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Catalogue Reference:CAB/24/261
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(THIS DOCUMENT IS TEE PROPERTY OE HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY^ GOVERNMENT).
R J C R E T.
:
OtP-. 103 ( 5 6 ) .
COPY NO.
4&
CABINET.
PROGRAMME OF NEW CONSTRUCTION PGR 1 9 5 6 .
Memorandum, byptp.e F i r s t Lord of t h e ^ A d m i r a l t y .
The f o l l o w i n g i s the New C o n s t r u c t i o n Programme which
I a s h the C a b i n e t to approve f o r i n c l u s i o n i n the Navy
Estimates for 1936:­
2
5
9
4
1
6
A
C a p i t a l Ships
Cruisers
Destroyers
Submarines
Aircraft Carrier
Sloops
number of s m a l l c r a f t
viz:­
1
1
2
2
5
2
6
R i v e r Gunboat
Trawler
Motor Minesweepers
Small Surveying v e s s e l s
Boom Defence V e s s e l s
Special Service Vessels
C o a s t a l Motor B o a t s
( i n f u t u r e to be c a l l e d Motor
Torpedo B o a t s )
3 Tugs
2.
This Programme h a s been f o r m u l a t e d i n t h e l i g h t of
t h e e n q u i r y of the Sub-Committee on Defence Requirements
and p r o v i d e s
for:­
( a ) Commencement of r e p l a c e m e n t of t h e B a t t l e F l e e t .
( b ) An i n c r e a s e i n t h e r a t e of r e p l a c i n g o l d C r u i s e r s , i
Capital Ships.
3.
With t h e e x p i r y
of t h e London Naval T r e a t y 1930, on
the 3 1 s t December, 1 9 3 6 , we a r e f r e e i n 1937 t o b e g i n t h e
r e p l a c e m e n t of the B a t t l e F l e e t ,
4.
I t i s t h e r e f o r e p r o p o s e d to i n c l u d e 2 C a p i t a l
Ships
i n t h e 1935 Programme and l a y them down e a r l y i n 1937.
Cruisers.
5.
Under t h e London Naval T r e a t y 1930, we have
a v a i l a b l e f o r 1934, 1935 and 1956, 8 6 , 3 5 0 t o n s of 6"
C r u i s e r tonnage.
Of t h i s t h e 1934 Programme a b s o r b e d
3 2 , 0 5 0 t o n s and t h e 1935 Programme 2 7 , 3 0 0 t o n s ,
2 7 , 0 0 0 t o n s which may be l a i d down i n 1936.
leaving
The 1936
Programme, however, need not be l i m i t e d to t h i s
figure
s i n c e i t can i n c l u d e s h i p s to be l a i d down on or a f t e r
the 1 s t J a n u a r y , 1937, when t h e r e s t r i c t i o n s of t h e London
Naval T r e a t y w i l l no l o n g e r be i n f o r c e ,
6,
Our aim i s to r e a c h b y 1942 a t o t a l of 70 c r u i s e r s
i n c l u d i n g 10 o v e r - a g e , and i n o r d e r to a c h i e v e t h i s
it
i s n e c e s s a r y to i n c l u d e 5 i n the 1956 Programme.
7.
To meet the J a p a n e s e programme i n s i m i l a r
c r u i s e r s , we need 10 6
!l
large
c r u i s e r s of t h e SOUTHAMPTON c l a s s ;
8 of t h e s e a r e a l r e a d y p r o v i d e d f o r ,
and i t i s
accordingly
proposed, to i n c l u d e the r e m a i n i n g 2 i n the 1936 Programme.
8.
The 3 o t h e r C r u i s e r s w i l l be of a much s m a l l e r
t y p e ( p r o b a b l y about 5 , 0 0 0 t o n s ) which i s i n t e n d e d f o r
work w i t h the main F l e e t a s
duties.
opposed to Trade p r o t e c t i o n
Des-croyers.
Under t h e London Naa v a l T r e a t y 1930, we have
9.
a v a i l a b l e f o r L e a d e r s and. D e s t r o y e r s i n 193,0 and 1936
a t o t a l of about 5 1 , 0 0 0 t o n s .
10.
Programme, a s o r i g i n a l l y approved
apt
by
The 1935 Progr
t h e C a b i n e t , i n c l u d e d a normal F l o t i l l a of a L e a d e r and
8 D e s t r o y e r s , which a b s o r b s 1 2 , 2 5 0 t o n s .
i t was
s u b s e q u e n t l y d.ecid.ed, f o r the r e a s o n s s t a t e d i n C P .
to s u b s t i t u t e f o r t h i s F l o t i l l a one of 7 L e a d e r s ,
a t o t a l tonnage of 1 2 , 8 1 0 tons
42(35),
with
The number was k e p t to
7 i n o r d e r to avoid, a n y s u b s t a n t i a l i n c r e a s e of c o s t .
Eventually,
f o r r e a s o n s s t a t e d i n C P . 1 9 3 ( 3 5 ) , i t was
d e c i d e d to i n c l u d e b o t h F l o t i l l a s , which w i l l a b s o r b
about 2 5 , 5 1 0 t o n s .
11
0
Our aim i s to p o s s e s s 12 u n d e r - a g e and 4
over-age F l o t i l l a s .
"When the 1955 Programme i s
completed,
we s h a l l have 10 F l o t i l l a s of p o s t - w a r d e s i g n .
12.
We p r o p o s e i n 1935 to l a y down a f l o t i l l a
of
9 v e s s e l s s i m i l a r to the L e a d e r s added to t h e 1935
Programme, which w i l l a b s o r b about 1 6 , 6 5 0 tons of t h e
2 6 , 6 9 0 tons r e m a i n i n g to u s under the 1930 T r e a t y , and.
w i l l g i v e u s two F l o t i l l a s of 8 such v e s s e l s e a c h .
I t h a s been approved t h a t a l l t h e s e v e s s e l s s h a l l be
g i v e n names of t r i b e s ( e . g. NUB I AIT) and known a s T r i b a l
01a s s L e s t r o ye r s *
Submarines,
13.
Under the London Naval T r e a t y 1930,,we have
a v a i l a b l e f o r 1954, 1955 and 1936 a t o t a l of 1 0 , 4 8 6 t o n s .
Of t h i s ,
the 1934 Programme h a s absorbed. 2 , 8 6 0 t o n s and
the 1935 Prograimie 3,, 200 t o n s , a t o t a l of 6 , 0 6 0 t o n s .
T h i s l e a v e s about 4 , 4 0 0 t o n s which may be l a i d down
b e f o r e 3 1 s t December, 1935.
14.
The m i n e l a y e r submarine which i t i s proposed
to i n c l u d e w i l l b r i n g t h e t o t a l number of t h i s t y p e t o
6, the number which we r e q u i r e .
The p a t r o l submarine
w i l l be a second v e s s e l of t h e 1,000 t o n s
f
T ' t y p e , which
w i l l p r o b a b l y "be t h e s t a n d a r d p a t r o l submarine f o r some
y e a r s to come.
The r e m a i n i n g 2 s u b m a r i n e s w i l l be of
a new s m a l l type of about 500 t o n s i n t e n d e d to r e p l a c e
t h e ' H' c l a s s v e s s e l s , which were completed i n 1 9 1 9 - 2 0 .
These 4 v e s s e l s w i l l absorb about 3,600 tons of t h e 4 , 4 0 0
tons a v a i l a b l e .
Aircraft
15.
Carrier.
The A i r c r a f t C a r r i e r proposed may b e o f l e s s
tonnage t h a n t h e maximum ( 2 3 , 0 0 0 t o n s ) a l l o w e d by t h e
London Naval T r e a t y 1936, b u t the d e s i g n i s
still
und.er c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
Sloops.
16.
The 6 s l o o p s comprise 5 Sloop M i n e s w e e p e r s ,
2 Convoy S l o o p s , and a C o a s t a l Sloop.
The 3 Sloop
Minesweepers a r e n e c e s s a r y as an i n s t a l m e n t of a
programme f o r r e p l a c i n g t h e Twin Screw minesweepers
c o n s t r u c t e d d u r i n g t h e war, b e f o r e t h e i r
17.
lives
expire.
Convoy S l o o p s w i l l be ussd. i n war time f o r
e s c o r t i n g Merchant s h i p s i n eonvby, b u t c a n be employed
i n p e a c e on the same d u t i e s a s the s t a n d a r d " P a t r o l "
and a l s o , when s p e c i a l l y f i t t e d ,
Sloops
as surveying ships.
We r e q u i r e some 10 v e s s e l s of t h i s t y p e , and the 2 whicih
'3 "* "
A(
ml
i t i s proposed to i n c l u d e i n t h e 1936 Programme w i l l
b r i n g t h e t o t a l b u i l t and b u i l d i n g up to 5..
proposed,
in future,
It
is
to c l a s s i f y t h e s e v e s s e l s a s
"Convoy E s c o r t s " .
18.
The C o a s t a l Sloop and one T r a w l e r
(included
under S m a l l v e s s e l s ) a r e r e q u i r e d to r e p l a c e o l d
Fishery Protection vessels.
Small v e s s e l s .
19.
The R i v e r Gunboat r e p r e s e n t s the
first
i n s t a l m e n t of a programme f o r t h e n e c e s s a r y
replace­
ment of t h e 11 o l d R i v e r Gunboats i n China.
20.
The r e c e n t p u r c h a s e of 20 T r a w l e r s f o r
anti­
submarine and minesweeping d u t i e s makes i t u n n e c e s s a r y
to c o n t i n u e t h e r e p l a c e m e n t programme of 2 T r a w l e r s a
y e a r begun i n 1935 f o r t h e s e p u r p o s e s , b u t one T r a w l e r
r e q u i r e s to be b u i l t f o r F i s h e r i n g P . r o t e c t i o n p u r p o s e s ,
a s e x p l a i n e d i n p a r a g r a p h 19.
21.
The f u n c t i o n of t h e proposed 2 Motor Minesweepers
which w i l l be wooden v e s s e l s of l i f e b o a t t y p e i s t h a t of
a u x i l i a r y m i n e s w e e p e r s , a l a r g e number of which would be
r e q u i r e d i n war.
A l a r g e p r o p o r t i o n of the v e s s e l s
which would be h i r e d or r e q u i s i t i o n e d would n e c e s s a r i l y
be o l d or l a c k i n g i n s p e e d , and i t i s t h e r e f o r e
desirable
to a c q u i r e a number of v e s s e l s s p e c i a l l y d e s i g n e d f o r t h e
p u r p o s e , which c o u l d be r a p i d l y produced i n an emergency.
22.
The 2 s m a l l S u r v e y i n g S h i p s a r e i n t e n d e d to
r e p l a c e 2 v e s s e l s whose h u l l l i v e s w i l l e x p i r e i n 1938.
1 of them w i l l be so c o n s t r u c t e d a s to be s u i t a b l e
employment a s a sloop minesweeper i n time of war.
for
*S
/*
a i w
23.
The p o l i c y h i t h e r t o i n r e g a r d to
Boom Defence
V e s s e l s h a s b e e n to b u i l d 2 Gate v e s s e l s and 1 Boom
Working v e s s e l a y e a r , b u t i n v i e w of the
acceleration
of the Naval D e f i c i e n c y Programme i t i s n e c e s s a r y ,
in
o r d e r to keep s t e p w i t h the p r o v i s i o n of boom m a t e r i a l ,
to b u i l d . 3 Gate v e s s e l s a y e a r and 3 Boom Working v e s s e l s
i n two y e a r s , and the p r e s e n t p r o p o s a l s i n r e g a r d t o
t h e s e c r a f t a r e made on t h a t b a s i s ,
24.
One S p e c i a l S e r v i c e V e s s e l i s r e q u i r e d a s a t e n d e r
to H.M.S. VERNQN, the Torpedo School a t Portsmouth and
the o t h e r , f o r l a y i n g i n d i c a t o r l o o p s , i s an e s s e n t i a l
p a r t of our p r e p a r a t i o n s , i f we a r e to have i t i n our
power to e s t a b l i s h a Mobile n a v a l b a s e to meet immediate
s t r a t e g i c a l n e e d s i n c a s e of emergency.
25,
C o a s t a l motor b o a t s a r e s m a l l v e r y f a s t v e s s e l s of
g r e a t v a l u e i n making or r e p e l l i n g r a i d s i n r e s t r i c t e d
w a t e r s such a s the M e d i t e r r a n e a n .
S i x b o a t s were o r d e r e d
a s an a d d i t i o n to the 1955 New C o n s t r u c t i o n programme, and
i t i s d e s i r e d to o b t a i n s i x more a s e a r l y a s p o s s i b l e
the new f i n a n c i a l
year.
I t i s proposed i n f u t u r e
in
to
c a l l t h e s e v e s s e l s Motor Torpedo B o a t s .
26.
A f i n a n c i a l s t a t e m e n t , shewing t h e t o t a l
estimated
c o s t of the Programme and the p r o b a b l e s p r e a d of the
e x p e n d i t u r e over t h e f i n a n c i a l
years affected,
( I n i t i a l l e d ) M.
Admiralty,
7th A p r i l ,
1936.
i s appended.
N
ROG-EAMME
1926.
Battleships.
"Improved SOUTHAMPTON' C r u i s e r s .
1
Small C r u i s e r s .
) Tribal C l a s s D e s t r o y e r s .
L Aircraft
1 9 3 6.
1937.
1938.
755:, 5CG
5,100,000
5, COO,000
515,000
I,800,000
1,500,000
5, 600
975,000
1,275,000
1,092,400
2,800,GOO
1,237,600
700,000
1,500,000
Carrier.
L Minelayer Submarine.
64,200
200,000
145,800
1 Fatrt-1 Submarine.
52,L50
180,000
127,950
47,950
200,000
112,050
98,000
120,000
22,000
31,150
80,800
8,850
15,000
220,000
205,000
1 , 000
80,000
24,000
35,300
150,000
94,700
H i Large R i v e r Gunboat.
1C,700
64,300
5 Motor Torpedo B o a t s .
124,400
25,600
1 S . S . Veos&l ( i n d i c a t o r l o o p L a y e r )
10,000
80,000
I S.S. V e s s e l (Tendler to YERNON) .
12,000
8,000
B 'E' Glass S u b m a r i n e s .
Sloop Minesweepers (Dockyard)'.
"
"
(Contract).
Convoy E s c o r t s .
Coastal Sloop.
Small S u r v e y i n g Ships;.
25,000
5 Boom Defence V e o s e l s .
2 Motor Minesweepers.
28,000
12,000
L Large T r a w l e r .
13,000
17,000
5 Tugs,
58,000
212,000
158,950
95,000
5,. 139, 000
13,043,900
toali
Craft.
NOTE:
8,7, 500
4,000
11,444,450
These f i g u r e s t a k e no a c c o u n t of an q
c u t and e x c l u d e p r o v i s i o n f o r cn-cosj
NEW
Cruisers.
RO
GRAMME
1955.
!
Eoop L a y e r )
19 3 8.
7* S 5 y 5 0 0
j : '
! 5,0 0 0 , 0 0 0
5,000,000
4, 0 0 0 , 0 0 0
515 8GG
1,800,000
1,500,000
884,200
4,800,000
5,600
975,000
1,275,000
i
399,400
3,255,000
1,092,400
j 2,800,000
1,237,600
I
1933.
i
j
?
chyard).
1 937.
6.
1946.
1,234,500
1.6,000,000
5,130,000
I
700,000
1,500,000
64,200
200,000
145,800
52,150
180,000
127,950
360,000
47,950
200,000
112,050
360,000
98,000
120,000
22,000
240,000
51,150
80,GOO
8,850
120,000
15,000
220,000
203,000
440,000
1, 000
80,000
24,000
105,000
55,300
150,000
94,700
230,000
10,700
64,500
75,000
124,400
25,600
150,000
10,COO
80,000
90,COC
8,000
20,000
YEENON).
1,300,000
300,000
3,800,000
410,000
-
25,000
28,000
12,000
15,COO
17,000
58,000
212,000
-
270,000
158,950
95,000
4,000
257,350
87,500
11.2, 500
-
40,000
30,000
-J
,.139,000
NOTE;:
TOTAL.
i,
043, 900
444,450
7,183,600
These f i g u r e s talce no aacoiurt of an overhead
c u t and e x c l u d e p r o v i s i o n f o r c n - c o s t s .
1,534,500