In the months following the outbreak of war in Europe in September 1939, the shipyard functioned primarily as an overhaul and repair yard for destroyers. With the U.S. entry into the war, ship construction began and the number of employees increased dramatically. A total of 66,557 civil employees were hired between the beginning of the war and January 1945. The majority of shipyard workers were male, although the work force included significant numbers of female shop and clerical workers. Most employees lived in Philadelphia and surrounding communities, and many commuted by bus or streetcar, while about 8,500 came by ferry from West Deptfort, New Jersey. Major ships built during the war included two Iowa class battleships, 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 them Building 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, stood at the northeast corner of Porter Avenue and Bridge Street and measured 547 feet long and 403 feet wide, with assembly bays, a mold loft, and template storage. A network of railroads and cranes moved ship parts from these shops to shipways and dry docks where vessels were assembled. Some of the largest ships were assembled in two massive new dry docks, numbers 4 and 5, at the west end of the shipyard. Each measured 1,092 feet long and approximately 152 feet wide and was designed to accommodate the largest battleships. 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 being rushed to completion. The shipyard also played a major role in manufacturing material for use by the fleet and other shore stations. Between 1939 and 1945, plants at the yard produced about $40 million worth of equipment and products, including catapults, boilers, small boats, and life jackets.

Photo: Devry Becker Jones (CC0)

Photo: Devry Becker Jones

Photo: Devry Becker Jones

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · USA