Part III

(This has been briefly described in Part II. Additional comments follow).

1. In the early stages, especially in the first and second periods, the organization was undermanned. With practically inexperienced personnel, only slightly indoctrinated in inspection administration and Navy procedure, many mistakes of commission and omission were made.
2. Later on, due to oscillations of the work load, there were times when certain functions may have been temporarily overmanned, but on the whole it is believed the organization was undermanned.
3. Previous to 1940 the “Superintending Constructors” and “Inspectors of Machinery” had separate offices and separate manuals of instruction books. With the consolidation into “Supervisors of Shipbuilding,” there was some confusion of instructions pending the later promulgation of the Administration Manual. It will be well worthwhile to make special effort to keep this manual carefully edited for clearness and efficient reference, and up to date to make it useful and ready for any future emergency.

1. In the first period in particular, the relations with the Bureau of Ships were very close, as the Supervisor was a permanent officer of the Bureau of Ships, with additional duty at this activity. He visited the yard generally every two weeks, and frequently was accompanied by his Section head, Captain A. Loring Swasey.
2. All through the war quite frequent visits were made by various officers of the Navy Department offices. The novel feature of the “roll-over” of complete hulls attracted many high-ranking officers. During the prime of the DE program, the procedure of a DE side launching followed by a DE roll-over, which was repeated every 20 days, provided quite spectacular shows, of special interest to naval personnel and civilians alike. A complete list of visiting officers would make very interesting reading.
3. Rather close technical control was maintained by the Bureau of Ships by means of their correspondence and visits of representatives, together with information furnished by various design agents under their control. Very often a short visit of an officer, however, is worth more than a file of letters, because of the useful knowledge imparted and impressed.
4. Of the various items of information supplied by the Bureau, one that stands out as requiring the largest amount of letter and despatch follow-up, which was further complicated by its confidential handling, was the question of the type of camouflage required for various programs. This may have been a difficult question for the Department to answer because of the changing conditions of the various war theaters.
5. …and changing assignments of vessels, but the fact remains that the required information was very frequently furnished too late to prevent final painting in a proper manner.
6. One minor matter that occasionally caused confusion was due to the lack of detail in NAVEXOS NLS-2. For example — under Bay City the listing is:

   Defoe Shipbuilding Co.	SupShip Defoe Shipbuilding Co., Bay City, Michigan
   Dow Chemical Co. Aircraft Components (Spec. or Experiment)	BAR, Rm 1702 Industrial Branch Building, Detroit 26, Michigan
   All other	RINSNAT, 303 State Office Bldg., Saginaw, Michigan

   (No mention is made of Eddy Shipbuilding Co.)

   This caused some correspondence and at least one contract to be sent to INM Detroit and RINSNAT Saginaw, when all inspection of boat construction at the Eddy Shipbuilding Co. was in fact assigned to SupShip, Bay City.
7. Relations to a lesser degree were required with the Bureau of Ordnance and Naval Operations. Occasionally representatives of the Bureau of Ordnance visited these activities, often in connection with trial trips of the various types of vessels and craft.
8. The Board of Inspection and Survey conducted underway trials on all types of vessels, as best fitted-in with their busy schedules.
9. Other matters involving relations with the Navy Department will be mentioned in other parts of the report where applicable.

1. Naturally, next to the Navy Department, our chief relations were with the Commandant, NINTH Naval District at Great Lakes, Illinois, (339 miles distant) and his various staff functions. Military control was maintained by the dissemination of all ALNAVS and other general military directives and information, District Orders, Memorandums, correspondence, naval communications and personal visits of representatives.
2. The principal function, measured by correspondence, visits and inspections by representatives of the Commandant, was SECURITY. A book could be written on this one subject alone. Frequent inspections and reports were made on the various shipbuilding plants. Many shipyard reports required 35 pages or more of typing. Continuous follow-up was required to endeavor to get the contractors to comply with all security recommendations. Naturally there was a great increase in attention to security following “Pearl Harbor.” At times officers were assigned at this activity for full-time security duty. At other times it was assigned to certain officers as additional duty to other functions.

   There was the usual protective fencing, fire protection and prevention, and increase in watchmen’s forces, required enrollment of watchmen in the Coast Guard Reserves, and the furnishing of uniforms and equipment. By “hind-sight” it might appear that the security function was overdone. However, it is difficult to evaluate what might have happened if the security functions had been more lax.

3. Considerable contact was had with the Operations Office at the District Headquarters in connection with the providing of crews for departing vessels, scheduling departure of vessels to synchronize with bridge openings on the Chicago and similar related matters.
4. Certain Supply and Disbursing services were obtained from the District offices. Local Disbursing was in effect from 16 January 1943 to 30 March 1946, for officers and enlisted men permanently or temporarily at this activity. There were four disbursing officers assigned this duty, in turn. The civilian employees’ payrolls were handled by the District Accounting Officer at Great Lakes, and their pay checks were prepared at the Disbursing Office, Great Lakes, and mailed to the various offices for distribution. Certain supply functions were performed at this station in connection with outfitting and provisioning vessels commissioned here.
5. Other services and functions involved in our relations with the District Headquarters included:
   • Civilian Personnel, District Director, classification, selective service, etc.
   • Enlisted Personnel, Transfers, etc.
   • Officer Personnel, (T.A.D. orders, separations, etc.)
   • Hospitalization
   • Industrial Incentive
   • Labor Relations (Detroit and Lansing branch offices)
   • Legal Aid – (minor)
   • Public Relations
   • Transportation

1. Among the numerous non-governmental agencies with which the Bay City office had helpful relations may be listed, the:
   • American Red Cross
   • Bay City Country Club
   • Elks
   • Knights of Columbus
   • U.S.O.
   • Y.M.C.A.
2. These organizations aided in many ways to make life more livable for the officers and enlisted men temporarily stationed in Bay City. Their assistance will be briefed as follows:

   (a) The American Red Cross arranged assistance in numerous emergency cases of sickness in family, emergency travel, etc.; provided special cold weather clothing; etc.

   (b) The Bay City Country Club allowed all officers free use of their golf links and occasional use of their club rooms for social events.

   (c) The Elks Club extended the privileges of the club to all officers. This was especially helpful to visiting and bachelor officers because of their restaurant services.

   (d) The Knights of Columbus offered the use of the major portion of their quarters at 900 Center Avenue, for use as a “Navy Home,” to house the enlisted men of the nucleus crews assigned to the PC and DE vessels when nearing completion. This “Navy Home” was formally opened as an unofficial barracks on 22 Nov. 1942. This gave considerable relief to a rather unsatisfactory condition which had been brought about when the full crews for AM58–61 were brought into Bay City for the commissioning of their ships here. A large number of enlisted men were thrown on their own resources for quarters and subsistence, with resulting poor military control and numerous hardship cases. This Navy Home was disestablished 31 May 1944, after arrangements had been made to quarter and subsist men of the LCI(L) program officially at the Coast Guard Barracks, then in operation. See Part III – C, paragraph 11, page 37.

   (e) The U.S.O. organization, using the quarters of the Salvation Army at 708 Saginaw Street, performed a much-needed and appreciated duty in taking care of enlisted men who, for various reasons, were often without funds and unable to obtain quarters and meals. Throughout all periods, this organization did much to bolster up the morale of the men, with their generous hospitality and pleasant social events.

   (f) The Y.M.C.A. furnished the use of their gymnasium, swimming pool, and locker rooms for the use of physical training programs for officers and enlisted men, conducted by the Chief Specialists (Athletic) who were assigned to duty here from 16 October 1942 to 20 November 1944, with two short lapses between the assignments of Toman, G. E., Rogers, C. B., and Martella, W. E.