A bridge of ships : Canadian shipbuilding during the Second World War / James Pritchard.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pritchard, James S., 1939-2015.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Shipbuilding industry--Canada--History--20th century.

Shipbuilding industry.

Shipbuilding--Canada--History--20th century.

Shipbuilding.

World War, 1939-1945--Canada.

World War, 1939-1945.

History.

Canada.

Physical Description:

xxv, 438 pages : illustrations, map, portraits ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2011]

Summary:

Before 1939, Canada's shipbuilding industry had been moribund for nearly two decades - no steel-hulled, ocean-going vessel had been built since 1921. During the Second World War, however, Canada's shipbuilding program became a major part of the nation's industrial effort. Shipyards were expanded and more than a thousand warships and cargo ships were constructed as well as many thousands of auxiliary vessels, small boats, and other craft. A large ship-repair program also began.

In A Bridge of Ships James Pritchard tells the story of the rapidly changing circumstances and forceful personalities that shaped government shipbuilding policy. He examines the ownership and expansion of the shipyards and the role of ship repairing, as well as recruitment and training of the labour force. He also tells the story of the struggle for steel and the expansion of ancillary industries. Pritchard provides a definitive picture of Canada's wartime ship production, assesses the cost (more than $1.2 billion), and explains why such an enormous effort left such a short-lived legacy. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 3

2 Organizing Shipbuilding 17

3 Shipyards and Their Owners 46

4 Expanding Shipbuilding Capacity 65

5 Repairs, Conversions, and Modernization 96

6 Labour Recruitment, Stability, and Morale 126

7 Organizing Shipyard Labour 165

8 The Struggle for Steel 203

9 Machinery, Manufacturers, and Auxiliary Equipment 229

10 Small Types and New Designs 266

11 Production and Productivity 292

12 Conclusion 325.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [393]-417) and index.

ISBN:

9780773538245

0773538240

OCLC:

693809715