HEAVY BOMBERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 107, 1 November 1940, Page 7

HEAVY BOMBERS

SOUGHT FROM AMERICA

PROMISED OFFENSIVE

ORDERS FOR FREIGHTERS

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.)

(Received November 1, noon.)

WASHINGTON, October 31

United States officials stated that most of the new planes sought by Britain will be long-range heavy bombers needed for the day, promised by Mr. Churchill, when the British will take the offensive.

Reports persist that Britain will soon receive some of the United States "Flying Fortresses." It has been disclosed in Washington that the United States sent 500 warplanes to Britain this month. The total is expected to reach 800 a month by December.

Mr. Malcolm McLean, special assistant to the Canadian Air Minister, Mr. C. G. Power, said at Chicago that Canada and the United States could furnish almost twice the aeroplanes they were scheduled to supply under the air training plan, allowing British factories to concentrate on fighters.

The Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. H. Morgenthau. announced that the British Government has placed orders with American shipbuilders for a large number of new freighters. A special British shipping commission has arranged that the freighters will be of a standardised 10,000-ton type and is now investigating shipbuilding facilities in Canada.

LONDON, October 31

In addition to the 12,000 extra war planes which Britain is to obtain from the "American aircraft industry, Britain has ordered a large number of merchant ships from the United States, and discussions have taken place between British and American representatives over the possibility of a special shipyard being devoted to the work, one in which 28 keels could be laid down at once.

Mr. Wendell Willkie, Republican candidate for the Presidency, today promised even greater help to Britain than President Roosevelt has done. In a speech he said he could gear up the United States production of aeroplanes and munitions and afford aid to Britain better than the President. He said that in his administration a request for. 12,000 more planes for Britain would not be eyen news because it would be so insignificant. If he were President, he said, planes would be turned out by hundreds that were now turned out by ones.

FOR DOMESTIC USE.

The United States today is reported to be making plans for the production of 12,000 bombing planes independent of the scheme to supply Britain with aircraft, and in this connection it is reported the motor-car industry will help. The programme is estimated to cost £500,000,000.

A message from Ottawa says that Canada will be able to ship complete planes to Britain within a few months. Hitherto, Canadian factories have built only aircraft frames and the engines have been fitted in' British factories.