The Home Front

Without the helping hands of 60 million Americans in factories and farms back home, there would have been no D-day, no march toward Berlin and no victory

88,410 heavy, medium and light tanks

469,000,000 lbs. of cabbage

6,552,290 rifles

15,603,000 shaving brushes

The astonishing materials of war. To save a Europe that had lost virtually its entire industrial capacity to the Germans, and to carry the war to Japan, the U.S. turned on a great gusher that armed and propelled Allied forces back onto the Continent. Without that, there would have been no D-day, no march toward Berlin, no victory of any kind. "The American war-production job was probably the greatest collective achievement of all time," said Donald Nelson, chairman of the War Production Board from 1942 to...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!