Historic Richmond Shipyards

Historic aerial photograph of the Richmond shipyards area.

By Edward Cochrane, Navy Department, Bureau of Ships

 

 

Largest Shipbuilding Complex in America

Aerial View of Richmond Shipyards, 1940s

This historical aerial photograph captures the sprawling expanse of the Richmond Shipyards in California during World War II. The shipyards, a major hub for wartime shipbuilding, are seen along the waterfront with multiple ships docked and under construction. The densely packed industrial complex is surrounded by residential areas, highlighting the rapid development and urbanization that accompanied the war effort. The image showcases the significant scale and strategic importance of the shipyards in supporting the Allied forces by producing a substantial number of vessels during the war.

A New Era of Shipbuilding

The construction of new American shipyards began in 1940 to support the Lend-Lease program for Great Britain and later to meet U.S. naval needs following the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941. Massive shipyards emerged in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Portland, Seattle, and other major ports. Despite producing no merchant vessels between 1929 and 1939, the West Coast created 52% of wartime ships through federal funding and industrial efforts.

San Francisco Bay Area: Shipbuilding Powerhouse

The San Francisco Bay Area housed the largest concentration of shipyards, with facilities in Richmond, Sausalito, Oakland, Mare Island, Hunters Point, and the Stockton Channel. The East Bay became the largest cargo ship producer on the West Coast, employing over half of the region's shipyard workers in 12 shipyards between Alameda and Richmond. Bay Area shipbuilders launched over 4,600 ships, accounting for nearly 45% of all cargo tonnage and 20% of all warship tonnage built in the U.S. during the war. Many shipyards also repaired damaged vessels.

Henry J. Kaiser's Shipbuilding Empire

Henry J. Kaiser's complex of four shipyards in Richmond became the most significant shipbuilding operation on the West Coast. Richmond was chosen for its deepwater port, developed in 1929. The Todd-California Shipbuilding Corporation initially managed Shipyard No. 1, starting construction on January 14, 1941, but it soon came under the control of the Kaiser Permanente Metals Corporation. Kaiser's Richmond Shipbuilding Corporation built Shipyard No. 2 in April 1941. Post-Pearl Harbor, Kaiser received contracts for Liberty ships, leading to the construction of Shipyards No. 3 and No. 4 in 1942. By late 1942, these shipyards featured 27 graving basins and dry docks.

 

The "Whirley Crane", which is an example of others that were used in the historic Kaiser Shipyards. This crane is still located at Shipyard No.3 in Richmond next to the SS Red Oak Victory Ship.

NPS photo/Luther Bailey

Innovative Shipbuilding Methods

The Richmond shipyards set historic precedents by producing more ships more quickly and efficiently than ever before. New to shipbuilding, Kaiser's engineers revolutionized the industry during World War II by introducing mass production techniques, segmenting job tasks, training unskilled labor, and substituting welding for riveting steel plates and components.

Before the war, shipbuilding was a skilled craft characterized by slow and laborious processes. Starting in May 1942, coinciding with increased recruitment of women, African Americans, and out-of-state workers, Kaiser implemented a new prefabrication system adapted from his previous dam-building ventures. Under this system, whole sections of a ship’s superstructure—boilers, double bottoms, forepeaks, after-peaks, and deck-houses—were preassembled in a new plant located between Shipyards No. 3 and 4. This system, which allowed more work to be conducted away from the ships with less welding, riveting, and crane lifts, resulted in the completion of ships in two-thirds of the time and at a quarter of the cost of the average of all other shipyards at the time.

The expansive new West Coast locations were ideal for preassembly, requiring a large amount of space for workers, warehouses, and cranes. These yards were designed with a city-like grid system of numbered and lettered streets to facilitate and speed production processes, differing noticeably from the tight vertical design of older East Coast shipyards. Whirley cranes were used to lift, move, and lower prefabricated ship components weighing up to 50 tons from station to station.

The proliferation of jobs in down-hand welding, considered the easiest position, facilitated quick placement of new workers, and prefabrication resulted in increased specialization and “de-skilling” of basic trades. In the boilermaker trade alone, subassembly techniques fostered more than 17 different job classifications. These narrow job classifications allowed workers the opportunity for rapid advancement from one grade to another, normally within 60 days. Under the right conditions, an unskilled newcomer could advance from trainee to journeyman status within several months—a fraction of the time once required. This not only increased the speed of construction but also the size of the mobilization effort, opening up jobs to women and minorities.

 

A modern photo of the SS Red Oak Victory Ship at Richmond Shipyard No. 3. The ship is no longer oriented this way but is now in Berth 5 in the shipyard.

NPS photo/Luther Bailey

Types of Ships Produced

During World War II, 747 ships were constructed in the Richmond shipyards, a feat unequaled anywhere in the world before or since. Ship production included approximately 20% (519) of the country’s Liberty ships—huge, nondescript, versatile vessels credited with helping swing the war in favor of the United States.

In addition to Liberty ships, the Richmond shipyards also produced 228 other vessels, including 142 Victory ships, a class of emergency vessels designed to replace the Liberty ships after 1943. The Victory ships were faster, larger, and more efficient than the Liberty ships, featuring more modern steam plants, better trim and stability, stronger hulls, and electrically driven winches and windlasses. Other types of ships built in the Richmond shipyards during the war included 15 tank landing ships, 12 frigates, 35 troop transports, and 24 “Pint-size” Liberty ships.

The troop transports—all C4-S-A1 troop transports—were among the most time-consuming to build. The first was constructed on November 25, 1942, and the last on August 12, 1945. While it took only 15,000 hours of joiner work to build a Liberty ship, it took almost four times as many hours for a C-4 troop transport. Some 9,600 components were required to construct a Liberty ship, while a C-4 required 130,000.

 

Shipyard Tools and Innovations

Essential Shipyard Tools

The Richmond shipyards, like many others, utilized a range of specialized tools and equipment essential for ship construction and repair. Some of the key tools included:

• Whirley Cranes: These tall mechanical structures, with their long arms, were crucial for lifting and moving heavy ship components. They could lift up to 50 tons and were used extensively in the prefabrication process.

• Welding Equipment: The introduction of welding instead of riveting revolutionized shipbuilding. Various types of welding torches and equipment were used to join metal parts quickly and securely.

• Riveting Tools: Although welding became more common, riveting tools were still used for certain applications, particularly in the early stages of the war.

• Chalk and Marking Tools: These were used to mark metal sheets and components for cutting and assembly, ensuring accuracy in construction.

Innovative Construction Techniques

The Richmond shipyards were at the forefront of adopting and innovating new construction techniques that significantly boosted productivity and efficiency:

• Prefabrication: This technique involved constructing entire sections of ships, such as boilers, double bottoms, and deck-houses, in a separate plant. These preassembled sections were then transported to the shipyards for final assembly. This method drastically reduced the time and cost of shipbuilding.

• Segmented Job Tasks: By breaking down the shipbuilding process into smaller, specialized tasks, the shipyards could train unskilled laborers quickly and place them in positions where they could be most effective.

• Mass Production Techniques: Borrowing from the automotive and other manufacturing industries, the shipyards implemented assembly line techniques, allowing for the simultaneous construction of multiple ships. This was a significant departure from traditional shipbuilding methods, which were more sequential and time-consuming.

• Training Programs: To address the influx of unskilled workers, the shipyards developed extensive training programs. These programs enabled new workers to quickly learn specific tasks, contributing to the overall efficiency of the shipbuilding process.

• Use of Down-Hand Welding: This welding technique, considered the easiest position for new welders, facilitated the rapid integration of new workers into the production line.

• City-Like Grid System: The shipyards were designed with a grid system of numbered and lettered streets, which helped streamline the movement of materials and components, further speeding up production.

Labor Innovations

The Richmond shipyards also pioneered several labor innovations that had a lasting impact on the industry:

• Inclusivity in the Workforce: The shipyards recruited women, African Americans, and out-of-state workers, breaking traditional labor norms and setting a precedent for a more inclusive workforce. This diverse labor force was essential in meeting the high production demands of wartime shipbuilding.

• Rapid Skill Advancement: The narrow job classifications and specialized tasks allowed workers to advance quickly from trainees to journeymen, often within a few months. This rapid advancement was crucial in maintaining a steady supply of skilled labor.

• Support Systems: The shipyards implemented various support systems for their workers, including housing, transportation, and childcare, which helped attract and retain a large workforce.

Environmental and Safety Measures

• Safety Protocols: With the high risk associated with shipbuilding, especially during wartime, the shipyards implemented stringent safety protocols to protect workers. This included regular safety drills, proper equipment training, and the use of protective gear.

• Environmental Considerations: Although not as prevalent as today's standards, there were efforts to minimize the environmental impact of shipbuilding. This included proper waste disposal practices and measures to control pollution in the surrounding areas.