World War II Naval Campaign: Shipbuilding Capacity

American World War II ship construction
Figure 1.--These Califirnia Boy Scouts are helping with the launching of the USNS Missiin San Luis Obispo. The ship was a Type T2-SE-A2 tanker, Mission Buenaventura-class oiler. By 1944, American yards could turn out ships in days. Large numbers od ships were built in only a few weeks. The USNS Mission San Luis Obispo was constructed at the Marine Ship Corp. in Sausalito. It was laid down (April 18, 1944) and launched (June 18)--all in only 2 months. The launching of a ship is a major event. During World war II, there were so many ships launched that the ceremonies were much less elaborate. Here these Scouts played a major role in the ceremony. Put your cursor on the image to see the ship. Notice that one of the boys is Asian, probably Chinese.

Shipbuilding capacity was not a factor that weighed very heavily with Hitler who launched the European War and the Japanese who launched the Pacific War. Hitler in his personal assessment gave no real consideration to naval warfare, let alone shipbuilding capacity. As war approached, the British began expanding naval consruction, but could not meet the enormous needs of either the Royal Navy or merchant marine. Japan's war with America, the Pacific War, was from the beginning to be a naval war. The range of aircraft at the beginning of the War caused the Japanese to think almost entirely of naval operations. The Japanese realized that Ameica had a much larger industrial capacity, but they believed that their naval offensive would be so overwealming that America would not be willing to wage a costly and bloody offensive to expel Japan from its newly won empire. And thus in a short war, shipbuilding capacity would not be important. When the German and Japanese plans to win the War in a short early campaign, ship building became one of the nost important factors in the War. Germany began building improved U-boats, but almost entirely at shipyards in the Reich and not occupied countries. The Italians had a limited capacility to build ships and their yards were vulnerable to British strikes. The Japanese set about expanding ship consruction, but could not possible match the capacity of American yards. It was in America that naval construction became a major factor in winning the War. America had the world's largest ship building capsacity. But it also had enormous needs. And it need the Japanese carrier attack on Pearl Harbor (December 1941), it and its allies needed the new ships immediately, not a year or two later. America speeded up the productioin of war ships. New carriers began reaching the fleet in large nunbers a year after Pearl. American industrialist Henry Kaiser revolutionalized the construction of merchant shipping. This was critical because a huge new fleet was needed to get Lend Lease supplies to America's allies as well as to supply American soldiers and airmen in far flung locations. Soon American yards including some brand new ones were routely turrning out ships in a few weeks. This was beyond the expectations of the most optimistic Allied planners. And certainly the wildest expectations of Axis leaders. In addition, Canadian yards beganb tuning out the escort vessels that would play a key role in the North Atlantic.

War Calculations

Shipbuilding capacity was not a factor that weighed very heavily with Hitler who launched the European War and the Japanese who launched the Pacific War. Hitler in his personal assessment gave no real consideration to naval warfare, let alone shipbuilding capacity. As war approached, the British began expanding naval consruction, but could not meet the enormous needs of either the Royal Navy or merchant marine. Japan's war with America, the Pacific War, was from the beginning to be a naval war. The range of aircraft at the beginning of the War caused the Japanese to think almost entirely of naval operations. The Japanese realized that Ameica had a much larger industrial capacity, but they believed that their naval offensive would be so overwealming that America would not be willing to wage a costly and bloody offensive to expel Japan from its newly won empire. And thus in a short war, shipbuilding capacity would not be important.

Country Shipbuilding Capacity

When the German and Japanese plans to win the War in a short early campaign, ship building became one of the most important factors in the War. And it was an area in which the Axis was at a severe disability, especially at the Germans do not seem to have fully utilized the shipyards in the occvupied countries.

Britain


Canada

In addition, Canadian yards beganb tuning out the escort vessels that would play a key role in the North Atlantic

France


Germany

Germany began building improved U-boats, but almost entirely at shipyards in the Reich and not occupied countries.

Italy

The Italians had a limited capacility to build ships and their yards were vulnerable to British strikes.

Japan

The German decesion to go to war was that if one man--NAZI Führer Adolf Hitler. This was not the case of Japan. After Hitler and Stalin launched the war in Europe, the Japanese had over 2 years to study the question. It was intensively studied and debated within government and military circles. It was not a decesionforfced on Japan, but one reached after 2 years of consideration. Today we are staggered by how Japan could have decided to wage a war with America. Just the disparity in naval construction should gave disuaded a country about to fight a naval war. The Japanese set about expanding ship consruction, but shioyards were allready running near capacity. And new construction was impeded by the need to repair damaged ships. Japan could not possible match the capacity of American yards. The Japan was the only country in Asia with a sibstantial shipbuilding industry. It was, however, an industry with a capacity only a feaction of the United States and that was before America after Pearl Harbor enormously expanded its shipyards.

Netherlands


Soviet Union

We do not yet have details on the Soviet shipbuilding capability. It must have been relatively limited. Te country major portv was Leningrad and this was wear most large shis wre built. Stlain expanded the country's Baltic ports when he seized Estonia, Latvia, and Lthuania, but none of these countries had major ship building capacities. There were yards in Black Sea and Pacific ports, but we beieve ship building was limited. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union (June 1941). Significant ship construction in Lennigrad was no longer possible. As pat of Lend Lease, the United States delivered some ships to the Soviet Union, I think mostly destroyers.

United States

It was in America that naval construction became a major factor in winning the War, both in the Pacific and Atlantic. America had the world's largest ship building capacity. Japan had been able to achieve naval superority because the United States has restricted its naval construction. The Pearl Harbor attack (December 1941) removed fiscal constraints. While Amerucan had a huge capability to build ships, it and its allies also had enormous needs. Amd the ships were needed immediately, not a year or two later. America speeded up the production of war ships. New carriers began reaching the fleet a year after Pearl. All kinds of ships, however, were needed, including PTs, destroyers, crusiers, battleships, and carriers. Submarines were needed in the Pacific. The heart of the Ameerican naval expansion was the Essex and closely related Triconderoga class fleet (heavy) cariers (the difference was orimarily related to gun emplacements). The Essex class was largely based on the Yorktoiwn class. The Essex (CV-9) was laid down before Pearl Harbor, but not commissioned until December 1942. By that time the Pacific fleet had only two badly damaged carrers left in the Pascific (Enterprise and Saratoga). It took 20 months to build and commission Essex. Many of the subsequent Essex carriers were built and commisioned in less than a year. Six Essex class carriers (Yorktown, Intrepid, Hornet, Lexington, Bunker Hill, and Wasp) reached the fleet in 1943, allowing the Pacific fleet to seize the iniative from the Imperial Navy which after the intense naval battles in the Solomons (1942) retired from the Central Pacific. The U.S. Navy ordered an incredible 32 fleet carriers. There were 24 which entered service, a few after the War (1942-50). Two were canceled while still being constructed and six were cancelled before the keels were laid. And the 24 fleet carriers do not count the jeep carriers. Besides these traditional ship types, there were entirely new types like LSTs. There were not just fifghting naval ships needed. If America as to prohect its formidable manpower and industrial might abroad, nerchant vessesere needed in incredible numbers. And esisting yards could not possibly meet the needs or replace the vessels lost to German U-boats. American industrialist Henry Kaiser revolutionalized the construction of merchant shipping. This was critical because a huge new fleet was needed to get Lend Lease supplies to America's allies as well as to supply American soldiers and airmen in far flung locations. Soon American yards including some brand new ones were routinely turrning out ships in a few weeks. These were the famed Liberty Ships. The U. S. Maritime Commission ordered almost 7,000 ships and over 5,500 were actually delivered which totaled 56.3 million deadweight tons (1939-45).. This was a stunning five times the size of America's entire 1939 erchant fleet. America in the final year of the War had 18 shipyards located along the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coasts consucting Liberty ships. American ship building would prove to be beyond the expectations of the most optimistic Allied planners. And certainly the wildest expectations of Axis leaders who calculated they could win the War before America could bring its industrial power to bear.






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Created: 4:43 AM 9/29/2009
Last updated: 7:07 AM 10/28/2009