King's Might

Admiral Ernest J. King, stiff-necked, closemouthed boss of the U.S. Navy, promised last week that in 1945 the Navy would speak for itself in deeds, not words. This was King's way of marking the third year of his command, in which he had seen the Navy become the world's mightiest. King had the power to back his promise:

The Navy today has 61,045 vessels--1,167 of them combat ships, more than 54,000 of them landing craft and assault ships. Its air arm has some 37,000 planes. Its first-line fighting ships include 23 battleships, some 100 aircraft carriers, 59 cruisers, 425 destroyers, some 400 destroyer-escorts, 237 submarines.*

A year-end report on construction revealed other details of the Navy's strength. In three years the Navy has accepted nearly $6 billion worth of shells, torpedoes and ammunition. Cost of rocket construction, a trifling $309,000 in 1942, was $97,764,000 last year--underlining the changing methods of modern naval warfare.

Bruising New Year. But rosy as these facts were, the picture had another hue. Labor shortages, said the Navy, are holding up work that still must be done to put the Navy where it wants to be and keep it going at top strength.

Building of carriers and cruisers has been delayed as much as nine months. Other "critical" items which will run short unless more workers turn to: rockets, high-capacity ammunition, 40-mm. guns, aircraft, repair parts, dry cells, radar, wire and wire rope.

Because of labor shortages in shipyards, damaged vessels even now are being kept from the battle line, awaiting repairs. In 1945, the Navy believes, 132,000 more workers will be needed in West Coast yards just to make repairs. For all its strength, the Navy expects a bruising new year.

*Closest possible estimates based on numbers of ships commissioned, latest announced transfers under Lend-Lease and announced losses.

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