Louisiana's Military Heritage:

     Delta Shipbuilding Company

Delta Shipbuilding Company

Delta Shipbuilding Company was one of nine (9) emergency shipyards created in 1941 to expand the United States' shipbuilding capability and provide the new cargo and transport vessels needed to carry troops and supplies in an anticipated armed conflict with the Axis Powers.  A subsidiary of American Shipbuilding Company of the Great Lakes region, Delta had grown to a workforce of more than 13,000 employees by June of 1942.  Six (6) ways were built on the west bank of the Industrial Canal in New Orleans, Louisiana, with $13 million provided by the United States Maritime Commission.  Though most shipyards around the country developed varying techniques, being a new yard, the management of Delta chose to weld their vessels one hundred percent.  The yard specialized in building Liberty Ships, new cargo vessels specifically designed for cheap, quick, modular construction.

A third wave of shipyard expansions would eventually cause two more slips to be added to the layout of the Delta yards, making a total of eight (8) construction ways.  As demand for specialized vessels emerged, Delta was given the additional tasks of designing and constructing tanker and collier variants on the Liberty design.

The Delta Shipyards in New Orleans produced 188

Liberty ships for the Allies during World War II.

Photo courtesy of Project Liberty Ship.

Like most factories during World War II, Delta ran three, eight-hour shifts each day.  With the assembly line operating 24-hours per day through the end of the war, the yard produced approximately one (1) ship every three (3) weeks.  At the end of 1943, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called for an intensive production drive prior to year's end.  Delta delivered nine (9) vessels that December—more than any previous month—but at the cost of delivering fewer than usual the following month.

All totaled, Delta Shipyards delivered 188 vessels in just over four years of operation:  132 Liberty Ships, 32 Liberty tankers, and 24 Liberty colliers.  Construction ceased at the end of 1945 with the completion of the yard's final vessel.

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