How did countries in World War II build tanks, planes, and ships in such short amount of time? Every country were making them by the thousands, they were like rolling off the assembly line and shipped off immediately. Nowadays, building tanks, planes, and ships take about 1-5 years. In WWII, it only took a couple of months. Is it because they were mass produced in WWII?
How did countries build tanks, planes, and ships in WW II?
godofthunder9010
Active member
Entire industries were fully converted to the war effort. For instance, American car makers switched their entire lines over to tanks and planes. Consider how many cars the USA makes every year. Additionally, there was a lot of competition for getting it done faster and faster. The crews making Liberty Ships all knew the standing record time for building a ship and they were always trying to beat the record.
Incidentally, this is where Germany hung itself. They failed to put the economy fully onto a wartime footing and were outproduced by the allies. The same thing happened to Japan and its navy -- the USA just started cranking out ships like mad and the Japanese had no hope of keeping up.
Incidentally, this is where Germany hung itself. They failed to put the economy fully onto a wartime footing and were outproduced by the allies. The same thing happened to Japan and its navy -- the USA just started cranking out ships like mad and the Japanese had no hope of keeping up.
The Other Guy
Spam King
Every now and then you will see an american .45 made by Singer. :lol:
mdvaden
Active member
I'm rather military knowledge ignorant - but I'd suggest that today, there are safety and technical standards that can't be avoided.
Maybe even ergonomic standards.
In other words, a builder today has much more complexity to incorporate, and the complexity must be engineered into the product.
Just take a look at the auto industry.
I'll bet that in 1940, a crew of 3 trained mechanics could dissassemble and reassemble most of an automobille without, say, stripping the engine block apart, in ONE DAY..
But today, I'd imagine it would take 3 trained mechanics a week to dissassemble and reassemble my 2003 dodge truck.
M. D. Vaden of Oregon
http://www.mdvaden.com
Maybe even ergonomic standards.
In other words, a builder today has much more complexity to incorporate, and the complexity must be engineered into the product.
Just take a look at the auto industry.
I'll bet that in 1940, a crew of 3 trained mechanics could dissassemble and reassemble most of an automobille without, say, stripping the engine block apart, in ONE DAY..
But today, I'd imagine it would take 3 trained mechanics a week to dissassemble and reassemble my 2003 dodge truck.
M. D. Vaden of Oregon
http://www.mdvaden.com
Marksman
Active member
well first u have a huge industrial compaund,then u have a big bulch materials ,and few hangars and many workers and a production line,and when the parts are made in forgery workers just put them together in hangar,it all went pretty quick since the equipment didnt have sofisticated mechanisams and electric instalations