WWII: The Miracle and Bottleneck of US Shipbuilding
2025-05-09
During WWII, the US shipbuilding industry achieved a miracle, constructing thousands of military and merchant vessels in just a few years, turning the tide of the war. This was due to massive government investment and effective management of private enterprise, and entrepreneurs like Henry Kaiser adopting novel construction techniques such as prefabrication and welding, dramatically increasing efficiency. However, even under the urgency of war, US shipbuilding efficiency remained far below other nations, and rapidly declined after the war, highlighting the long-term challenges of improving shipbuilding efficiency.
Tech
shipbuilding