World War II
During World War II, all production went to the war effort. From 1939 to 1945, the company built 154 ships, including four Auk-class minesweepers, 13 destroyer escorts, 11 transport (ship)s, patrol craft, and numerous landing craft of various types. Defoe developed a construction technique called the "upside-down and roll-over" method. This allowed most of the welding of the hull to be done "hand down" which is much easier. After the hull was completely welded, it was rolled over by a set of large wheels fastened to each end of the hull. Work then continued on the ship right-side up. Faster welding allowed the company to build one 173-foot patrol craft every week. Of all of the major ships built there, the three that were lost in action during World War II were the destroyer escort Rich, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba, and the patrol craft PC-1129.
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Famous quotes containing the words world war, world and/or war:
“During the first World War women in the United States had a chance to try their capacities in wider fields of executive leadership in industry. Must we always wait for war to give us opportunity? And must the pendulum always swing back in the busy world of work and workers during times of peace?”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)
“Though beautie be the marke of praise,
And yours of whom I sing be such
As not the world can praise too much,
Yet is’t your vertue now I raise.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)
“The war was a mirror; it reflected man’s every virtue and every vice, and if you looked closely, like an artist at his drawings, it showed up both with unusual clarity.”
—George Grosz (1893–1959)