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Show United States Now Has Mighty Fleet Carries Our Flag Today on All Seas and Oceans. WASHINGTON. A giant fleet, "mightiest in world history," carries car-ries the United States flag today on all oceans and seas. And, in the skies, is "the most powerful naval air force in the world." The navy proudly gave the descriptions de-scriptions in an inventory disclosing gigantic production of ships, planes, ammunition production that still is adding swiftly to the "greatest sea-air sea-air power on earth." On the seas, the navy observed, the fleet is composed of 14,072 vessels, ves-sels, including 613 warships. Three years ago there were 1,076 vessels, with 383 fighting ships. The navy air forces have more than 18,000 planes dive bombers, torpedo bombers, fighters, patrol ships, planes of all types. Three years ago there were 1,744 naval planes of all types. Speed of the production that has 1 built up the fleet and air arm is 1 portrayed in these comparative fig- ures: i "In July, 1940, the navy received I five newly completed vessels; in I July, 1943, almost 1,200. i "In July, 1940, the navy received 1 25 new airplanes; in June, 1943, almost al-most 2,000." Emphasis in the swift job of build- i ing the world's mightiest fleet has been laid on hard hitting warships that car battle it out with any enemy en-emy craft. In that fighting category 333 new ships have been completed since ' July, 1940, at a cost of three billion dollars. Of other types, landing craft make up the largest total 12,964 new boats costing one billion dollars. dol-lars. "No naval construction program of comparable size and speed," the navy said, "has ever been accomplished accom-plished by any other nation." |