![California in United States](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/California_in_United_States.svg)
California during World War II was a major contributor to the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
effort. California's long
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...
coastline provided the support needed for the
Pacific War
The Pacific War, sometimes called the Asia–Pacific War, was the theater of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and Oceania. It was geographically the largest theater of the war, including the vast ...
. California also supported the
war in Europe. After the
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
attack on Pearl Harbor
The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, on December 7, 1941, most of California's manufacturing was shifted to the war effort. California became a major ship builder and aircraft manufacturer. Existing military installations were enlarged and many new ones were built. California trained many of the troops before their oversea deployment. Over 800,000 Californians served in the
United States Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
. California agriculture, ranches and farms were used to feed the troops around the world.
California's long coastline also put the state in fear, as an attack on California seemed likely. California was used for the temporary and permanent
internment camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
s for
Japanese Americans
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
. The population of
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
grew significantly, largely due to servicemen who were stationed at the new military bases/training facilities and mass influx of workers from around the U.S. in the growing defense industries. With all the new economy activity, California was lifted out of the
great depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
. Over 500,000 people moved to California from other states to work in the growing economy. California expanded its oil and mineral production to keep up with the war demand.
History
Economics and population growth
A total of 12% of all U.S. Government war contracts were awarded to California companies. A total of 17% of the war materials were made in California.
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
,
natural gas
Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
, and
oil production
Petroleum is a fossil fuel that can be drawn from beneath the earth's surface. Reservoirs of petroleum was formed through the mixture of plants, algae, and sediments in shallow seas under high pressure. Petroleum is mostly recovered from oil dri ...
were active industries in California before World War II, and these rapidly expanded to support the war effort. Like
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the mines and mining towns came to life again, due to an increase in demand for gold, copper, and silver. California oil production doubled, the
synthetic rubber
A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About 32-million metric tons of rubbers are produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubbe ...
industry created in California and California agricultural output almost tripled. In 1941 California oil production was 230,263,000 barrels; by the end of the war in 1945 the output was 326,555,000 barrels.
Raw material
A raw material, also known as a feedstock, unprocessed material, or primary commodity, is a basic material that is used to produce goods, finished goods, energy, or intermediate materials that are feedstock for future finished products. As feedst ...
was also shipped to California from
Lend lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
U.S. Allies. After the attack on Pearl Harbor and America entered the war, there was a quick build of new military bases,
airfield
An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...
s, training camps, and other military installations. New military construction projects and the emerging war industries in California brought in tens of thousands of workers from across America. After the war, many stayed in California, with some others returning to their home states. Towns and cities next to military and industrial facilities grew and had an increase in the economy.
California's population in 1940 was 6,907,387 and by 1950 it had grown to 10,586,223, a 53.3% increase. California received one eighth of all war orders. With the manpower shortage many women entered the workforce in manufacturing and other jobs held by men in the past. As factories added more shifts, a variety of stores and services increase operating hours. To retain workers, some businesses increased their
employee benefits
Employee benefits and (especially in British English) benefits in kind (also called fringe benefits, perquisites, or perks) include various types of non-wage compensation provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries. Inst ...
. Many military personnel who were trained in California returned after the war to tour the state, so California's
tourist
Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tours. The World Tourism Organization defines tourism mo ...
industries began to grow.
Food production
California's mild climate made it ideal for year-round
food production
The food industry is a complex, global network of diverse businesses that supplies most of the food consumed by the world's population. The food industry today has become highly diversified, with manufacturing ranging from small, traditional, ...
. With many men overseas, there was labor shortage at
harvest time. The need for extra workers at harvest brought in housewives, students and
Scouts
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement employing the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, woodcraft, aquatics, hiking, backpacking ...
. Some businesses even loaned workers to help with harvest and
food packing as needed. The
Woman's Land Army of America
The Woman's Land Army of America (WLAA), later the Woman's Land Army (WLA), was a civilian organization created during the First and Second World Wars to work in agriculture replacing men called up to the military. Women who worked for the WLAA ...
was one of the organizations helping in food production. Even with the increase in food production there was mandatory
food rationing
Rationing is the controlled distribution of scarce resources, goods, services, or an artificial restriction of demand. Rationing controls the size of the ration, which is one's allowed portion of the resources being distributed on a particular ...
. Civilians were encouraged to plant
Victory garden
Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I ...
s to help with the food shortage. The slogan "grow your own, can your own", was started at start of the war and referred to families growing and
canning
Canning is a method of food preservation in which food is processed and sealed in an airtight container (jars like Mason jars, and steel and tin cans). Canning provides a shelf life that typically ranges from one to five years, although u ...
their own food in victory gardens. With its mild climate most victory gardens were grown almost year-round.
Tires and gasoline were also rationed.
Rationing of
wool
Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool.
As ...
fabric
Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not the ...
was also required during the war. This is one of the causes of the June 1943
Zoot Suit Riots
The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots that took place from June 3–8, 1943 in Los Angeles, California, United States, involving American servicemen stationed in Southern California and young Latino and Mexican American city residen ...
in Los Angeles.
Enemy aliens
![Japanese-AmericanserviceWorldWar2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/Japanese-AmericanserviceWorldWar2.jpg)
* After the attack on Pearl Harbor it was feared that some Japanese Americans might be loyal to the Empire of Japan and the
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...
. On February 19, 1942, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...
signed
Executive Order 9066, which authorized the
Secretary of War
The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...
to set some military zones for the
internment of Japanese Americans
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
. California had some of the U.S.
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...
camps and
Japanese Americans
are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
internment camp
Internment is the imprisonment of people, commonly in large groups, without charges or intent to file charges. The term is especially used for the confinement "of enemy citizens in wartime or of terrorism suspects". Thus, while it can simply ...
s.
War Relocation Authority
The War Relocation Authority (WRA) was a United States government agency established to handle the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. It also operated the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter in Oswego, New York, which was t ...
built both temporary and permanent relocation camps. As aliens they had to register in accordance with the law and were required to turn in all weapons and
short-wave radio
Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave (SW) radio frequencies. There is no official definition of the band, but the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), which extends from 3 to 30 MHz (100 to 10 m ...
s. Japanese Americans first were sent to one of California's 11 temporary relocation camps, like the two in southern California:
Pomona assembly center and the
Santa Anita assembly center. From these centers many were sent to other states and some were sent to California's
Manzanar War Relocation Center
Manzanar is the site of one of ten American concentration camps, where more than 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II from March 1942 to November 1945. Although it had over 10,000 inmates at its peak, it was one o ...
, California or the
Tule Lake War Relocation Center
The Tule Lake National Monument in Modoc County, California, Modoc and Siskiyou County, California, Siskiyou counties in California, consists primarily of the site of the Tule Lake War Relocation Center, one of ten concentration camps constructe ...
. Even with internment, a number of American-born Japanese (or
Nisei
is a Japanese-language term used in countries in North America and South America to specify the ethnically Japanese children born in the new country to Japanese-born immigrants (who are called ). The are considered the second generation, ...
) volunteered to join the U.S. armed services. The Nisei units fought well and are highly decorated units. Nisei joined all the U.S. armed branches, most joined the U.S. Army.
["The War Relocation Authority and The Incarceration of Japanese Americans During World War II: 1948 Chronology,]
Web page
at www.trumanlibrary.org. Retrieved September 11, 2006.
*
Camp Haan was built at near
March Air Reserve Base, the camp housed 1,200 Italian prisoners of war (POW). German POWs were also housed at the camp. The camp was named after Major General
William G. Haan
Major general (United States), Major General William George Haan (October 4, 1863 – October 26, 1924) was a senior United States Army Officer (armed forces), officer. He commanded the 32nd Infantry Division (United States), 32nd Division during ...
. In all
21 POW camps were built in California. A number of Italian POWs, pledged to help the United States. About 70% to 90% of the Italian POWs volunteered for
Italian Service Units
The Italian Service Units or ISUs were military units composed of Italian prisoners of war (POWs) that served with the Allies during World War II against Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan from May 1944 to October 1945. The armed forces of the Un ...
(ISU). Due to labor shortage the Italian Service Units helped on Army depots, arsenals, farms and hospitals, there they volunteered to work and received better housing, than the standard POW camps.
Camp Lamont
Camp Lamont also called Lamont Prisoner of War Base Camp was a World War II German Prisoners of War camp in the City of Lamont, California, 12 miles southwest from Bakersfield in Kern County. It was formed on December 2, 1944 by the US Department ...
was used for German POW volunteers to work on crops.
Camp Cooke held German POWs, now the site of
Vandenberg Air Force Base Vandenberg may refer to:
* Vandenberg (surname), including a list of people with the name
* USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145), USNS ''General Hoyt S. Vandenberg'' (T-AGM-10), transport ship in the United States Navy, sank as an artificial reef in K ...
. The
Stockton Ordnance Depot
The Stockton Ordance Depot was a World War II vehicle repair facility, supply depot, and camp for German and Italian prisoners of war. The installation was also used as a USAF radar station and a DLA Defense Distribution Center.
Acquisition
Con ...
held 1,500 German prisoners from May 1944 till June 1946.
Attacks on California
![Japanese fire balloon Moffett](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Japanese_fire_balloon_Moffett.jpg)
* On February 23, 1942, the Japanese
bombed the Ellwood Oil Field. The
Ellwood Oil Field
Ellwood Oil Field (also spelled "Elwood") and South Ellwood Offshore Oil Field are a pair of adjacent, partially active oil fields adjoining the city of Goleta, California, about west of Santa Barbara, largely in the Santa Barbara Channel. A r ...
and oil refinery are located in
Goleta, California
Goleta (; ; Spanish for "Schooner") is a city in southern Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It was incorporated as a city in 2002, after a long period as the largest unincorporated populated area in the county. As of the 2000 c ...
in the
Santa Barbara Channel
The Santa Barbara Channel is a portion of the Southern California Bight and separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the Oxnard Plain in Ventura Count ...
.
Japanese submarine I-17
''I-17'' was a Japanese B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy which saw service during World War II. This long-range submarine cruiser spent the early months of the war in the eastern Pacific and was the first Axis ship to shell the ...
fired 16 shells at the Oil Field from its deck gun before running. This attack along with the
Niihau Incident started the fear of
the invasion of California. There was great fear that the battle group that attacked Hawaii would come to California next. This also started the idea of the internment of Japanese Americans. There were no casualties in the attack. The total cost of the damage was approximately $1,000 (about $18,178 in 2022) .
News of the attack triggered an
invasion scare
An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
along the
West Coast of the United States
The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...
.
*
Fu-Go balloon bomb
was an deployed by Japan against the United States during World War II. A hydrogen balloon measuring in diameter, it carried a payload of two incendiary devices plus one anti-personnel bomb (or alternatively one incendiary bomb), and was ...
s were the other attack on California and 14 other states. Japanese launched fire bomb balloons across the Pacific Ocean. These high-altitude balloons carried bombs and incendiary explosives. In California 25 fire bomb balloons were found, none caused injuries in California. The balloon bombs were launched in Japan from November 3, 1944, to April 1945. On February 23, 1945, a
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
plane shot down a balloon near
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area ...
. On January 10, 1945, an
Army P-38 shot down a Fu-Go balloon near
Alturas, California
Alturas (Spanish for "Heights"; Achumawi: ''Kasalektawi'') is a city and the county seat of Modoc County, California. Located in the Shasta Cascade region of Northern California, the city had a population of 2,715 at the 2020 census. Altur ...
* Ships off the California coast were attacked: (escaped), (sank), (escaped), (sank), (damaged),
SS ''H.M. Storey'' (escaped, sank later),
SS ''Camden'' (sank), (damaged), (sank), (escaped),
SS ''Connecticut'' (damaged), (Sank), and
SS ''Idaho'' anker(minor damage). In the attacks, eight seamen were killed and others injured. After the attack on Pearl Harbor the
Imperial Japanese Navy
The Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN; Kyūjitai: Shinjitai: ' 'Navy of the Greater Japanese Empire', or ''Nippon Kaigun'', 'Japanese Navy') was the navy of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945, when it was dissolved following Japan's surrender ...
sent five
Submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
s,
I-17 I17 may also refer to:
* Interstate 17, an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States
* Japanese submarine ''I-17'', a B1 type submarine of the Imperial Japanese Navy
* Polikarpov I-17, a Soviet single ...
,
I-19,
I-23 I-25
Interstate 25 (I-25) is a major Interstate Highway in the western United States. It is primarily a north–south highway, serving as the main route through New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming. I-25 stretches from I-10 at Las Cruces, New Mexic ...
and
I-26, to attack ships off coastal California.
*
Due to fear California coastal cities turned off lights or blacked out windows at night. Some sandbagged their homes and businesses. Some radio stations went off the air and civil ships were ordered to stay in port. Commercial air travel was grounded.
A military defense system was installed up and down the coast, that included
blimp
A blimp, or non-rigid airship, is an airship (dirigible) without an internal structural framework or a keel. Unlike semi-rigid and rigid airships (e.g. Zeppelins), blimps rely on the pressure of the lifting gas (usually helium, rather than hydr ...
s, patrol ships,
artillery batteries
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to facil ...
, and aircraft.
* The great sense of fear caused what is called the
Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles, also known as the Great Los Angeles Air Raid, is the name given by contemporary sources to a rumored attack on the continental United States by Imperial Japan and the subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage which ...
. On February 24 and 25, 1942 Los Angeles thought it was under attack and so 1,440 rounds of U.S.
anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
ammunition was fired at what turned out to be a non-existent enemy. Reports of an unidentified aircraft started blackout and shooting of reported incoming aircraft. There was crazed and inaccurate reporting of the event at the time. The only damage in the city was self-inflicted from anti-aircraft fire coming down. The event exposed the defenselessness of the West Coast, as California was defended by only 16 modern warplanes at the time.
* After the war it was learned that there was a planned December 24, 1941 attack on
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of c ...
.
Japanese submarine I-10
''I-10'' was an Imperial Japanese Navy Type A1 submarine that served during World War II. Designed as a submarine aircraft carrier, she was commissioned in 1941 and supported the attack on Pearl Harbor, operated in the Indian Ocean — including ...
was to be the leader of seven other submarines that were to shell the
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
at San Diego Bay. The attack was called off with the subs only 20 miles off the California coast.
Ammunition
![PortChicagoAmmowork1943](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/PortChicagoAmmowork1943.jpg)
California was a major
ammunition
Ammunition (informally ammo) is the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon or weapon system. Ammunition is both expendable weapons (e.g., bombs, missiles, grenades, land mines) and the component parts of other weap ...
manufacturer for the war. Off the California coast, ships worked around the clock to harvest
kelp
Kelps are large brown algae seaweeds that make up the order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genera. Despite its appearance, kelp is not a plant - it is a heterokont, a completely unrelated group of organisms.
Kelp grows in "underwat ...
of the vast California
kelp forest
Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds. They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Ea ...
. The kelp's
nitrate
Nitrate is a polyatomic ion
A polyatomic ion, also known as a molecular ion, is a covalent bonded set of two or more atoms, or of a metal complex, that can be considered to behave as a single unit and that has a net charge that is not zer ...
,
actin
Actin is a family of globular multi-functional proteins that form microfilaments in the cytoskeleton, and the thin filaments in muscle fibrils. It is found in essentially all eukaryotic cells, where it may be present at a concentration of over ...
and
potash
Potash () includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. was used in the making of
gunpowder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...
. The largest World War II accident in California was the
Port Chicago disaster
The Port Chicago disaster was a deadly munitions explosion of the ship SS ''E. A. Bryan'' that occurred on July 17, 1944, at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in Port Chicago, California, United States. Munitions detonated while being loaded ont ...
. The
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...
SS ''E. A. Bryan'' exploded on July 17, 1944, while being loaded with ammunition. About 4,600 tons (4,173 tonnes) of explosives had been loaded in the ship's holds at the time. The explosion killed 320 sailors and civilians and injured 390 others. , situated next to SS ''E. A. Bryan'', was destroyed and a
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
fireboat sank. The trains at the port, the port's buildings and much of the surrounding town were severely damaged.
Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant
Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant is located just outside Riverbank, California, in Stanislaus County. The facility was built in 1942 as an aluminum reduction plant operated by Alcoa producing 48,000 tons per year for World War II aircraft manufac ...
in Stanislaus County and
Benicia Arsenal were two of the largest ammunition makers. In
San Bernardino
San Bernardino (; Spanish language, Spanish for Bernardino of Siena, "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a ...
the Western Stove Company built
incendiary bombs
Incendiary weapons, incendiary devices, incendiary munitions, or incendiary bombs are weapons designed to start fires or destroy sensitive equipment using fire (and sometimes used as anti-personnel weaponry), that use materials such as napalm, th ...
. Three California
Victory ship
The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slight ...
s loaded with 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) of ammunition for troops in the Pacific sank after
Kamikaze
, officially , were a part of the Japanese Special Attack Units of military aviators who flew suicide attacks for the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, intending to d ...
attacks. The three ammunition ships were the: , and .
Hollywood
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
's
motion-picture industry
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production company, production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre ...
continued to make
movies
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
during the war. In addition to
entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
s, Hollywood made
training film
A training film is a form of educational film – a short subject documentary movie, that provides an introduction to a topic. Both narrative documentary and dramatisation styles may be used, sometimes both in the same production. While most ...
s and films to raise morale. The 1942 film ''The Arm Behind the Army'' showed how important home support of the war was.
Bob Hope
Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films, with 5 ...
volunteered with the
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...
(USO) and entertained troops during World War II and for decades later (1941 to 1991). Hope brought many Hollywood stars with him on his USO tours. Overlapping with this was his movie career, spanning 1934 to 1972, and his USO tours, which he conducted from 1941 to 1991.
Desi Arnaz
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom ''I Lov ...
was stationed at
Birmingham General Army Hospital
Birmingham General Hospital was a World War II US Army Hospital in Van Nuys, California at the corner of Vanowen Street and Balboa Boulevard. The hospital was built in 1942 and 1943 to care for troops returning home from oversea service. The f ...
in
Van Nuys, California
Van Nuys () is a neighborhood in the central San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Home to Van Nuys Airport and the Valley Municipal Building, it is the most populous neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley.
History
In 1909, ...
during the war to entertain the troops there. Arnaz had a bad knee and so was transferred to the US Army Medical Corps. Arnaz also coordinated with the stars that visited the hospital. Arnaz was discharged on November 16, 1945.
War Bond sales
To help pay for the war the U.S. sold
war bonds
War bonds (sometimes referred to as Victory bonds, particularly in propaganda) are debt securities issued by a government to finance military operations and other expenditure in times of war without raising taxes to an unpopular level. They are a ...
. With its booming economy during World War II, Californians was one of the top of
U.S. War Bonds sold. Much of the advertising for war bonds was donated. The spirit of sacrifice was never stronger for the defense of democracy and a way of honoring the sacrifices of American troops. Named after the 1942 ''
Hollywood Victory Caravan
The Hollywood Victory Caravan was a two-week cross-country railroad journey in 1942 that brought together two dozen film stars to raise money for the Army and Navy Relief Society. It was sponsored by the Hollywood Victory Committee of Stage, Scree ...
'', Paramount-produced film promoted bond sales in a 1945, post War. The short film included Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Alan Ladd, William Demarest, Franlin Pangborn, Barbara Stanwyck, Humphrey Bogart, and others. Other heroes like boxing
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow (May 13, 1914 – April 12, 1981) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1934 to 1951. Nicknamed the Brown Bomber, Louis is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential boxers of all time. He rei ...
and
Joe DiMaggio
Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...
sold war bonds.
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
donated the original copies of his manuscript on the theory of relativity for auction to raise money for war bonds.
California National Guard
California National Guard
The California National Guard is part of the National Guard of the United States, a dual federal-state military reserve force. The CA National Guard has three components: the CA Army National Guard, CA Air National Guard, and CA State Guard. ...
was mobilized and called to active duty in August 1940. The US Army recruited the first group to deploy to the war in Europe. The others troops called up were sent to the Pacific war. Between 1940 and 1941 about 12,000 California National Guard troops were called up to service in federal duty. Some troops were used for the defense of California and Hawaii. California National Guard was used for coast patrols, security guards for the Army Air Force bases, railroad bridges, rail tunnels and major dams. Major training bases are
Camp Roberts and
Camp San Luis Obispo
Camp San Luis Obispo is the original home of the California Army National Guard. It served as an Infantry Division Camp and Cantonment Area for the United States Army during World War II.
History
Camp San Luis Obispo, formerly called Camp Merri ...
.
Civil defense
Due to the attack on Pearl Harbor and on California civil defense systems were started in California.
Office of Civilian Defense
Office of Civilian Defense was a United States federal emergency war agency set up May 20, 1941, by to co-ordinate state and federal measures for protection of civilians in case of war emergency. Its two branches supervised protective function ...
was founded on May 20, 1941, and the
Office of Civil Defense
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) was an agency of the United States Department of Defense from 1961–64. It replaced the Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization. The organization was renamed the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency on May 5, 197 ...
in May 1941. The
Civil Air Patrol
Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a congressionally chartered, federally supported non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CAP is a volunteer organization with an aviation-minded mem ...
was started on December 1, 1941, in which civilian planes and spotters were used in air reconnaissance, search-and-rescue, and transport. After the attacks on California the
Coast Guard Auxiliary
The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (USCGA, USCGAUX, CGAux, or USCG Aux) is the civilian uniformed volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. Congress established the unit on 23 June 1939, as the United States Coast Guard Reserve ...
, became very active in the use of civilian boats and crews for reconnaissance and search-and-rescue. Towers were built along coastal California, staffed with spotters to look for enemy aircraft working with the
Ground Observer Corps
The Ground Observer Corps (GOC), sometimes erroneously referred to as the Ground ''Observation'' Corps, was the name of two American civil defense organizations during the middle 20th century.
World War II organization
The first Ground Observer ...
.
In February 1942 the Federal government started ''
War Time
The history of standard time in the United States began November 18, 1883, when United States and Canadian railroads instituted standard time in time zones. Before then, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form ...
'', ending in September 1945. With ''War Time'' California time was renamed to ''
Pacific War Time'' with special
Daylight Savings
Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time or simply daylight time (United States, Canada, and Australia), and summer time (United Kingdom, European Union, and others), is the practice of advancing clocks (typicall ...
times. The
Women Airforce Service Pilots
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) (also Women's Army Service Pilots or Women's Auxiliary Service Pilots) was a civilian women pilots' organization, whose members were United States federal civil service employees. Members of WASP became t ...
(WASP) started on August 5, 1943, used 1,074 civilian women pilots to fly new warplanes from the factories to Army airfields for training and deployment points. WASP pilots also towed targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice, towed gliders for practice landings, simulated strafing missions, and transported cargo. WASP California headquarters was at
Santa Ana Army Air Base
Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) was a World War II-era air base located near Santa Ana, California. The air base was decommissioned in 1946, and part of the land was annexed by Costa Mesa in 1953. The air base was used for basic training, alth ...
,
Merced Army Airfield
Castle Air Force Base (Castle AFB, 1941–1995) is a former United States Air Force Strategic Air Command base in California, located northeast of Atwater, northwest of Merced, and about south of Sacramento.
The Central Valley base in unin ...
,
Minter Field Minter may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Minter, Alabama, an unincorporated community
*Minter Village, California, an unincorporated community
*Minter City, Mississippi
Minter City is an unincorporated community in Leflore County and ...
, and
Victorville Army Airfield
Victorville is a city in Victor Valley in San Bernardino County, California. Its population as of the 2020 census was 134,810.
History
In 1858, Aaron G. Lane came to what is now known as Victorville and founded a waystation called "Lane's Cro ...
Cal Aero Academy was a private flying academy hired by the Army Air Forces for pilot training.
Railroads
American railroads moved 70% of all
freight
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...
transported in the United States in 1940. During World War II the
passenger
A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...
and
freight
Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including transp ...
volume increased vastly. Railroads moved about 90% of the military's need cargo and transported 98% of military personnel. Railroads worked overtime to keep up with demand. It was patriotic to avoid all unnecessary travel, to give space needed for troop movement. Railroad brought troop to California training centers and camps. Railroad brought workers to California's growing
defense industry
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and servi ...
. During World War II rail-line moved to
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving whee ...
s and away from the labor-intensive
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
s. The Army had special
hospital cars built to move wounded soldiers, one operated out of San Francisco. Many cities still had local
tram
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport are ...
services like Los Angeles vast
Pacific Electric system.
Research
The development of new systems was a key to winning the war. World War 2 brought about many new technologies. Some California colleges and universities joined in the
V-12 Navy College Training Program
The V-12 Navy College Training Program was designed to supplement the force of commissioned officers in the United States Navy during World War II. Between July 1, 1943, and June 30, 1946, more than 125,000 participants were enrolled in 131 colleg ...
training volunteers for Navy commission.
Some California universities also had classes for
aeronautical engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary field of engineering concerned with the development of aircraft and spacecraft. It has two major and overlapping branches: Aeronautics, aeronautical engineering and Astronautics, astronautical engineering. A ...
, resident inspectors of ordinance and naval material, and a liaison for the
National Defense Research Committee
The National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) was an organization created "to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare" in the Un ...
.
*
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory (often shortened as Los Alamos and LANL) is one of the sixteen research and development laboratories of the United States Department of Energy (DOE), located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, ...
– Top secret
Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...
*
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
– aeronautical – wind tunnels – rocketry
*
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...
– Manhattan Project
*
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
– radar microwave research
*
University of California-San Diego
The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego or colloquially, UCSD) is a public land-grant research university in San Diego, California. Established in 1960 near the pre-existing Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego is t ...
–
Frequency modulation
Frequency modulation (FM) is the encoding of information in a carrier wave by varying the instantaneous frequency of the wave. The technology is used in telecommunications, radio broadcasting, signal processing, and Run-length limited#FM: .280. ...
Sonar
Sonar (sound navigation and ranging or sonic navigation and ranging) is a technique that uses sound propagation (usually underwater, as in submarine navigation) to navigation, navigate, measure distances (ranging), communicate with or detect o ...
to track multiple targets with a single ping and large Sonar crystals.
*
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public land-grant research university in Riverside, California. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The main campus sits on in a suburban distr ...
– V-12 Navy College
*
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
– V-12 Navy College –
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving whereby divers use breathing equipment that is completely independent of a surface air supply. The name "scuba", an acronym for "Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus", was coined by Chris ...
*
Occidental College
Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...
– V-12 Navy College
* Early
Penicillin
Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...
experiments were done at the Kaiser Richmond Shipyards.
*
Skunk Works
Skunk Works is an official pseudonym for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs (ADP), formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. It is responsible for a number of aircraft designs, beginning with the P-38 Lightning in 1 ...
– Planes and jets
*
Hewlett-Packard
The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. HP developed and provided a wide variety of hardware components ...
built
oscillator
Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum ...
s for
proximity fuze
A proximity fuze (or fuse) is a Fuze (munitions), fuze that detonates an Explosive material, explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value. Proximity fuzes are designed for targets such ...
and
microwave
Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency ran ...
Signal generator
A signal generator is one of a class of electronic devices that generates electrical signals with set properties of amplitude, frequency, and wave shape. These generated signals are used as a stimulus for electronic measurements, typically used i ...
used in radar and counter-radar measures.
*
Hedy Lamarr
Hedy Lamarr (; born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914 January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-born American film actress and inventor. A film star during Hollywood's golden age, Lamarr has been described as one of the greatest movie actress ...
Hollywood actor with George Antheil invented Frequency-hopping spread spectrum for the Navy.
Veterans
After the war Operation Magic Carpet started to bring the troops home, some brought home war brides. On October 30, 1944, Governor Earl Warren started the California Veteran's Commission. The Commission worked to help veterans re-entry into civilian life. The Commission working with United States Department of Veterans Affairs, California Military Department, state agencies, local governments, and community groups like: American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans. Many Veterans Health Administration facilities were opened in the state.
Veteran's Bond Act of 1943 helped veterans to purchase a home or farm. Veterans started families, that is called the Baby boom#United States, baby boom, birth rates increased in the Mid-twentieth century baby boom#North America, U.S. and California.
Manufacturing
Ship building
![12-3-1 Permanente-Nos1-4-25](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/12-3-1_Permanente-Nos1-4-25.jpg)
California became a major builder of ships for the war. Under the Emergency Shipbuilding program, cargo ships like Liberty ships and
Victory ship
The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slight ...
s were built in days, not the normal months. Ships that could be repaired overseas greatly reduced repair time, so Maritime history of California#California shipbuilding, California shipyards also built floating dry docks like the Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company#Large Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFDB), Large Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks and Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company#Medium Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFDM), Medium Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks. As fear of an attack on California seemed likely, the War Department requested some ships be built at an inland ports, so many new ships were built at the Port of Stockton, seventy nautical miles from the ocean. Henry J. Kaiser built day care centers at his shipyards in Richmond. Kaiser Steel was headquartered in Fontana, California. Some of the ships were given to the Allies of World War II through the Lend-Lease act of March 11, 1941. At the end of the war there was a surplus of ships and most shipyards were closed. Surplus ships were either sold or put into the United States Navy reserve fleets, Navy Reserve Fleet, like the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. California ship yards:
Los Angeles
Major
* California Shipbuilding in Wilmington, California, Wilmington, Liberty ship and Victory ship
** 306 Liberty cargo ships
** 101 Victory cargo ships
** 30 attack transports
** 30 tankers
* Consolidated Steel Corporation
** Consolidated Steel Wilmington shipyard, Wilmington
** Consolidated Steel Long Beach shipyard, Long Beach (formerly Craig Shipbuilding)
** 2 Type P1 ship, P1 attack transports
** 18 frigates
** 32 attack transports
** cargo: 133 Type C1 ships, 10 Type C2 ships
* Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro, 26 destroyers
* Todd Pacific Shipyards, Los Angeles Division in San Pedro, 10 large auxiliaries
** formerly Los Angeles Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation
* Western Pipe and Steel, 12 destroyer escorts, 11 cutters, 7 icebreakers, 32 Landing Ship Medium, LSM
Minor
* Hodgson-Greene-Haldeman, Long Beach, California, Long Beach, Type V ship wood tugboats.
* Fellows & Stewart in Wilmington, Sub chaser and rescue boat
* Harbor Boatbuilding at Terminal Island, Minesweeper, Torpedo Boat, Sub Chaser, & rescue boat
* Wilmington Boat Works in Wilmington, Sub Chaser, Harbor Tug, Rescue boat
* Pacific Boat, Terminal Island, Wood BC Deck Barge
* Patten-Blinn Lumber, Los Angeles, Knockdown Wood BK Barge
* Long Beach Boat, Long Beach Army J Boat
* J. E. Haddock Company, San Pedro, Auxiliary floating drydock#Small Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks (AFD – AFDL), AFDL42 Float dock
* Al Larson Boat Shop in San Pedro, Minesweeper and Sub Chaser
* American Pipe in Los Angeles, Barges
* Standard Steel in Los Angeles, Steel Barge BK
* Ashbridge Boatworks Los Angeles Army J Passenger Boat
* San Pedro Boatworks, San Pedro, Army J Patrol Boat
* Garbutt-Walsh Inc. in San Pedro, covered Barge
* Wilson Company in Wilmington, US Army Tug
* United Concrete Pipe Corporation in Long Beach ships
* Peyton Company in Newport Beach, Sub Chaser and Harbor Tug
* Ackerman Boat in Newport Beach, Sub Chaser and Harbor Tug
San Francisco
Major
* Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation
** Union Iron Works
*** 4 cruisers, 36 destroyers, 12 destroyer escorts, 5 cargo
** Alameda Works Shipyard
*** 8 P2 transports
* Richmond Shipyards :
** Kaiser Richmond No. 1 Yard; Oceans, Libertys, Victorys
** Kaiser Richmond No. 2 Yard; Liberty, Victory
** Kaiser Richmond No. 3 Yard; Type C4-class ship
** Kaiser Richmond No. 4 Yard; Landing Ship, Tanks (LST)s, Tugs
* Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, Vallejo, 31 destroyer escorts, 18 submarines
* Moore Dry Dock Company in Oakland, California, Oakland, Type C2 ship, C2 Cargo
* Western Pipe and Steel Company in San Francisco, Cargo
* Marinship, in Sausalito, California, Sausalito
** 78 T2 tankers, 15
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...
s
Minor
* Moore Dry Dock Company#Shipbuilding in Oakland and Alameda, Oakland Estuary
** United Engineering Company, 21 fleet tugs
** General Engineering, 23 steel minesweepers and 4 steel net layers
** Pacific Coast Engineering
** Pacific Bridge Company
** Cryer & Sons, Four Navy coastal cargo ships
** W. F. Stone & Son, Minesweeper, Tug and Sub Chaser
** Independent Iron Works, Barge
** Poole & McGonigle, YFD-19
* Hunters Point Naval Shipyard (repairs only?)
* Kneass Boat Works in San Francisco Five Sub Chaser and a Tug
* Hunt Marine Service in Richmond, patrol boat, tug
* Soule Steel in San Francisco, Barge
* Judson Pacific, San Francisco, Steel BG Gasoline Barge
* Barrett & Hilp in San Francisco, Type B ship#Concrete Barge, concrete barge
* Anderson & Cristofani in San Francisco Patrol Craft (YP), APc
* California Steel Products in Richmond, Gasoline Barge
* Martinolich Shipbuilding Company, San Francisco, Self-Propelled Barge
* Madden, Lewis in Sausalito, Tug
* Sausalito Shipbuilding in Sausalito, Steel Barges
Other
* Pollock-Stockton Shipbuilding Company in Stockton, California, Stockton, Net layer, Dry dock#Floating, Dry Dock
* Eureka Shipbuilding, Fields Landing, California, Fields Landing tugboats
* Concrete Ship Constructors in National City, California, National City Type B ship barges
* Barrett & Hilp, Concrete Ships in South San Francisco – barges
* Colberg Boat Works in Stockton, Minesweeper, Tug, Sub chaser
* Stephens Bros. Boat Builders in Stockton, Picket Boat, Tug, Crash rescue boat, Rescue Boat
* Hickinbotham Brothers in Stockton (Guntert and Zimmerman ), Barge, Cargo, Tug
* Kyle and Company in Stockton, Coastal tanker
* Clyde W. Wood in Stockton, Tug, Cargo
* Nicholson, D. W. in Stockton, San Leandro and Oakland, Wood BC Deck barge
* Stockton Steel Fabrications Company in Stockton
* Basalt Rock Company in Napa, Rescue Ship, barge
* Campbell Industries in San Diego, four minesweepers
* Fulton Shipyard in Antioch, Minesweeper, Tug, and Troopship
* Chicago Bridge Eureka, Eureka, AFDM
* National Steel and Shipbuilding Company NASSCO in San Diego, US Army KD Barges
* Lynch Shipbuilding in San Diego, Rescue Tug and Coastal cargo
* San Diego Marine, San Diego, Minesweeper and Sub Chaser
* South Coast Shipbuilding in Newport Beach, Minesweeper, Sub Chaser and Crash boat
* Victory Shipbuilding in Newport Beach, Harbor Tug and Sub Chaser
* Moore Equipment Company in Stockton YSD
* Aetna Iron & Steel in San Diego YSR Barge
* Sacramento Shipbuilders in Sacramento, Barge
* Stanwood Shipyard in Stanwood, BCL Wood Barge
* Krem, Kau & Son, Pittsburg, Army J Passenger Boat
* Steinbrenner, Otto, Sacramento, Wood BC Deck Barge
* Olson Lumber, Alhambra, Knockdown Wood BK Barge
* National Iron Works, San Diego, Knockdown Steel BK Barge
Aircraft manufacturers
Built in California during World War 2 were: B-17 Flying Fortress, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Douglas SBD Dauntless, Douglas A-26 Invader, Lockheed Ventura, Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar, Lockheed P-2 Neptune, Lockheed Constellation, Douglas P-70 Nighthawk, Douglas DC-5, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, Douglas BTD Destroyer, Douglas A-33, Douglas TBD Devastator, Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, Northrop A-17, Northrop BT, Northrop N-3PB, Northrop P-61 Black Widow, McDonnell FH Phantom, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf, Consolidated B-32 Dominator, Consolidated P-30, North American B-25 Mitchell, North American P-51 Mustang, Vultee A-31 Vengeance, Vultee BT-13 Valiant, Vultee P-66 Vanguard, Vultee V-11, Interstate Cadet, North American T-6 Texan, Douglas A-20 Havoc, Lockheed C-69 Constellation, Consolidated PBY Catalina, Interstate TDR, Timm N2T Tutor, Ryan PT-22 Recruit, Ryan ST and the Waco CG-4, Waco CG-4 / Timm CG-4A . The Lockheed Hudson built in Burbank was delivered to Canada and then the United Kingdom starting in 1939. By the end of the war California had 70% of the aerospace manufacturing in the United States and had built over 200,000 planes. Hughes H-4 Hercules, Victory Trainer and Bartlett Zephyr were built in California, but not used. The
California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech or CIT)The university itself only spells its short form as "Caltech"; the institution considers other spellings such a"Cal Tech" and "CalTech" incorrect. The institute is also occasional ...
in Pasadena, California started a ''School of Aeronautics'' and other aeronautic research labs in the early 1920s, this helped California become a major aerospace manufacturing center.
Aerospace manufacturer, Aircraft manufacturers of World War II in California:
* Douglas Aircraft Company in Santa Monica, California, Santa Monica, El Segundo, California, El Segundo, Long Beach, California, Long Beach, and Torrance, California, Torrance
* Lockheed Corporation in Burbank
* Vega Aircraft Corporation in Burbank
* Northrop Corporation in Hawthorne, California, Hawthorne
* Hughes Aircraft Company in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, Playa Vista and Culver City
* McDonnell Aircraft Corporation in Long Beach
* Consolidated Aircraft in San Diego
* Ryan Aeronautical in San Diego
* North American Aviation in Inglewood
* Glenn L. Martin Company in Santa Ana, HQ and design only
* Harlow Aircraft Company in Alhambra, California, Alhambra
* Convair in San Diego
* Vultee Aircraft in Burbank and Downey, California, Downey
* Interstate Aircraft in El Segundo, California, El Segundo
* O.W. Timm Aircraft Company in Van Nuys
* Bartlett Aircraft in Rosemead, California, Rosemead
* Hiller Aircraft in Berkeley, California, Berkeley
* Morrow Aircraft Corporation in San Bernardino, California, San Bernardino
*
Skunk Works
Skunk Works is an official pseudonym for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs (ADP), formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. It is responsible for a number of aircraft designs, beginning with the P-38 Lightning in 1 ...
design HQ in Burbank
Vehicles manufacturers
![Stuart m5a1 cfb borden 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Stuart_m5a1_cfb_borden_4.JPG)
During World War II all California civilian automobile manufacturing ended.
* General Motors South Gate Assembly built M5 Stuart, Stuart M-5 and M5A1 Light Tanks at 500 per month.
* General Motors Oakland Assembly built Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and munitions.
* Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Richmond built 49,399 jeeps. The Ford plant also did completion work on tanks, armored personnel carriers, armored cars and other military vehicles. Ford's Long Beach plant was leased to the Air Force and used as an Air Base.
* Willys-Overland Maywood, California plant was used by Lockheed to build subassemblies for Lockheed Hudson.
* Chrysler of California, Los Angeles, built 12,214 aircraft engines, 4,100 B-17 cabins and 688 PV-2 Harpoon cabins.
* Studebaker Pacific Corporation of Los Angeles built engines for the B-17s and PV-2 Harpoons being built in Burbank.
* Menasco Motors Company in Burbank, built aircraft landing gear for North American, Lockheed, Republic, General Dynamics, and other aircraft manufacturers. Menasco continued this work after the war.
* Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Los Angeles built 1,550 turrets used on M5 tanks. Firestone also built 3,100 M5 Continuous track, tank tracks.
Military installations
Like other states in the Southwest United States, desert Southwest, many of the new military installations built were United States Army airbases. California's weather, wide open spaces, railroad connections, and access to ocean made it an ideal location for training pilots, also armored vehicles operators.
Desert Training Center
The largest United States Army training installation in the history of the United States was the Desert Training Center. To prepare troops for the battles in the North African campaign, the army had General Patton build many desert training camps in Southern California and a few in Arizona. The camps were built in the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert. The open space let the Army and United States Army Air Forces, Army Air Corps use live fire to train troops, test and develop equipment. Tactical doctrines, techniques, and training methods for combat were developed from this training. From 1 April 1942 to 1 July 1944, the complete training area covered 18,000 square miles. The camp reached from Pomona, California east to almost to Phoenix, Arizona and from Yuma, Arizona northward into the southern tip of Nevada.
California Army Divisional Camps
* Camp Clipper and Camp Essex
* Camp Coxcomb
* Camp Granite
* Camp Ibis
* Camp Iron Mountain
* Camp Pilot Knob
* Camp Young – Desert Training Center Headquarters
California Army Depots
* Camp Freda Quartermaster Depot
* Camp Desert Center
* Camp Goffs – Depot and Infantry training.
* Pomona Ordnance Depot
California Army Airfields
![CampGoffsArmyField](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/CampGoffsArmyField.JPG)
* Major airfields
** Blythe Airport, Blythe Army Air Base
** Desert Center Airport (California), Desert Center Army Airfield
** Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport, Thermal Army Airfield
** Rice Army Airfield
** Shavers Summit Army Airfield (now Chiriaco Summit Airport)
* Minor airfields
** Camp Coxcomb Army Field (abandoned)
** Camp Essex Army Field (abandoned)
** Camp Goffs Army Field (abandoned)
** Camp Ibis Army Field (abandoned)
** Camp Iron Mountain Army Field
Desert Training Center California Hospitals
* Banning General Hospital (Banning, CA)
* Camp Freda Quartermaster Depot, Camp Freda Hospital
* Camp Desert Center#92nd Army medical unit, Camp Desert Center Hospital
* Camp Goffs, Camp Goffs Hospital
* Torney General Hospital
* Needles Station Hospital
* Cherry Valley Hospital
US Army Bases
For World War 2 existing California Army bases were enlarged and many new bases were built. Bases were used for induction, training, deployment, supply depots, hospitals and housing of POWs.
* Fort Irwin
* Fort Ord
* Camp Funston
* Fort Hunter Liggett
* Parks Reserve Forces Training Area
* Presidio of Monterey, California, Presidio of Monterey
* Military Ocean Terminal, Military Ocean Terminal Concord
* Camp Anza
* Camp Callan
* Camp Kearny
* Salinas Garrison
* Camp Lockett
* Fort Emory
* Oakland Army Base
* Fort Funston
* Fort MacArthur
* Camp Ashby
* Fort Mason
* Angel Island (California)#Fort McDowell, Fort McDowell
* Fort Miley Military Reservation
* Camp McQuaide
* Camp Stoneman
* Fort Point, San Francisco, Fort Point
* Letterman Army Hospital
* Hoff General Hospital
* Fort Baker
* Fort Bragg, California, Fort Bragg
* Camp Tanforan
* Oakland Army Base
* Presidio of San Francisco
* Sacramento Army Depot
* San Carlos War Dog Training Center
* Camp Seeley El Centro
* Camp Pinedale
* Fresno Army Air Forces Training Center
* Santa Anita Ordnance Training Center
* Camp Roberts Army Base Monterey
*
Camp San Luis Obispo
Camp San Luis Obispo is the original home of the California Army National Guard. It served as an Infantry Division Camp and Cantonment Area for the United States Army during World War II.
History
Camp San Luis Obispo, formerly called Camp Merri ...
, (Camp Merriam)
* San Joaquin Depot
** Sharpe Facility
** Tracy Facility
** Lathrop Holding and Reconsignment
** Lathrop Engineering Depot
*
Stockton Ordnance Depot
The Stockton Ordance Depot was a World War II vehicle repair facility, supply depot, and camp for German and Italian prisoners of war. The installation was also used as a USAF radar station and a DLA Defense Distribution Center.
Acquisition
Con ...
* Sierra Army Depot in Herlong
* Birmingham General Hospital, California, Birmingham General Hospital
* Mitchell Convalescent Hospital
* Camp Ross
*
Benicia Arsenal
* Camp Ono for POWs
* Fort Barry
* Fort Cronkhite
* Fort Ord Station Veterinary Hospital
* DeWitt General Hospital
* Camp Kohler
* Camp Shoemaker
* Camp Flint
* Camp Tulelake
* Camp Tracy (California), Camp Tracy
* Radar Station B-71
* Battery Chamberlin
*
Camp Lamont
Camp Lamont also called Lamont Prisoner of War Base Camp was a World War II German Prisoners of War camp in the City of Lamont, California, 12 miles southwest from Bakersfield in Kern County. It was formed on December 2, 1944 by the US Department ...
for POWs
* Milagra Ridge, Milagra Ridge Military Reservation
* Camp Ayres – Chino Supply Depot – Camp Chino
* Pillar Point Military Reservation
* Santa Monica Army Air Forces Redistribution Center
* Hammond General Hospital
Air bases and airfield
Existing United States Army Air Corps air bases were enlarged to house and train the many new crews needed. Almost all civilian airports and airstrips were converted to Army Air training centers. Almost all civilian air flights were cancelled. Many new airstrips and landing pads were built for pilot landing and take-off training. Air bases had housing and meals for the troops. Some airstrips and landing pads had no support buildings, as they were used only for landing and take-off training.
United States Army Air Corps World War II bases, airstrips and landing pads in California:
* Beale Air Force Base (Camp Beale), Marysville
* Muroc Army Airfield now Edwards Air Force Base
** March Air Reserve Base, March Field, Riverside
* McClellan Air Force Base, Sacramento
* Fairfield-Suisun Air Force Base now Travis Air Force Base
* Vandenberg Air Force Base, Camp Cooke now Vandenberg Air Force Base, Lompoc
* Los Alamitos Army Airfield, Los Alamitos Joint Forces Training Base
* Lemoore Army Air Field
* Long Beach Army Air Field
* Lomita Flight Strip
* Ontario Army Air Field
* San Bernardino Army Air Field
* Van Nuys Army Air Field
* Chino Airport
* Oxnard Air Force Base
* Clover Field
* Merced Army Air Field
* Camp Merced
* Grand Central Air Terminal
* Lockheed Air Terminal
* Mines Field
* Victorville Army Air Field
* Hamilton Army Airfield
* Bakersfield Army Air Field
* Mather Air Force Base
* Norton Air Force Base
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Salton Sea
* McClellan Field
* McChesney Field
* Hammer Field
* Santa Monica Army Air Base
* Gardner Army Airfield
* Bicycle Lake Army Airfield
*
Minter Field Minter may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Minter, Alabama, an unincorporated community
*Minter Village, California, an unincorporated community
*Minter City, Mississippi
Minter City is an unincorporated community in Leflore County and ...
* Santa Maria Army Air Field
* Lookout Mountain Air Force Station
* Chico Field
* Wendover Air Force Base`
*
Santa Ana Army Air Base
Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB) was a World War II-era air base located near Santa Ana, California. The air base was decommissioned in 1946, and part of the land was annexed by Costa Mesa in 1953. The air base was used for basic training, alth ...
* Palm Springs Air Base
* Fresno Air Base
* Chiriaco Summit Airport
* Bishop Army Airfield
* Blythe Army Airfield
* Palmdale Army Airfield
* Gary Army Airfield
* Oakland Municipal Airport
* Chico Army Air Field
* Reno Army Air Base
* Barstow-Daggett Airport
* Mira Loma Quartermaster Depot
* Montague Air Force Auxiliary Field
* Napa Army Airfield
* Willows Municipal Airport
* Redding Army Airfield
* Siskiyou County Army Airfield
* Salinas Army Air Base
* Delano Army Airfield
* Capitola Airport
* Meadows Field
* Visalia Army Airfield
* Hayward Army Airfield
* Orland Auxiliary Field
* Kirkwood Auxiliary Field
* Vina Auxiliary Field
* Campbell Auxiliary Field
* Oroville Auxiliary Field
* Sacramento Municipal Airport
* Oroville Army Airfield
* Siskiyou County Army Airfield
* Redding Army Airfield
* Boston Field
* Huron Field
* Indian Field
* Murray Army Field, Murray Field
* West Field
* Helm Field
* Corcoran Municipal Airport
* Porterville Army Airfield
* Coalinga Municipal Airport (Old)
* Buffalo Springs Airport
* Needles Army Airfield
* Shavers Summit Army Airfield
* Rice Army Airfield
* Half Moon Bay Flight Strip
* Estrella Army Airfield
* Santa Rosa Army Airfield
* Thermal Army Airfield
* Corcoran Airport
* Douthitt Strip
* Dos Palos Airport
* Trauger Auxiliary Field
* Hunter Auxiliary Field
* Caliente Flight Strip
* Franklin Field (California), Franklin Auxiliary Airfield
* Hawthorne Municipal Airport (California), Hawthorne Municipal Airport
* Hayward Executive Airport
* Hemet-Ryan Airport
* Independence Airport
* Inyo County Airport
* Lancaster Airport (California), Lancaster Airport
* Adamson Landing Field
* Mefford Field Airport
* Palo Alto Airport
* Gibbs Auxiliary Field
* New Jerusalem Auxiliary Airfield
* Porterville Army Airfield
* Rankin Field
* Redding Army Air Field
* Lindbergh Field
* San Francisco Airport
* Sequoia Field
* Stockton Army Airfield
* Sherman Army Airfield (California), Sherman Army Airfield
* Kingdon Airpark, Kingsbury Auxiliary Airfield
* Tracy Municipal Airport (California), Tracy Auxiliary Airfield
* Modesto City-County Airport, Modesto Auxiliary Airfield
* Twenty Nine Palms Army Airfield
* Visalia Army Air Field
* War Eagle Field
* Willows-Glenn Airport
* Winters-Davis Flight Strip
* Marysville Army Airfield
* Parker Auxiliary Airfield
* Kern Field Auxiliary Airfield
* Allen Auxiliary Airfield
* Conners Auxiliary Airfield
* Taft Auxiliary Airfield
* Cuyama Auxiliary Airfield
* Wasco Auxiliary Airfield
* Pond Auxiliary Field
* Famoso Auxiliary Airfield
* Dunlap Auxiliary Airfield
* Semi-tropic Auxiliary Airfield
* Poso Auxiliary Airfield
* Lost Hills Auxiliary Airfield,
* Hawes Auxiliary Airfield
* Helendale Auxiliary Airfield
* Howard Auxiliary Field
* Athlone Auxiliary Field
* Potter Auxiliary Field
* Liberty Auxiliary Field
* Victory Field Auxiliary Field
* Grand Central Air Terminal
* Montgomery Field
* Condor Field
* Fort Ord Army Airfield
* Fritzsche AAF
* Panamint Spring Auxiliary Airfield
* Peik Auxiliary Field
US Naval Bases
United States Navy's main marine bases were located in the deepwater ports of:
San Diego Bay
San Diego Bay is a natural harbor and deepwater port located in San Diego County, California near the U.S.–Mexico border. The bay, which is long and wide, is the third largest of the three large, protected natural bays on California's of c ...
, Port of Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay and the Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel. The United States Navy in World War II, US Navy during WW2 United States Pacific Fleet, Pacific Fleet operated: ports, supply depots and airfields for Aircraft carrier#World War II, aircraft carrier training, also List of airships of the United States Navy, blimps used for patrol of the coast. Post World War II many shipyards became home of the Pacific Reserve Fleet used to store the many surplus ships.
United States Navy World War II bases and stations in California:
* Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California, with Mare Island Naval Hospital
* Naval Base San Diego, San Diego
* Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
* Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, China Lake Armitage Field
* Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu
* San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard
* Hunters Point Naval Shipyard
* Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey
* Naval Air Station Alameda
* Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, Seal Beach
* Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Point Mugu
* Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme
* Parks Reserve Forces Training Area
* Naval Hospital Santa Margarita Ranch
* Naval Reserve Center Santa Barbara
* Naval Medical Center San Diego
* Naval Medical Research Unit One
* Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego
* Fort Rosecrans, now Naval Base Point Loma
* Naval Air Base San Pedro
* Inyokern Auxiliary Field
* Naval Base Coronado
* Naval Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme
* Naval Auxiliary Landing Field San Clemente Island
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Monterey
* Long Beach Naval Shipyard
* Crescent City Outlying Field
* Army and Navy Academy
* Terminal Island San Pedro
* Point Arguello, Point Arguello Radio Station
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Twentynine Palms
* Naval Outlying Landing Field Imperial Beach
* Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center in Los Angeles
* Naval Air Station, Santa Ana
* Moffett Federal Airfield – Naval Air Station
* Naval Training Center San Diego
* Rockwell Field
* Camp Hydle
* Half Moon Bay Flight Strip
* Naval Station Treasure Island
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Ream Field
* Morris Reservoir Naval Weapons Test Site
* Naval Outlying Landing Field San Nicolas Island
* Rough and Ready Island Naval Supply Depot in Stockton
* Naval Amphibious Base Coronado
* McCormack General Hospital
* Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
* Watsonville Airport
* Silver Strand Training Complex
* Camp Morena
* Naval Outlying Field, Ocotillo Dry Lake
* Naval Postgraduate School
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Vernalis
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station, San Luis Obispo
* Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range
* Carrizo Impact Area
* Navy Broadway Complex
* Naval Air Auxiliary Station Watsonville
* Naval Auxiliary Landing Field Santa Rosa
* Naval Advance Base Personnel Depot, San Bruno
* Auxiliary Air Station Monterey
* Naval Landing Force Equipment Depot in Albany, California
* Arcata, Naval Auxiliary Air Station
* Camp Kearny
* NASA Crows Landing Airport
* Naval Hospital Corona
* NAAS Brown Field
* King City Naval Auxiliary Air Station
* Amphibious Training Base, Castroville
* U.S. Naval Air Facility Del Mar
* Del Monte Navy Pre-Flight School
* Dixon Naval Radio Transmitter Facility
* Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Lompoc
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Hollister
* Holtville Naval Auxiliary Air Station
* Sand Hill Naval Auxiliary Landing Field
* Naval Air Station Livermore
* Naval Station Newport
* Moffett Field airship hangars
* Naval Air Transport Service
* Concord Naval Weapons Station
* Point Molate Naval Fuel Depot
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Miramar
* V-12 Navy College Training Program, V-12 Navy College in Loma Linda, University of California, Riverside, Redlands, University of California, Los Angeles, UC and
Occidental College
Occidental College (informally Oxy) is a private liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California. Founded in 1887 as a coeducational college by clergy and members of the Presbyterian Church, it became non-sectarian in 1910. It is one of the oldes ...
* Long Beach Army Airfield
* Skaggs Island Naval Communication Station
* Naval Auxiliary Air Station Salton Sea
* Fleet and Industrial Supply Center, Oakland
* Naval Hospital Oakland
* United States Navy Net Depot Tiburon
* Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Mills Field
* Naval Convalescent Hospital, Santa Cruz
* Amphibious Training Base Morro Bay
* Building 101 (San Francisco), Navy Building 101 in San Francisco
* Yosemite Naval Convalescent Hospital at the Ahwahnee Hotel
* San Leandro Naval Hospital
* Treasure Island Naval Auxiliary Air Facility
* Field Clark's Dry Lake
* Borrego Hotel Naval Outlying Landing Field
* Borrego Hotel Target Area
* Benson Bombing Range
* North Coyote Wells Naval Outlying Landing Field
* South Coyote Wells Naval Outlying Landing Field
* Jacumba Airport
* Rosedale Naval Outlying Landing Field
* Border Naval Outlying Landing Field
* Ramona Bombing Target and Emergency Landing Field, Ramona Landing Field
* Eureka Auxiliary Field
* Arcata Naval Auxiliary Air Station
* Naval Industrial Reserve Repair Facility, Oakland
* Naval Reserve Armory, Oakland
* Naval Hospital Long Beach
* Alameda Naval Hospital
* Naval Convalescent Hospital Beaumont
* Naval Convalescent Hospital Arrowhead Springs
* Abel Field Outlying Field
* Brown-Fabian Airport Outlying Field
* Cope Field Outlying Field
* Gelderman Airport Outlying Field
* Heath NOLF
* Linderman Airport Outlying Field
* Livermore Airport Outlying Field
* May's School Field Outlying Field
* Rita Butterworth Airport Outlying Field
* Spring Valley Airport Outlying Field
* Wagoner Airport Outlying Field
* Camp Parks
* Camp Shoemaker
* U.S. Naval Hospital Shoemaker
* Naval Outlying Landing Field Cotati
* Naval Outlying Landing Field Anaheim
* Naval Outlying Field Palisades
* Mile Square Farm Naval Outlying Field
* Haster Farm Naval Outlying Landing Field
* Horse Farm Naval Outlying Landing Field
* Seal Beach Naval Outlying Landing Field
* Otay-Mesa Naval Auxiliary Air Station
* Sweetwater Dam Naval Outlying Landing Field
* San Clemente Naval Auxiliary Air Station
US Marine Corps
Camp Pendleton became the main training grounds for training Marines including landing craft school, amphibious tractor school, beach battalion school, Amphibious warfare, amphibious communications school, and a medical field service school. Skills that would be used across the Leapfrogging (strategy), island hopping in the Pacific War and the war in Europe.
* Camp Pendleton San Diego
* Marine Corps Air Station Miramar San Diego
* Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Barstow, Yermo Quartermaster Sub-Depot
* Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego San Diego
* Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton
* El Toro Marine Corps Air Station
* Tustin Marine Corps Air Station
* Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara
* Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range
* Camp Elliott
* Camp Matthews
* Gillespie Field
* Camp Las Pulgas Bivouac Area
* Camp Ensign
* Ensign Ranch Airfield
* Camp Dunlap
US Coast Guard
In times of war, like during World War II, the
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
operated as a branch of the Department of the Navy. In California the Coast Guard operated out of the United States naval districts#12th Naval District, 12th Naval District. History of the United States Coast Guard#The 1940s, Coast Guard's World War 2 Navy support included use of Coast Guard cutters, patrol boats, bases, stations and lighthouses. Patrols and search and rescue missions being the main task.
["Ocean Weather Ships 1940–1980"](_blank)
Capt. R. P. Dinsmore, USCG (Ret). Retrieved 26 May 2014.[Bloodstained Sea, by Michael G. Walling, pp. 6–8][Mitchell Zuckoff, Frozen in Time p. 332]
United States Coast Guard World War II bases in California:
* Coast Guard Island Alameda
* Coast Guard Air Station San Diego
* Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow
* Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco
* Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego
* Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
* Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range
* Coast Guard Station Golden Gate
* Hamilton Cove Seaplane Base
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine operated merchant ships out of California US Navy and private ports to supply goods needed around the world. Most merchant ships operated with Merchant navy#U.S. Merchant Marine, civilian merchants and United States Navy Armed Guard, US Navy armed guards to man the deck guns under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. Merchant Marine operated many different types of ships, the most numerous type was the
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...
s and
Victory ship
The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by North American shipyards during World War II to replace losses caused by German submarines. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slight ...
s. Merchant Marine training was conducted by the Coast Guard.
The Maritime Service established several Merchant Marine training centers in California for World War 2:
* Port Hueneme, California (1941–1942)
* Avalon, California (1942–1945)
* Government Island (California), Government Island, California (1938–1943) (officers training also)
Gallery
File:"Let's give him enough and on time" - NARA - 514869.jpg, Norman Rockwell's ''Let's Give Him Enough and On Time''
File:USS Wadleigh (DD-689) at Mare Island Naval Yard, stern view.jpg, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 10 April 1945.
Image:Lockheed A-29 Hudson USAAF in flight c1941.jpg, Lockheed Hudson in flight in 1941
File:Pomona, California. General view of assembly center being constructed on Pomona Fair Grounds for ev . . . - NARA - 536837.jpg, Pomona assembly center, temporary Detention Camp for Japanese Americans
File:SantaAnitaassemblycenter.jpg, Santa Anita assembly center 1942 with Military police, temporary detention Camp for Japanese Americans
File:Victory cargo ships are lined up at a U.S. west coast shipyard.jpg, Victory cargo ships are lined up at California Shipbuilding Corporation in Los Angeles, California.
File:Liberty Ship scaler HD-SN-99-02466.JPG, Eastine Cowner, a former waitress, at work on the Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Mass ...
at the Kaiser shipyards, Richmond, California, in 1943.
File:Women working at Douglas Aircraft.jpg, Women at work on bomber, Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California in October 1942
File:Lockheed plant, ca. 1942.jpg, P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive tw ...
assembly line at the Lockheed plant, Burbank, California.
File:North American Aviation plant, Inglewood, CA.jpg, B-25 Mitchell bomber production line at the North American Aviation plant, Inglewood, California, October 1942.
Image:WWII_USA_Ration_Book_3_Front.jpg, Rationing in the United States, US Ration Book No. 3 circa 1943, front
File:"How to Shop With Ration Book Two" - OAC - bk0007t0n59.jpg, "How to Shop With Ration Book Two", 1943 poster
Image:Battle of Los Angeles LATimes.jpg, Battle of Los Angeles
The Battle of Los Angeles, also known as the Great Los Angeles Air Raid, is the name given by contemporary sources to a rumored attack on the continental United States by Imperial Japan and the subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage which ...
, Photos from ''Los Angeles Times'', 26 February 1942
Image:Victory-garden.jpg, American WWII-era poster promoting Victory garden
Victory gardens, also called war gardens or food gardens for defense, were vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens planted at private residences and public parks in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Germany during World War I ...
s
Image:These soldiers go up in the air to prove that the Army's new quarter ton truck can take it. - NARA - 195336.jpg , Army testing a California Ford Willys MB, GP (jeep) in 1941.
Image:Third-War-Loan-Schrieber-Poster.jpg, George Schreiber poster for the Series E bond, Third War Loan Drive (September 9 – October 1, 1943)
File:"Harvest War Crops, The Women's Land Army" - NARA - 514440.jpg, US Crop Corp poster
File:"WORK ON A FARM THIS SUMMER" - NARA - 513817.tif, US Crop Corp poster
File:USarmyHospitaltrain1944.jpg, US Army Hospital Train in 1944
File:Vultee Downey.jpg, Hanging an engine on a BT-13 Valiant trainer at the Vultee aircraft plant, Downey, California
image:OfficeofCivilianDefense1942.jpg, ''What Can I Do? The Citizen's Handbook for War'', U.S. Office of Civilian Defense 1942
image:Florene Watson in her P-51.jpg, Florene Watson shown preparing a P-51 Mustang, P-51D-5NA for a ferry flight from a factory at Inglewood, California
File:US_Army_HospitalCar1944.jpg, US Army Hospital Car in 1944
See also
* American Theater (1939–1945)
* Arizona during World War II
* Desert Training Center
* Military history of the United States during World War II
* New Mexico during World War II
* United States home front during World War II
* Arnold Scheme
References
Further reading
* Allen, Robert L. ''The Port Chicago Mutiny: The Story of the Largest Mass Mutiny Trial in U.S. Naval History'' (2006
excerpt* Alvarez, Luis. "On Race, Riots, and Infrapolitics in Wartime Los Angeles." ''Revue francaise detudes americaines'' 1 (2012): 19–3
online* Collins, Keith E. ''Black Los Angeles: The Maturing of the Ghetto, 1940–1950'' (1980).
* Escobedo, Elizabeth Rachel. ''From coveralls to zoot suits: The lives of Mexican American women on the World War II home front'' (UNC Press Books, 2013).
* Foster, Mark S. "Giant of the West: Henry J. Kaiser and regional industrialization, 1930–1950." ''Business History Review'' 59.1 (1985): 1–23.
* Friedrich, Otto. ''City of Nets: A Portrait of Hollywood in the 1940s'' (Harper & Row, 1986).
* Johnson, Marilynn S. ''The second gold rush: Oakland and the East Bay in World War II'' (Univ of California Press, 1994).
* Koppes, Clayton R. and Gregory D. Black. ''Hollywood Goes to War: How Politics, Profits & Propaganda Shaped World War II Movies'' (The Free Press, 1987).
* Lange, Dorothea. ''Photographing the second gold rush: Dorothea Lange and the East Bay at War, 1941—1945'' (Heyday Books, 1995), a primary source.
* Leonard, Kevin Allen. ''The Battle for Los Angeles: Racial Ideology and World War II'' (2006).
* Lichtenstein, Alex, and Eric Arnesen. "Labor and the Problem of Social Unity during World War II: Katherine Archibald's Wartime Shipyard in Retrospect." ''Labor: Studies in Working-Class History of the Americas'' 3.1 (2006): 113-146.
* Lotchin, Roger. "The Triumphant Partnership: California Cities and the Winning of World War II" ''Southern California Quarterly'' 88.1 (2006): 71–95. [ online]
** Lotchin, Roger W. ''The Bad City in the Good War: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Oakland, and San Diego'' (Indiana University Press, 2003)
** Lotchin, Roger W. ''Fortress California, 1910–1961: From Warfare to Welfare'' (U of Illinois Press, 2002). pp 131–170.
** Lotchin, Roger W. ''The Way We Really Were: The Golden State in the Second Great War'' (U of Illinois Press, 2000)
** Lotchin, Roger W. "California Cities and the Hurricane of Change: World War II in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego Metropolitan Areas." ''Pacific Historical Review'' 63.3 (1994): 393–420
online** Lotchin, Roger W. "World War II and urban California: city planning and the transformation hypothesis." ''Pacific Historical Review'' 62.2 (1993): 143-171
online* Lothrop, Gloria Ricci. "Unwelcome in Freedom's Land: The Impact of World War II on Italian Aliens in Southern California." ''Southern California Quarterly'' 81.4 (1999): 507–544.
* McLeod, Dean L. ''Port Chicago'' (2007
excerpt* Mitchell, Don. "Battle/fields: Braceros, agribusiness, and the violent reproduction of the California agricultural landscape during World War II." ''Journal of historical geography'' 36.2 (2010): 143-156.
* Nash, Gerald D. ''The American West Transformed: The Impact of the Second World War'' (1990)
* Parker, Dana T. ''Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II'' (2013).
* Sánchez, George J. ''Becoming Mexican American: Ethnicity, Culture and Identity in Chicano Los Angeles, 1900-1945'' (Oxford University Press, 1993).
* Starr, Kevin. ''Embattled Dreams: California in War and Peace, 1940-1950'' (Oxford University Press, 2002).
* Verge, Arthur C. “The Impact of the Second World War on Los Angeles.” The ''Pacific Historical Review'' 63#3 (1994): 289–314
online* Verge, Arthur C. "World War II" in ''A Companion to California History'' ed. by William Deverell and David Igler. (2008) pp 312–32
online
Japanese internment
* Leonard, Kevin Allen. "'Is That What We Fought for?' Japanese Americans and Racism in California, The Impact of World War II." ''Western Historical Quarterly'' 21.4 (1990): 463–482
online* Lotchin, Roger W. ''Japanese American Relocation in World War II: A Reconsideration'' (Cambridge University Press, 2018)
* Ng, Wendy L. ''Japanese American Internment During World War II: A History and Reference Guide'' (Greenwood, 2002).
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:World War II, California during
1940s in California
History of California
United States during World War II by state, California
Economy of California
Military in California
United States home front during World War II, California during World War II