An item reported that the British Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty Shakespeare announced in the Common House that the cabinet decided to a considerable increase of the naval shipbuilding program for 1939.(1) There were 107 trawlers to be acquired to be used for minesweeping and anti submarine warfare. Twenty of those trawlers were to be especially built, the remaining 87 to be bought. The Admiralty also intended to built 56 ships of the whaler-kind, mostly to use for patrol duties and some for anti submarine warfare. Further more were ten minesweepers, six vessels for harbour defence and one cable ship desired. For the totally 190 vessels and the buy of a floating dock for ships with a maximum measurement of 5,000 tons was another 11.000.000 British pound sterling required for which a supplementary budget was made. Shakespeare said also that a further increase was considered but did not supply more details.
Note
1. Sir Geoffrey Hithersay Shakespeare, 1st Baronet (23 September 1893 Norwich-8 September 1980 Bromley) of the Liberal Party, between 1937 and 1940 Parliamentary and Financial Secretary to the Admiralty.
