Even before the final whistle blew, some 5,000,000 war workers knew that within weeks, perhaps days, they would have to turn in their badges.
The Navy was first to hack away. Before the Jap surrender offer had become poop-deck patter, it stopped construction of 95 ships, canceling contracts totaling $1.200,000,000. Halted in various stages of construction were the 45,000-ton battleship Illinois, the 27,100-ton carriers Iwo Jima and Reprisal, 20 heavy and light cruisers. (Still abuilding were 167 Navy ships, including one battleship, eleven aircraft carriers; still unanswered: what to do with the partly built...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
