Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro was a major shipbuilding company on Terminal Island in San Pedro, California, owned by Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation. To support the World War II demand for ships, Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro built US Navy Destroyers and, after the war, tugboats. The yard became involved in World War II production in the early shipbuilding expansions initiated by the Two-Ocean Navy Act of July 1940. At its peak during the war about 6,000 worked at the yard.
Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro shipyard was opened in 1918 as Southwestern Shipbuilding by Western Pipe & Steel. Western Pipe & Steel sold the shipyard to Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation in 1925. Shipbuilding ended after World War II in 1946. In 1983 the shipyard was sold to Southwest Marine. In 1997 Southwest Marine operated four shipyards, which they sold to the Carlyle Group. Carlyle Group renamed the shipyard US Marine Repair. In 2002 US Marine Repair sold all six of its yards to United Defense Industries. In 2005 it was sold to BAE Systems, but the yard was not used and it is now part of the Port of Los Angeles. The shipyard was located at 1047 South Seaside Ave, San Pedro.[1]
World War II
Bethlehem Shipbuilding San Pedro destroyers built from 1942 to 1945: [2]
- 26 of 415 destroyers
- 4 of 30 Benson-class destroyer
- USS Kendrick (DD-612) ... USS McLanahan (DD-615)
- 10 of 175 Fletcher-class destroyer
- USS Boyd (DD-544) ... USS Cowell (DD-547)
- USS Hopewell (DD-681), USS Porterfield (DD-682)
- USS Callaghan (DD-792) ... USS Preston (DD-795)
- 5 of 58 Allen M. Sumner-class destroyer
- USS Lowry (DD-770)
- USS Hugh W. Hadley (DD-774) ... USS James C. Owens (DD-776)
- USS Bristol (DD-857)
- 3 of 12 Robert H. Smith-class destroyer destroyer minelayers
- USS Lindsey (DD-771) ... USS Aaron Ward (DD-773)
- 4 of 98 Gearing-class destroyer
- USS Fred T. Berry (DD-858) ... USS Harwood (DD-861)
- 4 Hisada-class harbor tugs
- USS Acoma (YTB-701)
- YT Arawak YTM-702, removed from US Navy in December 1985 [3]
- YT Canarsee, US Navy sold in 1975
- YT Moratok, US Navy sold in 1985.
Southwestern Shipbuilding
Southwestern was the second largest of three steel shipyards in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach active during the World War I shipbuilding boom, responsible for 28% of the tonnage built there for the United States Shipping Board.
Many of the ships were Design 1019 ships built under the USSB's Emergency Fleet Corporation (EFC) contacts.[4][5] Ships built:
See also
- California during World War II
- Maritime history of California