IN 1914
the cost of these new planes was
81, ,952, 725,000, of which more than
81, 700, 900 900 was spent for tactical
combat planes. This is four times
the amount spent for all aircraft In
1912
All ordnance and ordnance ma
(See SHIPS, Page A-4.)
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