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Walsh-Kaiser Company

May 03, 2024

Walsh-Kaiser Company was a shipyard along the Providence River on the border of Cranston and Providence, Rhode Island. It was built during World War II and financed by the Maritime Commission as part of the country's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. It was originally operated by Rheem Manufacturing, a company with no previous shipbuilding expertise. When Rheem had difficulty managing the yard, Kaiser Shipyards was retained to manage the operation.

Walsh-Kaiser Company
Cranston and Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
USS Devosa (AKA-27), built at
Walsh-Kaiser Company in 1944
Walsh-Kaiser Company
Walsh-Kaiser Company
Coordinates41°47′16″N 71°22′59″W / 41.78778°N 71.38306°W / 41.78778; -71.38306
TypeShipyard
Site information
OwnerUnited States Maritime Commission
Operator
Controlled byUnited States Navy
Ships built63
Site history
Built1942
In use1942–1945

Operational history edit

In 1942, the Maritime Commission selected Fields Point for the location of an emergency shipyard. It was planned to be able to build ships on six different ways. The construction of the shipyard was financed as part of the country's Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Storekeepers and housewives, clerks and youths fresh out of school worked side by side, turning out ship after ship. Construction began on March 28, 1942. The shipyard construction swallowed the popular Kerwin's Beach, which drew thousands to the shores of the Providence River before it was covered over. Although 1 million square yards (840,000 m2) of fill from a nearby hillside was dumped onto the mud flats, this still failed to stabilize the area. The total cost of the shipyard was $26 million.[1]

On December 31, 1942, the first of many misfortunes hit the plant.[2] The plate shop, the first step in the production process, burned to the ground. In February 1943, after the Rheem company showed difficulty managing the yard, Kaiser Shipyards was asked to manage the operation of the yard.[3] As a result of the takeover, the size of the yard increased from 9,000 employees to over 14,000 just four months later. Eventually, 7 miles (11 km) of road wound about the yard.[1]

The first ships that the yard produced were Liberty ships. After 10 ships were completed, 21 frigates were built. After those ships were finished, 32 attack cargo ships (Navy hull designation AKA) were constructed and launched. In the three years that the yard was in operation, 63 ships were eventually launched and completed.[1]

After learning from their initial mistakes, workers became more skilled with the building of ships. It took only 136 days from the keel laying to delivery of the attack cargo ships. The fastest turnover took a mere 82 days.[1] On September 1, 1945, Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal wrote to T. J. Walsh, the head of the company, praising the work of the local yard and saying that it was preeminent in building the great arsenal that helped save the world.[1][a]

Work was described as decent by the workers who labored there. Wages were also high due to the influence that the American Federation of Labor (AFL) had in the area. Common laborers at the yard earned 85 cents an hour.[1]

The steady employment actually helped the local economy as the yard employed 18,767 on September 30, 1944. Three months later the payroll included 20,879. During the yard's peak in January 1945, 21,264 people were employed. Among these numbers were over 3,000 women. At the end of the war, the shipyard closed after laying off over 3,000 people in three months.[1] In October 1945, it was reported that the Maritime Commission agreed to sell the property to the City of Providence for approximately $308,000.[4]

Post-war use edit

A drive-in theater with a 1,700 car capacity operated on the site of the yard from 1957 to 1976.[5] In the late 1970s, there were plans to construct a cargo container port at the site, but efforts fell through and two cranes are all that remained.[1]

The area has subsequently been reused by a few companies. Circa 1999, Johnson & Wales University had taken over a portion of the yard for their culinary arts program.[1]

Ships built edit

Liberty Ships edit

  • SS James De Wolf
  • SS John Clarke
  • SS Lyman Abbott
  • SS Moses Brown
  • SS Samuel Gorton
  • SS William Coddington

Colony-class frigates edit

 
HMS Anguilla

Most of the Colony-class frigate names corresponded to an island or archipelago—such as Anguilla, Antigua, Ascension, and so forth—that was (in the era built) a Crown colony or British protectorate. Exceptions were Nyasaland and Somaliland, British protectorates in Africa.

Artemis-class attack cargo ships edit

A July 1945 newspaper report stated that the Walsh-Kaiser Company had named each of its Artemis-class attack cargo ship after stars.[6] However, this was questioned at the time,[7] and appears to be in error. Most of the ship names correspond to the names of minor planets (asteroids): 105 Artemis, 881 Athene, 419 Aurelia, and so forth through 840 Zenobia. There are three exceptions, in which ships were named for constellations: Corvus, Hydrus, and Lacerta.

 
USS Lacerta

Notes edit

  1. ^ While one source mentions that President Harry S. Truman visit the site, escorted by J. Howard McGrath,[1] then Governor of Rhode Island, contemporary reporting of such a visit is lacking.

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Chiapinelli, S. Robert (June 28, 1999). . The Providence Journal. Providence, Rhode Island. Archived from the original on June 28, 2011. Retrieved 17 March 2010 – via Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ "FBI Is Investigating Rheems Plant Fire". The Birmingham News. January 1, 1943. p. 25. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Kaiser To Get Shipyards". The Dayton Herald. February 22, 1943. p. 1. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Company May Request Shipyard Buildings". Newport Mercury. Newport, Rhode Island. October 19, 1945. p. 5. Retrieved April 10, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Shipyard Drive-In". Providence, Rhode Island: Cinematreasures.org. 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
  6. ^ "'USS Xenia' Named For Star, Not City". Springfield News-Sun. Springfield, Ohio. July 29, 1945. p. 10-A. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "News Sidelights". Dayton Daily News. August 2, 1945. p. A-3. Retrieved April 9, 2023 – via newspapers.com.

External links edit

May 03, 2024
walsh, kaiser, company, shipyard, along, providence, river, border, cranston, providence, rhode, island, built, during, world, financed, maritime, commission, part, country, emergency, shipbuilding, program, originally, operated, rheem, manufacturing, company,. Walsh Kaiser Company was a shipyard along the Providence River on the border of Cranston and Providence Rhode Island It was built during World War II and financed by the Maritime Commission as part of the country s Emergency Shipbuilding Program It was originally operated by Rheem Manufacturing a company with no previous shipbuilding expertise When Rheem had difficulty managing the yard Kaiser Shipyards was retained to manage the operation Walsh Kaiser CompanyCranston and Providence Rhode Island U S USS Devosa AKA 27 built atWalsh Kaiser Company in 1944Walsh Kaiser CompanyShow map of Rhode IslandWalsh Kaiser CompanyShow map of the United StatesCoordinates41 47 16 N 71 22 59 W 41 78778 N 71 38306 W 41 78778 71 38306TypeShipyardSite informationOwnerUnited States Maritime CommissionOperatorRheem Manufacturing 1942 1943 Kaiser Shipyards 1943 1945 Controlled byUnited States NavyShips built63Site historyBuilt1942In use1942 1945 Contents 1 Operational history 2 Post war use 3 Ships built 3 1 Liberty Ships 3 2 Colony class frigates 3 3 Artemis class attack cargo ships 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksOperational history editIn 1942 the Maritime Commission selected Fields Point for the location of an emergency shipyard It was planned to be able to build ships on six different ways The construction of the shipyard was financed as part of the country s Emergency Shipbuilding Program Storekeepers and housewives clerks and youths fresh out of school worked side by side turning out ship after ship Construction began on March 28 1942 The shipyard construction swallowed the popular Kerwin s Beach which drew thousands to the shores of the Providence River before it was covered over Although 1 million square yards 840 000 m2 of fill from a nearby hillside was dumped onto the mud flats this still failed to stabilize the area The total cost of the shipyard was 26 million 1 On December 31 1942 the first of many misfortunes hit the plant 2 The plate shop the first step in the production process burned to the ground In February 1943 after the Rheem company showed difficulty managing the yard Kaiser Shipyards was asked to manage the operation of the yard 3 As a result of the takeover the size of the yard increased from 9 000 employees to over 14 000 just four months later Eventually 7 miles 11 km of road wound about the yard 1 The first ships that the yard produced were Liberty ships After 10 ships were completed 21 frigates were built After those ships were finished 32 attack cargo ships Navy hull designation AKA were constructed and launched In the three years that the yard was in operation 63 ships were eventually launched and completed 1 After learning from their initial mistakes workers became more skilled with the building of ships It took only 136 days from the keel laying to delivery of the attack cargo ships The fastest turnover took a mere 82 days 1 On September 1 1945 Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal wrote to T J Walsh the head of the company praising the work of the local yard and saying that it was preeminent in building the great arsenal that helped save the world 1 a Work was described as decent by the workers who labored there Wages were also high due to the influence that the American Federation of Labor AFL had in the area Common laborers at the yard earned 85 cents an hour 1 The steady employment actually helped the local economy as the yard employed 18 767 on September 30 1944 Three months later the payroll included 20 879 During the yard s peak in January 1945 21 264 people were employed Among these numbers were over 3 000 women At the end of the war the shipyard closed after laying off over 3 000 people in three months 1 In October 1945 it was reported that the Maritime Commission agreed to sell the property to the City of Providence for approximately 308 000 4 Post war use editA drive in theater with a 1 700 car capacity operated on the site of the yard from 1957 to 1976 5 In the late 1970s there were plans to construct a cargo container port at the site but efforts fell through and two cranes are all that remained 1 The area has subsequently been reused by a few companies Circa 1999 Johnson amp Wales University had taken over a portion of the yard for their culinary arts program 1 Ships built editLiberty Ships edit SS James De Wolf SS John Clarke SS Lyman Abbott SS Moses Brown SS Samuel Gorton SS William Coddington Colony class frigates edit nbsp HMS Anguilla Most of the Colony class frigate names corresponded to an island or archipelago such as Anguilla Antigua Ascension and so forth that was in the era built a Crown colony or British protectorate Exceptions were Nyasaland and Somaliland British protectorates in Africa HMS Anguilla K500 HMS Antigua K501 HMS Ascension K502 HMS Bahamas K503 HMS Barbados K504 HMS Caicos K505 HMS Cayman K506 HMS Dominica K507 HMS Labuan K584 HMS Tobago K585 HMS Montserrat K586 HMS Nyasaland K587 HMS Papua K588 HMS Pitcairn K589 HMS St Helena K590 HMS Sarawak K591 HMS Seychelles K592 HMS Perim K593 HMS Somaliland K594 HMS Tortola K595 HMS Zanzibar K596 Artemis class attack cargo ships edit A July 1945 newspaper report stated that the Walsh Kaiser Company had named each of its Artemis class attack cargo ship after stars 6 However this was questioned at the time 7 and appears to be in error Most of the ship names correspond to the names of minor planets asteroids 105 Artemis 881 Athene 419 Aurelia and so forth through 840 Zenobia There are three exceptions in which ships were named for constellations Corvus Hydrus and Lacerta nbsp USS Lacerta USS Artemis AKA 21 USS Athene AKA 22 USS Aurelia AKA 23 USS Birgit AKA 24 USS Circe AKA 25 USS Corvus AKA 26 USS Devosa AKA 27 USS Hydrus AKA 28 USS Lacerta AKA 29 USS Lumen AKA 30 USS Medea AKA 31 USS Mellena AKA 32 USS Ostara AKA 33 USS Pamina AKA 34 USS Polana AKA 35 USS Renate AKA 36 USS Roxane AKA 37 USS Sappho AKA 38 USS Sarita AKA 39 USS Scania AKA 40 USS Selinur AKA 41 USS Sidonia AKA 42 USS Sirona AKA 43 USS Sylvania AKA 44 USS Tabora AKA 45 USS Troilus AKA 46 USS Turandot AKA 47 USS Valeria AKA 48 USS Vanadis AKA 49 USS Veritas AKA 50 USS Xenia AKA 51 USS Zenobia AKA 52 Notes edit While one source mentions that President Harry S Truman visit the site escorted by J Howard McGrath 1 then Governor of Rhode Island contemporary reporting of such a visit is lacking References edit a b c d e f g h i j Chiapinelli S Robert June 28 1999 Three years 63 ships at Fields Point The Providence Journal Providence Rhode Island Archived from the original on June 28 2011 Retrieved 17 March 2010 via Wayback Machine FBI Is Investigating Rheems Plant Fire The Birmingham News January 1 1943 p 25 Retrieved April 9 2023 via newspapers com Kaiser To Get Shipyards The Dayton Herald February 22 1943 p 1 Retrieved April 9 2023 via newspapers com Company May Request Shipyard Buildings Newport Mercury Newport Rhode Island October 19 1945 p 5 Retrieved April 10 2023 via newspapers com Shipyard Drive In Providence Rhode Island Cinematreasures org 2010 Retrieved 18 March 2010 USS Xenia Named For Star Not City Springfield News Sun Springfield Ohio July 29 1945 p 10 A Retrieved April 9 2023 via newspapers com News Sidelights Dayton Daily News August 2 1945 p A 3 Retrieved April 9 2023 via newspapers com External links editList of ships built by Walsh Kaiser Company Inc History of Walsh Kaiser via Wayback Machine Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Walsh Kaiser Company amp oldid 1149228962, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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