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160:, USN, who, like Land, was a naval officer closely involved in the construction of new Navy vessels. Vickery became responsible for overseeing the Commission's shipbuilding functions including the design and construction of the ships, developing shipyards to build them and companies to manufacture the complicated and highly specialized ship's machinery. As
20:
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The purpose of the
Maritime Commission was multifold as described in the Merchant Marine Act's Declaration of Policy. The first role was to formulate a merchant shipbuilding program to design and then have built over a ten-year period 900 modern fast merchant cargo ships which would replace the World
333:
was passed to sell off a large portion of the ships previously built during the war to commercial buyers, both domestic and foreign. This facilitated the rebuilding of the fleets of both allied nations such as Great
Britain, Norway and Greece which had lost a majority of their prewar vessels to the
121:
in the event of armed conflict which was a duty the U.S. merchant fleet had often filled throughout the years since the
Revolutionary War. The second role given to the Maritime Commission was to administer a subsidy system authorized by the Act which would offset the differential cost between both
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and the transport of food aid sent during the desperate winter of 1945-46 when famine loomed large over much of the
European continent. For the next 25 years, in ports all around the world one could find dozens of ships which had been built during the war but which now were used in peace. Many of
155:
prior to his appointment to the
Commission on the behest of the President and where he had been a deputy commissioner since the founding of the body. The other four members of the Commission in the years before the beginning of World War II were a mix of retired naval officers and men from
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prior to the Act. Those ships were intended to be chartered (leased) to U.S. shipping companies for their use in the foreign seagoing trades for whom they would be able to offer better and more economical freight services to their clients. The ships were also intended to serve as a reserve
354:(NDRF) sites maintained on the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts. On several occasions in the postwar years ships in the reserve fleets were activated for both military and humanitarian aid missions. The last major mobilization of the NDRF came during the
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which itself was created for the purpose of overseeing the operation of the fleet of merchant ships being built by the
Emergency Program for the needs of the U.S. Armed Services. The WSA was added to the list of wartime agencies created within the
75:
A huge postwar contraction followed, with massive sell-offs to foreign militaries and commercial fleets. The last major shipbuilding project undertaken by the
Commission was to oversee the design and construction of the super passenger liner
324:
With the end of World War II, both the
Emergency and Long Range shipbuilding programs were terminated as there were far too many merchant vessels now for the Nation's peacetime needs. In 1946, the Commission was chaired by Vice admiral
334:
Battles of the
Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea. Although not sold outright to nations that were enemies during the war, U.S. merchant ships helped nations such as Japan, which had lost many hundreds of its merchant vessels to the
193:
but it was not until the late fall of 1940 the critical importance of the
Commission to the defense of the lifeline to Great Britain and to the national mobilization for war became apparent when the beginnings of the
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first head of the Commission. Kennedy held that position until February 1938 when he left to become US Ambassador to Great Britain. After Kennedy's departure, the chairmanship was assumed by Rear Admiral
43:. It was intended to formulate a merchant shipbuilding program to design and build five hundred modern merchant cargo ships to replace the World War I vintage vessels that comprised the bulk of the
983:
72:
effort in world history. By the end of the war, U.S. shipyards working under Maritime Commission contracts had built a total of 5,777 oceangoing merchant and naval ships and many smaller vessels.
978:
338:, recover their merchant shipping capacity via the loan of vessels and the carrying of relief cargoes to war ravaged Europe. Ships were also used in both the rebuilding programs under the
47:, and to administer a subsidy system authorized by the Act to offset the cost differential between building in the U.S. and operating ships under the American flag. It also formed the
380:, which was intended to be both a symbol of American technological might and maritime predominance but also could be quickly converted into the world's fastest naval troop transport.
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were so instrumental in developing into an industry which would perform some of the greatest feats of wartime industrial production ever previously witnessed and never since matched.
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those same ships continued to sail until the early 1980s but most had been sold for scrap in the 1960s and 1970s as more modern designs were developed and more efficient slow speed
83:
which was intended to be both a symbol of American technological might and maritime predominance but also could be quickly converted into the world's fastest naval troop transport.
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for the training of seagoing ship's officers to man the new fleet. The actual licensing of officers and seamen still resided with the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation.
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and was intended to relieve the already full plate of responsibilities of the Commission, yet they shared the same Chairman in Admiral Land and so worked very closely together.
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and great pride was taken in it by the many thousands of ordinary citizens went to work in the shipyards and joined the ranks of the shipbuilding workforce.
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which had been built and opened during World War II and which continues to be funded as the nation's federally operated maritime academy under 46 USC 310.
178:, which was owned by the United States Line and operated in the passenger liner and cruise service during 1940-1. Upon the U.S. entry into World War II,
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which had been built and opened during World War II and which continues to be funded and operated today as one of the five Federal Service Academies.
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300:. By the end of the war, U.S. shipyards working under Maritime Commission contracts had built a total of 5,777 oceangoing merchant and naval ships.
171:
As a symbol of the rebirth of the U.S. Merchant Marine and Merchant Shipbuilding under the Merchant Marine Act, the first vessel contracted for was
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As a symbol of the rebirth of the U.S. Merchant Marine and Merchant Shipbuilding under the Merchant Marine Act, the first vessel contracted for was
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The last major shipbuilding project undertaken by the Commission was to oversee the design and construction of the super passenger liner
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building in the U.S. and operating ships under the American flag. Another function given to the Commission involved the formation of the
65:, she briefly operated in the passenger liner and cruise service before being converted into a high-speed transport, per her design.
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drew closer, Vickery was very much at the forefront of putting into place the Emergency Shipbuilding Program which men like
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From 1939 through the end of World War II, the Maritime Commission funded and administered the largest and most successful
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From 1939 through the end of World War II, the Maritime Commission funded and administered the largest and most successful
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1940: Maritime Commission agrees to build 60 Ocean class merchant ships for the British Ministry of War Transportation.
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189:. In the prewar years, several dozen other merchant ships were built for the Commission under its original 500 ship
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for administration, but then late in the fall of 1942, the Maritime Service was transferred to the newly created
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disciplines of law and business. The man most notable in the group Land brought to the Commission was Commander
35:, which was passed by Congress on June 29, 1936, and was abolished on May 24, 1950. The commission replaced the
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introduced to replace the steamships which predominated those built by the Commission during the war years.
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Responsibility for U.S. merchant shipping has been held by many agencies since 1917. For a history, see:
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278:. The Commission also was tasked with the construction of many hundred "military type" vessels such as
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The Maritime Commission was abolished on 24 May 1950, and its functions were divided between the
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The Maritime Commission was abolished on 24 May 1950, and its functions were divided between the
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Ships for Victory: A History of Shipbuilding under the U.S. Maritime Commission in World War II
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was an independent executive agency of the U.S. federal government that was created by the
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were laid. Together, all the Maritime Commission's shipbuilding program became known as
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1936: Merchant Marine Act abolishes Shipping Board and establishes Maritime Commission.
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effort in world history, producing thousands of ships and other vessels, including
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Ships not disposed of through the Ship Sales Act were placed into one of eight
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which was responsible for regulating shipping trades and trade routes and the
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which was responsible for regulating shipping trades and trade routes and the
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tugs. Most of the C2s and C3s were converted to Navy auxiliaries, notably
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has been mobilized to support both humanitarian and military missions.
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In early 1942 both the training and licensing was transferred to the
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for the training of seagoing ship's officers to man the new fleet.
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572:, by Frederic C. Lane. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1950.
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Agencies of the United States government during World War II
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Shipbuilding Under the U.S. Maritime Commission 1936 to 1950
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Construction Records of U.S. Shipbuilding in World War II
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1938: Maritime Commission authorizes large merchant fleet
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History of the U.S. Merchant Marine since the Revolution
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1950: Functions of Maritime Commission transferred to
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takes over Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation
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Independent agencies of the United States government
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War I-vintage vessels which made up the bulk of the
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151:, USN (ret.), who had been the head of U.S. Navy's
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336:Allies' submarine offensive in the western Pacific
467:1942: Maine Merchant Marine Academy, later named
979:Defunct agencies of the United States government
551:Department of the Navy - Naval Historical Center
182:was requisitioned by the U.S. Navy and became
653:World War II Maritime Commission ship designs
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133:WWII United States Maritime Commission poster
23:Seal of the United States Maritime Commission
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420:as the first head of the Maritime Commission
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618:1945 Fact Sheet concerning the Commission
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29:United States Maritime Commission
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274:and many of the tankers became
191:Long Range Shipbuilding Program
431:Emergency Shipbuilding Program
352:National Defense Reserve Fleet
196:Emergency Shipbuilding program
142:President Roosevelt nominated
49:United States Maritime Service
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507:United States Merchant Marine
45:United States Merchant Marine
16:US federal agency (1936–1950)
512:U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
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37:United States Shipping Board
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33:Merchant Marine Act of 1936
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298:Army Transportation Corps
314:Roosevelt Administration
272:escort aircraft carriers
39:which had existed since
331:Merchant Ship Sales Act
553:. www.history.navy.mil
479:Department of Commerce
469:Maine Maritime Academy
429:1941 Beginning of the
222:, and others, notably
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212:merchant shipbuilding
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124:U.S. Maritime Service
119:naval auxiliary force
70:merchant shipbuilding
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246:refrigerator ships;
114:U.S. Merchant Marine
880:Miscellaneous-cargo
418:President Roosevelt
360:Ready Reserve Force
63:United States Lines
848:Type S4-SE2-BE1 ("
835:Type S4-SE2-BD1 ("
817:-class cable layer
804:Landing Ship, Tank
595:2011-02-28 at the
280:Landing Ship, Tank
264:attack cargo ships
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895:("Coastal Cargo")
856:attack cargo ship
822:Type S4-S2-BB3 ("
414:Joseph P. Kennedy
320:Post World War II
296:for the Navy and
268:attack transports
200:Ships for Victory
158:Howard L. Vickery
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947:Empire ship
945:See also:-
471:, opens in
459:Long Island
455:Kings Point
356:Vietnam War
282:(LST)s and
41:World War I
973:Categories
959:Ocean ship
889:("Lakers")
825:Casablanca
789:Type S2 ("
557:2013-03-28
533:References
442:1942: The
435:1942: The
256:T3 tankers
186:West Point
955:Park ship
951:Fort ship
919:("Barge")
768:T3 tanker
763:T2 tanker
758:T1 tanker
453:opens at
384:Abolition
184:USS
936:("Tugs")
593:Archived
493:See also
463:New York
404:Timeline
375:SS
329:and the
290:frigates
226:barges;
173:SS
107:Purposes
78:SS
56:SS
905:Type P2
899:Type P1
887:Type L6
867:Derrick
851:Artemis
838:Gilliam
815:Neptune
797:frigate
719:Type N3
713:Type C9
706:Type C8
699:Type C7
692:Type C6
686:Type C5
681:Type C4
676:Type C3
671:Type C2
666:Type C1
240:Type C4
236:Type C3
232:Type C2
228:Type C1
180:America
175:America
102:History
58:America
934:Type V
917:Type B
911:Type R
893:Type N
853:-class
840:-class
827:-class
794:-class
792:Tacoma
751:Tanker
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449:1942:
412:1937:
287:-class
285:Tacoma
270:, and
260:Type V
258:, and
254:, and
244:Type R
238:, and
224:Type B
870:Barge
483:MARAD
927:Tugs
574:ISBN
481:and
27:The
366:SS
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