" Bridge of steel, US merchant shipping in World War II" Topic

Some good info here on a subject many don't have alot of knowledge about. Robert

Bridge of steel, US merchant shipping in World War II

"The only feasible method of transporting divisions of personnel and equipment is, and used to be, by sea. What planning, management and coordination of shipping requirements existed within the US Army and civilian agencies prior to and during World War II? The US Navy had limited transport shipping and the US Army had even fewer. In order to support the millions of personnel and millions of tons of equipment used in the war effort, the maritime capabilities of the civilian sector needed to fill the void. This existed not as a new role for the merchant fleet, nor a new challenge for government of the United States. Only the scope would be different when one compares WW I to WW II--a two-ocean as opposed to one-ocean war in the latter case. There lacks a method to measure the levels and effectiveness of the coordination and planning beyond the end result. The resulting success of the US in its military endeavors during WWII can be somewhat misleading about the effectiveness of the coordination and planning between the Army and civilian agencies. No nation has produced a tonnage of shipping in a four-year period that exceeds that of US during WWII. The British focused on the production of warships, particularly escorts to wage the Battle of the Atlantic. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics lacked production capability as they conducted a land war against Germany. The Japanese did not have access to as many resources to produce the numbers the US did, even though the Japanese Empire expanded considerably by aggressive use of their navy. This monograph is a historic study of US wartime merchant shipping during WWII. The purpose of this study is to understand the structure, conditions, and material considerations necessary to conduct trans-continental major combat operations. This monograph maps the sequence of events necessary to make maritime logistical support for Atlantic and Pacific operations possible. The first main section discusses the state of US maritime capabilities prior to the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. This includes the planning, conceptualization, and legal authorizations established prior to the formal declaration of war that served as the foundation for the buildup of merchant shipping. The second section describes changes to the civilian and military planning and control systems instituted during the first 18 months of declared war. This section highlights the difficulties as the previously developed and new logistical plans met the harsh realities of actual execution. The final section is a case study of the logistical plan supporting Operation OVERLORD. This case study shows how the US overcame its initial logistical challenges enabling the largest amphibious operation in history. Particularly, it studies the transition from conceptual to detailed planning and its execution. The conclusion of this monograph posits avenues for further historic research."
PDF link

Nice site with info and photos of the,
Vessel Type EC2: The Liberty Ship
link

Robert

The sestet weapon, logistics.

Secret weapon, bad typing.

No Worries LOL. Some people just get bored with Logistics LOL*wink. Robert