MORE TANKS NEEDED

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 224, 19 June 1944, Page 5

MORE TANKS NEEDED

(Received Jute 18, 9.45 p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 17. The Army has ordered a sharp increase in tank production because they are being expended three times as fast as anticipated in the invasion of France and in the Italian campaign. United States lend-lease shipments of supplies needed for the western front have been co-ordinated with colossal shipments to Russia for the offensive on the eastern front, said Mr. Crowley, United States Foreign Economic Administrator. In the four months to May 1. more than 2200 planes were flown or shipped to Russia. The United States also sent B(K> tanks and tank destroyers, over 40,000 military trucks, 6300 jeeps and other military vehicles. The total shipments to Russia amounted to almost 2.000.000 United States tons, and included materials and equipment for factories and railways, as well as war supplies and food for the army.

Since October, 1941, the United States has sent over 10,000,000 tons to Russia, including 10,000 planes, of which almost half were flown from the factories to the bat tiefronts.

Over 5000 tons of material, more than a third of which was British and Russian. was carried by air into the United States in the first quarter of this year, according to a Washington message. Inbound cargo included materials imported by air all the way or materials given priority part of the way by air. Most were flown from China to India and then shipped to the United States, Britain, or Russia.

United States planes gave priority for the transportation of materials required by Britain, and received in return priority on British planes where American planes do not operate. Materials from Sweden. Turkey and South Africa have been flown part of the way to America, in British planes.