NEW SHIPS FOR N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24905, 19 June 1946, Page 8

NEW SHIPS FOR N.Z.

CONSTRUCTION IN BRITAIN HOME AND OVERSEAS TRADE (From E. G. WEBBER, N2. Association Special LONDON. June is More than 188,000 tons of ping for the New Zealand home aS overseas trade is at present under con struction or projected at British S |T f ‘ yards for three shipping companim chiefly concerned with New Zealand? the Union Steam Ship Shaw Savill and Albion Company’ the New Zealand Shipping Comnanv In addition to the Union Comnanft Hinemoa, the Shaw Savill Companf! Corinthic, and the New Zealand Shin’ ping Company’s Norfolk, all of whi’h were launched within the last thiS weeks, these companies alone have IS vessels of varying types at presen* building or being reconverted, with contracts placed for several additions ships. Of 7000 tons gross, the Hinemoa is the largest of the Uniojn Company'! new vessels, but in addition to steamer express this company has fow motor cargo vessels, each approximate, ly of 3040 tons deadweight, under con. struction at Leith, and two motor cars* vessels, each of 5200 tons deadweight building at Glasgow. The Union ConJ pany’s motor vessel Kaimanawa, which has been in war service since its com. pletion, is also being reconverted, and is expected to leave Britain for the Dominion in August. Two smaller cargo XXiotor vessels, the Kanna and the Katui, were also completed for the Union Company earlier this year, and they are already in service ,in New Zealand waters. Six Refrigerated Ships The Norfolk, which was launched for the New Zealand Shipping Compmk at Clydebank this week, is the first of six similar refrigerated cargo vesseJi now under cons'-uction. The Norfolk it is expected, w* 1 be delivered to the owners at the end of this year, and it will be followed by a sister ship, Hapa. rangi, which will be delivered in the ' middle of 1947. The remaining four vessels are the Huntingdon and the Cumberland, building at Glasgow, and the Hurunui and the Hertford, building, at Walker-on-Tyne. Delivery of these four ships is expected on varying dates from the middle of 1947 to the middle of 1948.

In* addition to these six vessek". which are all approximately of 11.200 tons gross, the New Zealand Shipping Company has the 10,000-ton Somerset (a sister ship to the Devon) under construction at Leith. The Somerset is expected to be ready for delivery in September of this year. All these vessels are refrigerated ships. Six vessels? of the Norfolk class will each have 500,000 cubic feet of refrigerated cargo : space, and the Somerset will 400,000 cubic feet *. This company has’ also placed an order for a new cargo-passenger liner of 19,000 tons to be laid down at the end of this year at the Vickers, Armstrong naval works at Wallsend-on-Tyne. She will be named Rangitoto and will be slightly larger than the company’3 present Rangi ships. She will carry 400 passengers in one class, have 500,000 cubic feet of refrigerated, cargo space, and will be capable of a speed of 17 knots. Cargo-Passenger Vessels In addition to the Corinthic now completing at Birkenhead, the Shaw Savill Line has three similar 15,000-ton cargo-passenger ships under construe-, tion for the New Zealand and Australian trade. All four will have approximately 501,000 cubic feet of refrigerated space and approximately j 210,500 feet of general cargo capacity. Each will carry 68 passengers, with 17 extra Pullman berths, and they are expected to average 17 knots in normal, service. The next of these ships to be, launched will be from Harland andWolff’s yards at Belfast in October i or Noveipber of this year.