Fleet Figures

Statistics on the U.S. fleet, published last week:

>The Navy released overall figures on its building program. More than 6,000 vessels were launched in the first six months of this year. Landing craft (excluding rubber boats) made up over one-half the numerical total, which includes everything from lighters to battleships. Biggest part of the tonnage: fighting ships. In the half-year one new combatant craft was in the water for every three warships in the fleet on New Year's Day.

>Jane's Fighting Ships for 1942, published in London last week, gave the U. S. Navy the lead in capital ships--with 21 now or soon in service.* Included: six of the 35,000-ton class (Washington, North Carolina, etc.), two 45,000-tonners (Iowa and New Jersey) due to be commissioned. Not included: battleships being repaired at Pearl Harbor, twelve large carriers reported completed. The bible of the world's navies calls U.S. building of cruisers, destroyers and submarines "scarcely less remarkable."

*Other observations: German submarines are being built without double hulls, sacrificing safety for faster production: Japan still makes free use of cruisers and destroyers, undeterred by heavy losses.

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