Manitowoc in World War II

December 8, 1941 is the day that President Franklin Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan in response to Pearl Harbor. Congress did just that. The United States had entered the war. Although not everyone could lend a hand in the war, many helped right from home in Manitowoc. Some industries and companies produced products that were used in the war, like Mirro and shipbuilders.

This photo from 1944 shows some of the items that Mirro made for WWII. Some of the items include oars, hopper tubs, and signal flare tubes. MCHS 2014.1.39.2

One of these industries that aided the nation in WWII was the shipbuilding industry. Coming into this uncertain time many of the workers had no experience building a vessel as intricate as a submarine. A complete wooden mock-up was built as a guide. In total over 7,000 workers who worked 7 days a week, completed 28 submarines in the span of World War II.

Mirro, known as Aluminum Goods Manufacturing Co. during WWII, also aided the nation during that time. Between 1940 and 1945 they produced millions of canteens for soldiers, as well as brass and steel cartridge casings, fuel tanks for bombers and radar parts. As is the trend during most wars, as the men go off to war, women typically took over some or most of those jobs. This happened at Mirro during this time. Seen in a 1943 issue of the Mixing Bowl, a Mirro in-house magazine, was women and men building “droppable” bomber fuel tanks.

Mirro also produced parts for famous fighter planes like Gumman Wildcat, and the Hellcat and Avenger. Some of the parts produced were the main and emergency fuel tanks, oil and vacuum tanks, hydraulic reservoirs, oil separators and intake ducts. The welders who produced aircraft parts had to meet the very strict standards set by the Army Air Corps and the Navy Department. Welders needed to have a delicate sense of touch and an inherent sense of cleanliness. The welders who met these standards received an identifying number that was stamped on all the work they completed. Work done even by the allowed welders was tested and examined to make sure there were no errors, and that they were seemingly perfectly made.

This photo was taken in April of 1942, when the first submarine entirely built in Manitowoc for WWII called Peto, was side launched into the water. MCHS 2015.57.4

As in most wars, civilians step up to the plate and help their nation in any way they can, even if they have no experience. For some workers who built submarines, it might have been their first time using the tools or working with the specific materials. Despite not knowing exactly what they were doing at first, they did it for their country. Just as soldiers directly aided the war effort, civilians indirectly aided to the war effort by making supplies for soldiers or battles. It is especially interesting to see how Manitowoc responded to the uncertainty that the start of the war brought. The effort and dedication of workers to help their nation in a time of crisis is something that has not been forgotten and will not be forgotten for a very long time.