The Shipyard During World War II

The Shipyard During World War II. . , In the months following the outbreak of war in Europe in September of 1939, the shipyard functioned primarily as an overhaul and repair yard for destroyers. With the U.S. entry into the war, ship construction was begun, and the number of employees increased dramatically. A total of 66,557 civil employees were hired between the beginning of the war and January of 1945. The majority of shipyard workers were male, although the work force included significant numbers of female shop and clerical workers. Most of the shipyard employees lived in Philadelphia and surrounding communities, and many commuted by bus or streetcar. About 8,500 commuted by ferry from West Deptfort, New Jersey., Major ships built during the war included two Iowa class battleships, the Wisconsin and New Jersey; the Essex class carriers Antietam, Princeton, and Valley Forge; and the cruisers Los Angeles and Chicago. Smaller ships included one auxiliary seaplane tender: two battle damage repair ships, 12 destroyer escorts, one dock landing ship, six high-speed transports, 11 landing ships (tank), one minelayer, and one motor torpedo boat tender., Initial assembly of ship parts took place in a series of shipyard shops. Among the largest of the shop buildings were 18, the machine shop; 57, the structural shop; 541, the structural assembly shop; 543, the pipe and coppersmith shop; and 546, the turret shop; Building No. 541, the largest shipyard building, was located at the northeast corner of Porter Avenue and Bridge Street. Measuring 547 feet in length and 403 feet in width, this building included assembly bays, a mold loft, and template storage. A network of railroads and cranes transported ship parts from these shops to shipways and dry docks where the vessels were assembled., Some of the largest ships were assembled in two massive new dry docks, numbers 4 and 5, located at the west end of the shipyard. Measuring 1,092 feet in length and approximately 152 feet in width, each dry dock was designed to accommodate the largest battleships. The demand for these dry docks was so great that six destroyer escorts were under construction in Dry Dock No. 4 while the structure itself was rushed to completion., The shipyard also played a major role in the manufacture of material for use by the fleet and other shore stations. Between 1939 and 1945, manufacturing plants at the yard produced about $40 million worth of equipment and products, including catapults, boilers, small boats, and life jackets.