Evening star., 1948-10-27
Our Navy Today

1G Is d IdulCd1iy IeUISdIlIAeu NAVY, Will
new types of ships, new weapons and new
responsibilities, to which the Nation pays
its respects on this Navy Day of 1948. 1t
is Navy far different from that envisioned
by Theodore Roosevelt, whose birthday
anniversary comedies with the Navy's an
nual open-house observance. What would
the advocate of big battleships, big guns
and the big stick" policy say If he could
see our fighting fleet today-a feet with
only one battleship in commission?
Vice Admiral Earle w. Mills, chief of the
Bureau of Ships, has made it plain that
the day of the heavy-gunned dreadnought
which began in the early 1900s is drawing
to close. Battleships were not even
mentioned in his description of our pres
ent naval building program. In their
stead, as the core of the battle force, will
be the large aircraft carriers of World
War II remodeled for broader service. And
topping these later will be 65,OO0- ton
supercarrier, especially designed for the
atomic age.
In short, the carrier has replaced the
battleship as the backbone of the fleet.
The leng-range plan is for force of
twenty eight fast carriers, built around
the much-debated supership, the CVA-5s.
The present As, ,000-ton carriers of the Mid
way class and the 27,000-ton Essex class
carriers will be improved with heavier
armament and strengthened fight decks,
to- enhance their striking power. This
carrier task force will be capable of
launching atomic bombers, If necessary, in
support of and in coordination with the
Air Forces strategic bombers Further
more, it has been demonstrated that the
floating bases can. serve as mobile plat
forms for rockets as large as the Va One
carrier already is being used exclusively
for rocket research.
Coincident with its emphasis on carrier
borne airpower, the Navy is devoting
special attention to submarine borne sea-
power. The chief reason for this is that
the only fleet which poses a threat to the
United States is that of Russia-and it is
composed largely of submarines, many of
them of the most advanced type Russia
has been building up her submarine forces
relentlessly since the war. The latest edi-
ton of James Fighting Ships says that the
Russian navy is putting its main reliance
on submarines, instead of on carriers or
osher craft. Hence, our own naval experts
are devising countermeasures to meet this
underwater threat. Antisubmarine task
forces will have the job of seeking out and
destroying enemy submersibles before they
! can reach our ships or shores. Our own
schnorkel-equipped submarines will take
part In this mission. while other deep
diving vessels will conduct offensive opera
tions or stand picket duty with radar
detectors-to guard against surprise at
tack by air or sea.
Thus, despite the too-rapid demobiliza-
ton Of the postwar period, Americas Navy
Is beginning once more to evolve as a.
potent, modernized fighting force-dedi-
Gated to speaking softly but ready when
called upon to join with its fellow men,
bers of the unified defense team in WELD
Ing big stick whenever necessary. The
mere existence of this potentially powerful
Army-Navy-Air Force team should help to
curb the ambitions of any aggressor. Until
better means of preserving the peace can
be found, our Navy, in common with the
Army and Air Force, must continue to be
strong and watchful.