GUNS & TANKS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 July 1941, Page 6

GUNS & TANKS

PRODUCTION IN BRITAIN DOUBLED AS COMPARED WITH END OF 1940. EXPANSION OF MACHINE TOOL INDUSTRY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) RUGBY, July 9. In the House of Commons, replying in a debate on supply, Mr Harold MacMillan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply, said the first quarter of 1941 showed an increase in production both of guns and tanks of more than fifty per cent and the second quarter of 1941 of over 100 per cent, compared with the last quarter of 1940. The present output of the machine tool industry, said Mr MacMillan, was six times the normal peace time level. The capacity of firms specialising in the production of machine tool equipment had been enormously increased, as had the Capacity of engineering firms to make their own equipment. In this they had received most understanding assistance from American authorities and we were now in a position to reciprocate for' what had been done for us. In future we should make smaller demands upon American production in this field. Turning to the side of labour, Mi MacMillan said that between January and June the labour force employed in ordnance factories had been more than doubled. With regard to the manufacture of specific weapons, Mr MacMillan =aid the manufacture of anti-air-craft guns had been determined by an estimate of the Defence Committee oi Cabinet last August. Actually the output was well up to this estimate, which covered deliveries up to November, and he believed we could substantially improve on it. With regard to antitank weapons, he believed the Aimy was satisfied with the types and peiformances of those being produced. He believed they would be still more satisfied with the weapons on the point of production.