It became increasingly apparent as the year 1941 progressed that the fate of the democratic nations and of humanity itself depended upon ships. Ships became the main weapon for defense against the aggressor nations, and the United States was the only country in the world where ships could be produced in sufficient volume. Ships had to check the Axis dream of world conquest, especially after the Japanese attack on the United States had made this a war on all oceans.
In the interest of national defense and of the future of the American Merchant Marine, the United States Maritime Commission engaged in a three-fold program (1) to build ships, (2) to supervise the operation of ships, and (3) to train licensed officers and seamen.
Repeal of the Neutrality Act provisions permitted armed and unarmed American merchant ships to resume service on combat zone routes with or without Navy escort. Vessels of the Allies, whether employed in trade routes, as auxiliaries for the armed forces, or as units of the combat fleet, were granted safe harbor in American ports and, if damaged, repaired in Naval or commercial yards. Damage to German and Italian vessels caused by sabotage by their crews was repaired by the Commission.
Shipbuilding Program.
As the United States Navy was mobilized and the Army required vessels for its transport and supply services, 151 of the finest, privately-owned, merchant vessels of approximately 1,300,000 gross tons were turned over to the armed forces. At the same time the Maritime Commission initiated new shipbuilding programs of a magnitude unparalleled in American maritime history.
As facilities of expanded existing yards were fully employed, new yards were built. The construction tempo increased rapidly from the original ship-a-week or 500 ships in ten years program to a-ship-a-day in late 1941 with two-ships-a-day expected late in 1942. At the same time other yards and plants were launching scores of smaller craft; lake ore carriers, oceangoing and harbor tugs, coastal tankers, coastal cargo boats, barges and others.
The Maritime Commission long-range program, well under way in 1940, was accelerated as defense dangers became apparent. An emergency program for 200 EC-2 ships then was initiated, followed in rapid sequence by authorization of 227 Lend-Lease vessels of which 112 were emergency cargo ships, and the all-out requirements of August 1941, calling for an additional 566 vessels of all types.
Between February and September 1941, the Commission added 993 large vessels to its regular program but, by dovetailing these construction programs, has kept December 1943 as the ultimate delivery date for all of these large vessels. These combined programs should bring into service over 1,400 large vessels of over 14,000,000 deadweight tons at a total construction cost in excess of $3,000,000,000, besides several hundred smaller and special purpose craft.
American shipbuilding facilities have been expanded to cope with the construction demand from a capacity of 46 ways in 1937 to 275 ways in 1941 capable of handling ships of 400 feet or more in length. Over 40 yards are located strategically on Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific Coasts and on the Great Lakes so as to take advantage of labor and materials, supplies and industrial production. Twenty-nine of these yards and 202 ways are devoted to the construction of oceangoing merchant vessels.
Allied Shipping Pool.
This construction program became necessary as foreign ships, that formerly carried the great bulk of American traffic, were withdrawn from regular runs, and as undersea, surface and air raiders took a heavy toll of essential tonnage. The policy of all-out aid to the embattled nations was emphasized when President Roosevelt pointed out the importance of delivering material aid before it was too late. In response to this need, the Maritime Commission made available for the use of Great Britain and her Allies a shipping pool of 2,000,000 tons and another 1,000,000 gross tons was sold, mostly to the British.
Curtailments in the American Merchant Marine.
Necessarily some of the American merchant services became somewhat dislocated, especially those in North Atlantic and Mediterranean operation. On the other hand, additional ships were placed on runs to South America where vital raw materials were available and where it was found possible to aid friendly nations in working out their economic problems. On Jan. 1, 1941, there were 141 ships totaling 823,673 tons on routes to both coasts of South America while by Sept. 1, 1940, in the same service, were 209 ships totaling 1,105,284 tons. Lack of sufficient tonnage to satisfy all foreign trade demands, and at the same time to handle defense cargoes, forced a curtailment on some routes, though uninterrupted services were maintained where possible.
Fleet operations have been found effective for emergency purposes, both to and from American ports. A 'backlog fleet' of Commission-owned ships and others taken over from Denmark in the Spring and Summer of 1941 was employed on quick runs to pick-up extra defense cargoes whenever vessels in regular service found it impossible to handle all the traffic. At one time vessels of this fleet were sent to Chile to bring back copper and nitrates. A number of ships were placed in service to transport Lend-Lease cargoes to Rangoon, Burma, for carriage over the Burma Road to the interior of China and another fleet of American cargo ships and tankers was assigned to supplying Russia. On service to the Red Sea area, as of Oct. 2, 1941, were 79 American flag vessels that released tonnage needed by the British, as also was the case on the Australia-New Zealand route. Other fleet operations supplemented American Army and Navy needs and were in addition to those performed by the merchant ships actually turned over to the armed services. In this duty merchant vessels were employed on voyages to American bases located in the Caribbean Sea and in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
In domestic ports, and under Maritime Commission supervision, facilities have been coordinated so as to promote efficiency, assure more rapid dispatch and turn-around of vessels and thus, in some cases, permit the employment of fewer vessels on certain routes. Representatives of the Commission have been placed on duty in some foreign ports to assist in expediting American shipping.
War demands increased the manifold activities of the Maritime Commission. Under the Ship Warrants Act, passed in 1941, qualified American flag and foreign vessels found it possible to obtain priority classification, thus permitting control over emergency shipping. Ocean freight rates were scanned and checked and if necessary modified under authority of the Shipping Act of 1916. Insurance was made available by the Commission where it considered outside rates too high on the government's interest in American flag ships as was war risk insurance and reinsurance in cases where adequate coverage could not be obtained on reasonable terms from private companies.
Training Program.
The Maritime Commission's training program was expanded during 1941 so as to provide as many licensed officers and seamen as possible for the new ships. The American merchant fleet required 10,000 officers and 40,000 seamen of all ratings as of June 1941, and will require at least another 10,000 officers and 40,000 seamen by the end of 1943. Four training schools located on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coasts and a fleet of eight training ships are caring for 1,000 apprentice enrollees between the ages of 18 and 23 each month. These men serve six months. Other seamen must be obtained by actual service aboard ship or from those who have experience but have taken shore jobs.
The Maritime Commission trains cadets at shore stations and aboard ship in three-year courses so as to qualify them to become licensed officers. As with apprentices it only will be possible to train a limited number for licensed officers, but seamen who have three or more years experience may take the examinations and a number of ship's officers who have accepted shore jobs are expected to take to the sea again.
The Maritime Commission programs contemplate an American merchant fleet on a permanent basis with ships capable of holding their own in post-war competition. It is emphasized that, under such conditions, an assured future is offered those who associate themselves with the American Merchant Marine. See also TRANSPORTATION.
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