This photograph, from archives of Associated Press, shows women employees packing bullets into machine gun belts at an undisclosed army ordinance department in the United States on May 27, 1942 during World War II.
Prior to World War II, the United States was cautious with regards to its manufacturing capabilities as the country was still recovering from the Great Depression. However, during the war, Franklin Roosevelt set ambitious production goals to fulfil. The early 1940s were set to have 60,000 aircraft increasing to 125,000 in 1943. In addition, targets for the production of 120,000 tanks and 55,000 aircraft were set during the same time period. The Ford Motor Company in Michigan built one motor car (comprising 15,000 parts) on the assembly lines every 69 seconds. Production numbers caused the US employed workforce to increase massively. America’s yearly production exceeded Japan’s production, building more planes in 1944 than Japan built in all the war years combined. As a result, half of the world’s war production came from America. The government paid for this production using techniques of selling war bonds to financial institutions, rationing household items and creating more tax revenues.
Prior to World War II, the United States was cautious with regards to its manufacturing capabilities as the country was still recovering from the Great Depression. However, during the war, Franklin Roosevelt set ambitious production goals to fulfil. The early 1940s were set to have 60,000 aircraft increasing to 125,000 in 1943. In addition, targets for the production of 120,000 tanks and 55,000 aircraft were set during the same time period. The Ford Motor Company in Michigan built one motor car (comprising 15,000 parts) on the assembly lines every 69 seconds. Production numbers caused the US employed workforce to increase massively. America’s yearly production exceeded Japan’s production, building more planes in 1944 than Japan built in all the war years combined. As a result, half of the world’s war production came from America. The government paid for this production using techniques of selling war bonds to financial institutions, rationing household items and creating more tax revenues.