The Navy and the Nation, 1943

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 8th Year

Issue

Issue No.

9

Date Released

1943

Length of issue (in feet)

1767

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1The Navy and the Nation, 1943

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: The task of keeping the U.S. Navy on the offensive is one that calls for organisation, planning and production on an immense scale. It calls for research, scientific knowledge and invention, and already the U.S. laboratories have won great victories, such as the adaptation of electronics to military use, which made possible the highly secret radar - the electric beam which enables ships and planes to detect the position and range of the enemy.

None of the hundreds of stations and bases which make up the Navy’s shore establishment is in closer touch with combat units than the yards in which battle-damaged vessels are repaired and refitted for service. Though the Navy Yard is strictly a military establishment almost all labour is performed by civilian workmen under the general supervision of naval constructors, designers and engineers. Thousands of civilian workerss are also employed at the Naval Aircrat factory - actually an experimental station - where the experience and knowledge gained in combat, and the technical discoveries of British and American aeronautical engineers are pooled and used in developing new designs and new production methods, which are saving time and improving the output in scores of commercial aircraft factories.

At the outbreak of war the U.S.A. - after having neglected its shipbuilding facilities for years - suddenly became a nation of shipbuilders. Ships of the line, battleships, cruisers, destroyers and carriers moved from blueprint to launching in a fraction of their builders’ schedules. To thousands of foundries and machine shops went contracts for engines, shafts and fitting-out gear. By the end of 1942 shipbuilders had broken the most crucial bottleneck of the nation’s entire war production programme. In less than twelve months eight million tons of new merchant shipping went into service, and more warships were going down the ways than any maritime nation had ever built in a single year.

But of all the Navy’s tasks, the one that will never be finished until the day of final victory is that of carrying safely through to distant battlefronts the enormous numbers of men, weapons and supplies needed to support and broaden the offensive against the enemy in every theatre of action. Through the establishment of more and more bases overseas the Army and Navy together will one day be able to bring into the offensive against the enemy, the full industrial and military might of the whole nation.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.9 No.5 of the US edition.

Keywords

Navy; War and conflict

Written sources

The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.