Class B—cargo or combination vessels of three or more decks, 450-feet long, or longer, capable of at least 15 knots; Class C——tankers, not less than 10,000 tons deadweight, prefer- ably capable of 15 knots; Class D—refrigerator ships having not less than 350,000 cubic feet of refrigerated space which can be held at a temperature below 20 degrees Fahrenheit in the tropics, preferably capable of 15 knots; Class E—small sea-going types, like tugs, trawlers, or tuna-fish- ers; Class F—large, high powered, sea going yachts. All should have long cruising ra- asset) dius, at least enough to go across the Atlantic and back at top speed with- out refueling. Use is Defined A Class ‘“‘A’’ ship is suitable for conversion to auxiliary cruiser, air- eraft carrier (if beam is 75 feet or more), destroyer tender, submarine tender, or transport. A Class ‘“‘B” ship can be trans- formed into a destroyer tender, a submarine tender, an aircraft tender, a repair ship, a gunboat (for detached duty in relatively quiet areas), a hospital ship, a transport, a mine layer, or mine depot ship, a supply ship, an ammunition ship, or can be armenia SONCSREERNATEURENNRARRNRNEREREN RA eEEE EM eRe ee nee Fee wee SON RR RR Re ew ee «8 44H eR wee ae ee left as an ordinary general cargo ship. A Class “Cor a Class, “D<ship would be used practically as it is, for its regular purpose. Class ‘‘E’’ vessels are suitable for mine sweeping, towing, and to some extent as tenders for a few aircraft of the flying boat type. Class ‘‘F’’ is valuable for patrol or gunboat duty, and for submarine chasing. Despite the depressed state of ship- ping all over the world since the post- war boom, forty-eight new vessels admirably suitable for use as naval auxiliaries have been added to the merchant marine during the past ten years, with the assistance of the gov- a 6 ee Se ER RENN EN Re Hae RRR HE ° A bove—S. 8. Talmanca-—6963 gross tons —Speed, 17% knots—-Completed, Dec. 12, 1931—-Sisterships, five—For service of United Fruit Co. At left—S. 8S. Acadia—6186 gross tons— Speed, 20 knots—Completed, June 7, 1933 —NSistershin, one—For Hastern Steam- ship line’s service between the United States and Canada ernment under the merchant marine acts of 1920 and 1928; twenty-nine other vessels have been reconditioned in such a way as to make them especi- ally valuable. A few of these fine vessels are shown in the accompany- ing illustrations. Most of them are now running on mail contracts with the postoffice department. Greater Speed Desirable Under existing contracts, 45 more vessels are required to be constructed, or reconditioned, within the next few years, but unfortunately for their usefulness, the speed called for in the contracts for all but 13 of them is at least 10 per cent below what it ought to be in view of present trends of ship design. Whether or not these contracts are to be allowed to stand cannot be foreseen at this time, but it is inconceivable that the valuable aids to the merchant marine provided by the Acts of 1920 and 1928 should be abolished without the enactment of still more helpful statutes. (Continued on Page 40) 8. 8S. Mariposa—18,017 gross tons—Speed, 20% knots—Completed, Dec. 14, 1981—WSisterships, two—Matson line, Pacific Ocean serv- ice,, West coast to South MARINE REVIEW—October, 1934 Seas, Australia and Hawaii 15