OK, this looks absolutely fascinating! Documentary series on WW II production

[K Frame]

Just stumbled across this series on Utoob

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfMrqOdrCidQ2gpuSIxW07ylqTu0Fln3v

It's primarily a look at the Allied and Axis production efforts that fueled World War II, but it does apparently dip into World War I a bit and moves into the 1950s.

The incredible pivot of moving the US from a depressed civilian production footing to the single most production economic powerhouse in world history in the span of less than a decade has always fascinated me.

Some of the statistics and figures I've come across over the years are just stunning, such as...

By 1944, when the United States began to ramp back wartime production and began releasing more consumer goods, it's estimated that the US economy had been only 2/3rds converted to war production.

In 1939 the United States Navy was either the 3rd or 4th largest navy in the world. By wars end in 1945 it was more than double the sides of the rest of the world's navies combined.

The 7 major warring powers (USA, Russia, France, Britain, Japan, Italy, and Germany) controlled 90.5% of the world's war-making potential. The United States controlled 41.7% of it, number 2, Germany, controlled 14.4%. (that comes from Paul Kennedy's work)

And the one that has always truly boggled my mind? In the first 6 months of 1943 the United States put nearly DOUBLE the tonnage of merchant shipping in the water that Japan did... in its nearly 7 years at war. For the 7 war years (including the 3 where the US wasn't at war) the US launched just shy of 34 million tons of merchant shipping. Japan, over the same period? Just over 4 million tons.

I'm going to be digging through this series in the next couple of weeks, and I'm sure it's going to be fascinating.

[Bogie]

I have a South Bend "Heavy 10" lathe.
 
During the war years, South Bend produced thousands of their 9" lathes. It's a benchtop machine, can be fairly easily moved. It is also pretty much the smallest "real" lathe.
 
They went home with the women who were working in the factories, and after hours, they would produce parts, and bring them into work the next day.
 
http://www.antique-engine.ns.ca/southbendlathe.html

One of the things that they were used to make were the fuse assemblies for artillery shells and bombs.

[MechAg94]

In 1939 the United States Navy was either the 3rd or 4th largest navy in the world. By wars end in 1945 it was more than double the sides of the rest of the world's navies combined.

I was thinking that in 1939, we were only second to Great Britain.  Japan wasn't far off, but I think we still outnumbered them in total hulls and tonnage. 

I tried a quick search, but most stuff talks about the end of WWII.  The wiki link below has a table of tonnage limitations from the Washington Naval Treaty and we are right up there with Great Britain.  That was 1921, but I don't think the relative strengths changed that much by 1939. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Naval_Treaty

I will have to check out that youtube series. 

[K Frame]

In sheer size, the US Navy was most likely 3rd at the classic outset of World War II.

Japan had withdraw from any Naval treaties in 1934 and had, realistically, been cheating on its treaty obligations well before that.

In sheer naval capability, though, the US was likely 4th or 5th, behind Britain, Japan, Italy, and possibly France.

The 1920s and 30s had been particularly nasty for the US military, including the Navy. Congress wasted no time post WW I in absolutely gutting the hell out of all aspects of military spending including the Navy that was supposed to be America's front line means of defense.

It was an absolute mess, and it really showed in the opening months of the war in the Pacific.

[Brad Johnson]

You should take a look at Peter Kuran's Atomic Filmmakers. It's about the group involved with atomic bomb testing. Really cool look at the people involved and the tech they had to invent to make it happen.

Brad