Marinship Corporation was a shipbuilding company of the United States during World War II, created to build the shipping required for the war effort.
Founded in 1942, the shipyard built 93 cargo ships and oil tankers, before ending operations in 1945
Founded in 1942, the shipyard built 93 cargo ships and oil tankers, before ending operations in 1945
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00:30Here is a tanker. Deep in her hold, she carries the oil, which means victory in war and prosperity
00:58in peace. This is the Mission Purissima, standard bearer of a proud fleet. The Mission and Hills
01:05class tankers, built exclusively by Marineship Corporation and named for the Spanish missions
01:10and petroleum fields of their native California. They were built to a super modern design to
01:17carry the Marineship flag proudly around the world for many years. Three months after Pearl
01:23Harbor, a wire from the U.S. Maritime Commission started the W.A. Bechtel Company and five
01:29affiliates building a new shipyard, nestled at the foot of beautiful Mount Tamalpais on
01:36the shores of San Francisco Bay. This was the site for America's finest shipyard, a
01:43salt marsh and a rocky hill. On March 28, 1942, earth-moving machinery began its miraculous
01:50work. Pipes were laid. Big, tired carry-alls began to move a million yards of earth. On
01:59concrete foundations arose great buildings as work rushed on night and day. First dedicated
02:11was the administration building. As the flag flew to the breeze, workers cheered the birth
02:17of a great new shipyard. Brave forecasts came from Robert Diggs, administrative manager,
02:22from W.E. Waste, vice president and general manager, and from K.K. Bechtel, president.
02:27The 245-foot building had been built in only 34 days. Even while the shipyard was being built,
02:35out on the skids, the first ship was being pre-assembled. Just 91 days after groundbreaking,
02:45keel for the first Liberty ship was laid. Greetings came from Carl Flesher of the U.S.
02:50Maritime Commission. Ken Bechtel presented his brother Steve, a vice president, and Ray
02:55Hamilton took over as production manager for the entire yard. The mobile crane lifted the
03:04first piece of flat keel and dropped it onto the waiting keel blocks. The first arc was struck,
03:16and the ship was under construction. As fast as adjoining ways could be started,
03:22keels were laid on them until six lay side by side. This was shipbuilding under difficulty,
03:28for the shipyard was not yet half built. But nothing could stop the night and day
03:33progress. While steadily on way six, the first ship was taking shape.
03:39Construction of the mile-long shipyard had begun 26 days after the first contract was
03:54signed. Thousands of men and women were hired to lend their strong arms to victory. 30,000
04:01piles were driven. Buildings arose on new-made land. A coffer dam held back the sea while
04:10workmen were completing the ways. While the shipyard was being built about them, shipbuilders
04:16were welding steel to steel. Thousands of orders were placed, and materials began to
04:22flow into the great warehouse. Finally, one year after groundbreaking, the plant stood complete.
04:38A $17 million shipyard cradled between the green of the marine hills and the blue of sky. Before
04:47this shipyard was three and a half years old, she was destined to present her nation with
04:5115 Liberty ships, 78 big tankers, including 16 Navy oilers, and many special military crafts.
05:00Marine ship, though a newcomer, had achieved stature with the greatest industrial plants of the nation.
05:16Within three and a half years, Marine Ship would spend $335 million to utilize 100 million man-hours of labor
05:25from a total turnover of 75,000 employees. On September 26, 1942, came the great day,
05:38launching of the first Marine ship vessel, the Liberty ship William A. Richardson. Invited
05:45to share the thrill were the families of all Marine ship workers. 20,000 persons stood
05:50about the flag-draped bow, starting a tradition of colorful Marine ship launchings. Here was
05:55the first born, ready for launching three months after keel laying and only six months
06:00after groundbreaking. This was the first of world records by the many for Marine ship.
06:06Here was started the custom of choosing yard sponsors, honoring the men and women who built
06:10the ship. Gracious remarks by the sponsor, wife of a Marine ship carpenter, set the mood
06:16of cooperation. Now all is ready for the moment when the Richardson will leap free and start
06:21down the waves. There she goes. The champagne spray bursts in time with the shouts of 20,000
06:32voices. The Richardson slides quietly and proudly into San Francisco Bay. Now fully
06:42waterborne, the ship begins to drag the chains that bring her under control. And so was born
06:51the first of 15 Marine ship Liberties, which were to carry war cargo to Normandy, Leyte,
06:58and around the world. These were the ships which turned the tide of war. But Marine ship
07:07was destined for bigger, tougher things. Out of the blue, following an aerial survey of
07:13Marine ship, Vice Admiral Howard L. Vickery, builder of the Victory Fleet, brought news
07:18of a more critical job. On six continents and five oceans, American planes, tanks, and
07:23trucks needed gasoline. Marine ship was chosen to build the vitally needed tankers with 10,000
07:28horsepower motors, a powerful model never built anywhere else. Speaking to 16,000 Marine ship
07:35employees, Admiral Vickery assigned them their new jobs. Soon from atop the subassembly building,
07:40the Maritime M. Pennant with three gold stars flew beneath the stars and stripes. Strange new
07:47shapes in steel and odd patterns in wooden templates marked the start of tanker construction.
07:53Here were many new problems to be met and solved. By the middle of 1943, without loss of a single
07:59day, the entire yard had been converted into a great tanker production line. Ship followed ship.
08:06Within two years from the first tanker launching, from this yard had sailed more than a million
08:11deadweight tons of tanker capacity. A vast pipeline to Tokyo, carrying American victory.
08:22Highest production achievement in the tanker program was reached on the
08:26Huntington Hills, launched at Marine ship only 28 days after keel laying.
08:32Aboard as guests were all those who helped to build her. Spark to highest efficiency,
08:39these were the men and women who cut 26 days from the world's tanker record
08:44when they delivered this ship only 33 days after keel laying.
08:54Final dramatic moment of the day was the launch of the first tanker,
09:00final dramatic race was at the docks, where thousands of details, plus the trial run,
09:06were completed in five days of teamwork. As always, the high-level outfitting docks
09:11contributed to faster production. Best of all, this ship required only 540,000 man-hours,
09:19except for one, the cheapest tanker built at Marine ship.
09:24To find the secret of Marine ship miracle of production,
09:28we must look to many ingredients. First, there were the workers living in a beautiful new
09:32community less than a mile from the shipyard. Marine City was built for them and their families
09:37by the federal government. Here were 1,500 homes housing 5,000 people. A short distance away,
09:471,200 rooms for single persons provided comfortable dormitory accommodations.
09:52Schools, hospitals, stores made up a model community.
10:00Other workers that one might see flowing in and out of the gates
10:03came from San Francisco and nearby cities of Marin County and the Bay Area.
10:10Many men and women came by bus to a unique in-yard transportation terminal.
10:16Here they passed through gates protected by uniformed officers.
10:19Arriving for work aboard the picturesque Marine ship ferry for each of the three daily shifts,
10:25one would see men and women who, a few months before, knew nothing about shipbuilding,
10:30but trained and guided, their collective skills tossed into the common pool of endeavor,
10:36built ships unsurpassed anywhere for craftsmanship.
10:44Inside the yard, everything was done to protect workers' health and safety.
10:49These smartly uniformed officers helped win for Marine Ship the coveted Coast Guard
10:55security shield of honor for personnel and plant protection.
11:00A fine industrial hospital, supplemented by first aid stations throughout the yard,
11:05gave prompt and competent treatment for every type of mishap.
11:09Finest scientific tools were used to keep Marine Ship workers healthy, happy, and on the job.
11:15Meanwhile, a vigorous safety program constantly reduced the number and severity
11:20of industrial accidents. Yellow was adopted as the safety color for all moving equipment.
11:26In 1945, Marine Ship accident rates were well below national and western averages,
11:32while severity was the lowest on the coast.
11:38Outstanding were the fast-service hot food stations,
11:42which were pioneered at Marine Ship through the joint efforts of management and labor.
11:46When the whistle sounded, each worker would choose his menu for the day
11:50by dropping a coin in the selected turnstile. Within a few minutes,
11:53he would join his friends for an appetizing and nutritious meal served piping hot.
12:03For his entertainment, there was always lunchtime music,
12:06and often a program featuring world-famous celebrities or named bands in person.
12:18This power-driven sweeper helped maintain the yard-wide cleanliness,
12:22which drew delight and praise from women visitors.
12:29Nearly every day saw colorful guests from all over the world,
12:33such as His Royal Highness Prince Faisal,
12:35Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia. A real western welcome was given to this royal scion of the east.
12:44Members of the royal party included ambassadors and statesmen
12:48representing a civilization as old as history.
12:56After Prince Faisal inspected the model of a Marine Ship tanker,
13:00he was given a tiny replica to be taken back to his father,
13:04King Ibn Saud, greatest figure in modern Arabian history.
13:09With the prince, night and day were brawny, dark-skinned bodyguards.
13:13No mere ornaments were the ivory-handled knives thrust in their belts.
13:19In the Marine Ship guest book, the prince added his signature to those of other notables.
13:24Entertainers such as Bing Crosby, sportsmen such as Jack Dempsey,
13:28singers such as Marian Anderson.
13:34Oriental robes made a dramatic contrast against the stern patterns of a modern shipyard.
13:42And then came a sight out of the Arabian Nights,
13:46as a 27-ton shellplate section swung through the air.
13:51Onto the high-level outfitting docks they walked to inspect at first hand a Marine Ship tanker.
13:57It is such tankers as these which must carry the wealth of Arabian oil around the world.
14:02Waiting for them was the Marine Ship flagship, the Navy Oiler Tumultius,
14:07named for the mountain at whose foot the shipyard lay.
14:10The prince led the way and special guests followed to take part in a bay trial run,
14:15preceded by a genuine Oriental luncheon,
14:19served on deck beneath the colorful folds of a desert tent.
14:27As the ship pulled out, Prince Faisal came up the catwalk, followed by his son, Prince Fahd.
14:38Like the recurring theme in a symphony were the launching.
14:42Reenacted nearly once a week, always similar, yet always different.
14:48Famous singers such as Todd Duncan, creator of the Rule of Porgy, drew enthusiastic applause.
14:53There was always the champagne bottle, beautiful and ribboned,
15:00and then smash, and the cool foam flowed down the bow as the great ship moved toward the water.
15:08The lengthening shadows of the afternoon
15:10unwrapped a moving pattern across the graceful bow of the ship.
15:23One of the most spectacular ships in Marine Ships Parade of Launching was the Navy Oiler
15:35USS Concho, launched on a way from which all staging had been removed, ready to build army
15:41barges. Here is something seldom if ever seen elsewhere, an unobstructed view of a great ship
15:49racing down the ways into the water.
16:03Proof of patriotic morale was the purchase of 18 million dollars in war bonds by employees,
16:09more than enough to pay for the entire shipyard.
16:13Blending these ingredients into a smooth working whole was the job of management,
16:18with its on-the-job supervision, translating ideas into action, issuing orders, making sure
16:25the ships were built right. With engineers whose drawing boards were busy night and day
16:31designing the ships the craftsmen were to fashion. From the blueprint machines came
16:37miles of technical drawings for field use, while precious originals were stored in fireproof vaults.
16:46Busiest units in the yard were the 150 horsepower diesel electric dinkies,
16:52which rushed to the right location, all the steel which marineship expediters and traffic experts
16:57had procured in the face of war's material shortages and transportation bottlenecks.
17:03Safely in the yard steel was unloaded from gondolas into steel racks.
17:10Here were not only sheet steel of all thicknesses,
17:13but also beams and shapes of every kind, cataloged and ready, a library of steel.
17:22Then as it was needed the steel was placed aboard big semi-trailers or put in racks,
17:26so that the fast-moving heisters could quickly pick it up and take it to the fabricating shops.
17:32♪♪
17:47In the big plate shop this steel was handed over to one of the 15 ton bridge cranes,
17:52which moved it to where it would be punched, cut, bent, and welded in the first manufacturing step.
17:59While beautiful Mount Tomopias lay serene in the background.
18:03♪♪
18:10Workers made an interesting silhouette against the sky as they worked about the travel graph,
18:15which cuts an intricate design of steel to match a wooden template.
18:20The steel melts away like paper when touched by the torch of flame, leaving a trail of dancing
18:26sparks. As much as 1,100 tons a day passed through these operations and came to rest in storage area.
18:33♪♪
18:36Twelve great 50-ton gantry cranes were the mechanical strongmen of the yard.
18:43In the sub-assembly shop skilled workers made big ones out of little ones.
18:48Welding separate pieces of fabricated steel to form whole great assemblies,
18:53weighing many tons, such as this coffer dam. Like most bulkheads on these tankers,
18:58it was made of isherwood plates corrugated for added strength.
19:03Hundreds of man hours were saved by building this 61-ton stern section in the shop,
19:08where it could lie on its side to allow easier access. Its intricate pattern of steel
19:13contrasts with the graceful simplicity of a bow section.
19:17♪♪
19:20Working side-by-side, some of the 8,000 welders who were trained at Marin Ship joined two deck plates,
19:27one wielding her stinger while the other inspects and cleans the weld she has made.
19:3335 million feet of welding went into these old welded Marin Ship vessels,
19:38using 20 million pounds of welding rod as electrodes.
19:42♪♪
19:47Here a brawny chipper shatters the air with the sound of his pneumatic chisel.
19:52Across the steel creeps a union melt automatic welding machine.
19:58Its flaming spark concealed by a trail of sand-like flux.
20:03Excess flux was retrieved by vacuum. So intense was the almost atomic heat that it not only
20:09joined the steel, but melted the sand to form a brittle band of red-hot glass,
20:14which could be knocked away to reveal a perfect welded seam.
20:17♪♪
20:23On the 25-ton stern castings, a specialized form of welding was used.
20:28After heating and inspection, flaming thermite would send a stream of molten iron to join the
20:34pieces of steel, while showers of sparks gave proof of the intense heat being generated
20:39by the chemical reaction. Each crucible was a miniature volcano.
20:44♪♪
20:47Out in the open yard were stored the pre-assemblies, numbered, complete,
20:52ready to be lifted onto the nearby shipways. Here too, beneath the California skies,
20:58were many craftsmen building ship sections on permanent frames called jigs.
21:03This automatic burning machine first heats the steel with an acetylene flame
21:08and then cuts it with a jet of oxygen.
21:10On another jig, a welder joins two curving bilge plates, which flangers are pulled together.
21:17Trained hands guide the burning torch, which shapes a steel foundation for some of the ship's machinery.
21:26Welded into place, the foundation is tested for accuracy by a ship fitter.
21:32Pride of marine ship were the massive prefabricated sections,
21:37such as these boiler casings with their streamlined smokestacks.
21:41In the marine ship pipe shop were fabricated the 20 miles of complex piping,
21:46which went into every marine ship tanker.
21:51Raw material was the huge stack of pipe with bright colored ends to mark each size and kind.
21:58Each section of pipe must follow the intricate pattern exactly.
22:02Inside the shop, cranes lift the pipe, automatic burning machines spin
22:07about cutting it to the exact length desired. At each end, a flange is welded into place.
22:15Excess steel is removed by a chipper with his powerful air-driven gun.
22:20Completing the installation is a large control valve, one of 2,900 which are placed on the ship.
22:26In the copper shop, a lost art is revived, as coppersmiths with wooden mallets batter heated
22:32sheets into handmade pipes, which glisten like polished jewelry lying on Milady's dressing table.
22:40But in fact, they are immense pieces, larger than a man.
22:47Each piece painstakingly cut, bent, brazed, and polished must be cut to the exact length
22:53Each piece painstakingly cut, bent, brazed, and polished must match the template exactly.
22:58Hundreds of other items such as these sheet metal ventilators come from specialty shops.
23:02Now the prefabrication is done, we're ready to assemble the ship on the ways.
23:09As one tanker is launched, another is born.
23:14Keel for the new ship is swung into place by a giant crane.
23:18Then, like streams meeting to form a wide river, the steel from many shops joins on the ways.
23:2624 hours later, see the transformation.
23:29All in one day, trained crews have landed 1,600 tons on the keel blocks.
23:34Another pipeline to Tokyo is on its way.
23:39Largest of all ship sections is this 115-ton engine room, foundation for the heart of the ship.
23:45Only at Marine Ship was the great 10,000 horsepower propulsion motor
23:50lifted in one piece onto the hull.
23:52Taken from the 26-tired truck on which it was assembled,
23:55the motor is swung into the air by two cranes.
24:06An iron-nerved rigger climbs onto the 20-ton lifting rig
24:10to transfer the load from one crane to another.
24:16Then down to earth he rides on the hook he is freed.
24:20Carried to the stern of the ship, the motor is carefully lowered onto its foundation
24:25and then aligned so that its shaft will meet the propeller with mathematical precision.
24:31Meanwhile, suspended from a special tower, the tail shaft of the ship is prepared for
24:36coupling to the motor at one end and for fitting into the 17-ton propeller at the other.
24:45In this pre-fitting operation, machinists must test and retest for perfect alignment
24:51while the shiny brass glistens in the marine sunshine.
24:57As tall as a three-story building is the big midship deckhouse,
25:01already largely outfitted on the skids.
25:05Most dramatic moment occurs when two yellow cranes unite to lift the entire upper part
25:12of a midship deckhouse weighing 62 tons.
25:16The upper part is lifted away so that the lower section,
25:20with which it has been built, may be uncovered and later moved first onto the ship.
25:31Now the powerful all-electric cranes return to pick up the 80-ton lower section.
25:37High in the air, the section is rolled smoothly to a point near the way for which it is destined.
25:55Lying temporarily on the ground in front of the way is the upper section,
26:00waiting its turn to go onto the ship.
26:02From his cab, the crane operator gets a lofty view of operations.
26:08There, in front of the selected way, the great weight must be transferred in midair.
26:13Through use of a double coupling device, the load is shifted from the two transverse cranes
26:19to those that travel along each side of the way.
26:32Now the hook swings free.
26:41Lifted even higher, the section moves along far above the ship and staging
26:46until it reaches the proper point of midship.
26:49There it will be lowered gently onto the waiting hull.
26:52The great weight of these sections requires the use of 12 parts of rope
26:56to support each hook and headlock.
27:02♪♪
27:09This job completed, the never-idle cranes have already gone back for the upper section,
27:14and now it too takes the same sky-borne route.
27:18Through this method, employed on scores of large assemblies,
27:22marineship ingenuity and daring made possible the world record
27:26of only 33 days for construction of a tanker.
27:28♪♪
27:44Finally, the ship stands more than 80 percent complete, ready for launching.
27:48Honor bow is painted one of the unique emblems,
27:50which has become an exclusive marineship tradition.
27:53About the bow of the graceful tanker stand hundreds of shipbuilders and their friends.
27:57The flag of the United States is raised to mark the start of the christening ceremonies.
28:02♪♪
28:05The blessing of God is invoked to protect the ship through war and peace.
28:10♪♪
28:12A singer raises his voice in song,
28:16and then the gracious sponsor bespeaks the excitement and joy in everyone's heart.
28:21Now all is ready.
28:22In another moment, the ship will leap free and start down the way.
28:26♪♪
28:29In the deep shadows beneath the bow of the ship,
28:31the burner's torches begin to cut the links of steel that hold the ship to the way.
28:36Soon it is burn six, burn seven, burn eight.
28:42Then there she goes.
28:45Champagne spray bathes the cool steel.
28:47The crowd tenses with excitement.
28:49♪♪
28:57Viewed from the bow of the ship by men who ride with the tanker on her maiden voyage,
29:01the shipyard and the way appear to retreat in the distance.
29:06Smoothly and without a sound,
29:08the new ship glides into the welcoming waters of San Francisco Bay.
29:13Each sponsor is presented with a lapel watch, a gift of the company.
29:18Meanwhile, the still uncompleted tanker is taken in tow by tugs and guided to the docks,
29:23where workers wait to spring aboard and continue the outfitting work.
29:28Nestled against the side of the marine ship dock, we get the first full look
29:32at the 523-foot ship with her graceful modern lines.
29:37Little wonder, Marine Ship has been called America's most beautiful shipyard.
29:43Here in scenic splendor, each ship was completed for delivery to the Maritime Commission.
29:49In this warehouse, Marin County's largest building,
29:52Marine Ship stored $10 million worth of ship supplies,
29:55such as immense switchboards and tiny boiler water tubes,
30:00and a large number of other items.
30:02Such as immense switchboards and tiny boiler water tubes,
30:07hundreds of pulleys and wire rope for ship's rigging and gear,
30:12blowers for ship's comfort, and the electric switches to control them.
30:16All-wave radio receivers for outside communication and voice tubes for ship use.
30:23Never-ending thousands of pipe accessories, angles, tees, and valves,
30:29stacked in orderly rows far back into the shadows of the two-million-cubic-foot warehouse.
30:35To furnish the ship, glassware, refrigerators, blankets, towels, pots and pans,
31:04and everything to make a floating city at sea.
31:08For maintenance and emergency, the ship was supplied with firefighting tools,
31:12medical equipment, hammers, saws, and shovels,
31:16all moving in and out of the warehouse in pace with the accelerated ship production program.
31:25Marine Ship, a yard on wheels,
31:27with interlacing streets teeming with traffic, from bicycles to mobile cranes.
31:34Fire trucks of special design manned day and night.
31:38Tiny cars called jeeps and many models dashing to fulfill important errands.
31:43Special trucks carrying mobile welding equipment or oil for lubrication.
31:48Ambulances ready for instant use.
31:51All heisters distinctively painted for safety.
31:54And granddaddy of them all, the big custom-built truck capable of carrying 120 tons.
32:00Workers rush about the docks, completing the ship's details,
32:06as the 16-wheel, 20-ton cranes lift huge volumes of equipment and supplies on board.
32:13On the ship, outfitting experts are busy at their ship-a-week rate.
32:17All living spaces insulated by two inches of fiberglass.
32:21This was one reason seamen report that Marine Ship tankers are unusually comfortable at sea.
32:30Then, using a Marine Ship invention,
32:32one of 5,000 contributed by workers through the Labor Management Committee,
32:37a girl welds the fiberglass bats in place.
32:40Such time-saving devices as this have boosted Marine Ship to its position
32:44as America's number one idea factory.
32:47In the galley, where the feet of many cooks will tread,
32:50a tile setter lays his squares of clay in a bed of two-inch mortar.
33:00These pipes carry steam throughout the ship.
33:05Preformed magnesia insulation is cut, then held in place by tiny wires.
33:11Wound with cloth, then painted, the lagging work is completed.
33:16This and every other outfitting operation was crowded into one week or less,
33:20and then repeated on the next tanker.
33:24One of the biggest jobs has been the electrical work,
33:27for these Marine Ship tankers are all electric.
33:30Fifteen miles of cable from generators to lights in passageways
33:34and to switch boxes and relays throughout the ship.
33:38Other heavily shielded cables carry the radar messages to the gun.
33:48Next, the walls and ceiling are covered over with metal sheathing.
33:52Concealed within them are a complex of insulation, pipe, and cables.
33:57Metal furniture loaded into skips and lifted by crane onto the deck of the tanker,
34:10and then workers carry each piece into the quarters for installation.
34:16After the foundation has been screwed on,
34:19this filing cabinet will be bolted to the floor of the first engineer's quarters.
34:24Now the ship is structurally complete.
34:26350,000 different pieces of steel, all welded into a single, one-piece tanker.
34:33Deft painters apply the final coat in readiness for many months at sea.
34:46In the galley, gleaming Monel metal tables, chromium soup kettles,
34:51and the large electric stove invite the culinary best from the ship's cooks.
35:00In coming months, the ship's officers are to eat many a fine meal at these tables
35:05and enjoy many a steaming cup of hot coffee when the sea blows cold.
35:16Comfortable living quarters for the captain are a must.
35:21Are located just below the pilot house and radio room,
35:24so that he can be in touch with ship's operations at all times.
35:31In the adjoining room is the captain's office, with conference table, safe, cabinet, and desk.
35:45The source of all ship's energy are the two big boilers.
35:50A sweating workman applies the torch to the atomized oil,
35:53and the roar of light fills the boiler room.
35:57Superheated steam at 815 degrees rushes toward the main turbine
36:02at the exceptional pressure of 600 pounds per square inch.
36:09And then the bailey board and other automatic controls take over.
36:13Here's a ship which virtually operates herself.
36:16Through these insulated pipes, the steam is carried from the boilers to the main turboelectric generator.
36:23Here the blasting steam surges through 11 fan-like turbine wheels,
36:27which are mounted on the same shaft as a 7,500 kilowatt generator.
36:32This spins at 3,600 revolutions per minute, driving electrical current through the switches,
36:37gauges, and automatic controls which comprise the main switchboard.
36:42Electrically driven, the 10,000 horsepower motor turns the propeller at 103 revolutions per minute.
36:50Far back in the ship, directly over the rudder, is the steering engine.
36:56Workmen come aboard at the docks to test the two hydraulic rams,
36:59first to port and then to starboard the rudder is swung.
37:04As the rudder moves, the steam is pushed to the main turbine,
37:09and the propeller is swung.
37:11As the rudder moves from side to side, the propeller takes its first grip of the sea.
37:16Here is power and despair.
37:32These tankers also became fighting ships of the United States fleet.
37:36At the bow were two three-inch guns.
37:41At the stern were many anti-aircraft and the big five-inch cannon,
37:45which could hold her own with many warships.
37:54Shrouded in canvas were the nests of anti-aircraft amid ships.
38:00Final ship to pass through these operations was the mission San Francisco.
38:05Flag-draped cranes form an archway for the 93rd and last
38:10Marine ship vessel, while 5,000 workers and their families join in celebration.
38:16A Navy blimp adds its congratulations to Marine ship for a job well done.
38:30Then down the ways for the last time, as clouds of confetti and streamers tell
38:34the festive story of pride and joy.
38:43Here is the last proud member of a distinguished fleet built at Marine ship.
38:50Just a few days earlier, Marine ship's contribution to victory was undeniably proven
38:55when the U.S. surrender fleet sailed into Sagami Bay off Tokyo.
39:00With that great armada were eight Marine ship Navy oilers,
39:04half of the ships of that class built at Marine ship,
39:07and leading them was the Tomalpais, flagship of the Marine ship fleet.
39:14On the morning of the trial run, dawn breaks cool and clear across San Francisco Bay.
39:22Already aboard the ship are members of the trial crew,
39:24who have raised steam and are now prepared to subject the ship to every peril of the deep.
39:29In the wheelhouse, all navigating controls, such as this gyro compass repeater,
39:39have been made ready for their test. At every post throughout the ship,
39:44the seaman of the trial crew stands ready to do the job,
39:47which another seaman of the permanent crew will handle when the ship finally sails away.
39:52Now the trial captain steps to the ship's phone.
39:55Down in the engine room, the trial engineer receives the message,
39:58take her out into the channel. He steps to the throttle and presses it forward,
40:04watching the gauges as they record the first motion.
40:10Smoothly, the tanker glides away from the dock.
40:14Now for the first time, she is a living thing, filled with strength and courage.
40:22Ready for the sea.
40:27Out in the channel, anchor is dropped as a test.
40:30To make certain that the ship meets the high standards of the American merchant marine,
40:35a launch comes alongside bringing the trial board of the Maritime Commission.
40:45Now the launch skims away, leaving the tanker alone.
40:52Two of the most powerful winches on the ship are used to lift the two six-ton anchors
40:58and the 15-ton anchor chains.
41:07From the bottom of the bay, the anchor returns to be met by a cleansing stream of water.
41:22Now the captain telephones his orders from the bridge.
41:27The ship is ready for the first time to use her entire power.
41:31The trial engineer pulls the throttle all the way forward,
41:34and the strength of 10,000 horses smoothly surges through the ship.
41:38Now it's full speed ahead.
41:40As the ship climbs toward 20 knots and more, the trial crew smile at their post.
41:45Under the clear blue sky, the pilot takes the wheel on the weather deck
41:55as the ship speeds about the bay.
42:00Meanwhile, engineers and observers are preparing their reports on the ship's performance.
42:06On the yard arm, traditional flags of the sea give a message to passing ships.
42:20In the chart room, sea-wise hands plot a course through the Golden Gate onto the wide Pacific.
42:28Officers confirm their plan with the aid of a navigating compass.
42:32Suddenly, the pilot swings the rudder hard to port.
42:35The vessel groans and trembles at the shock.
42:43But like a veteran, the ship swings about,
42:47leaving proof on the sea of another test well met.
42:56Now the pilot suddenly wheels to starboard.
42:58The rudder turns, and with it, the ship, tracing a great arc.
43:05Out under the Golden Gate Bridge, the tanker heads for the horizon,
43:11passing the pilot boat, which always lies anchored alongside the channel,
43:15while far out ahead lie the rocky Farallon Islands.
43:23Overhead, a navy blimp on patrol looks the tanker over,
43:27then drops down for a closer view.
43:35Now nearly 50 miles offshore, huge swells begin to buffet the ship.
44:04She dips and rises, adjusting her great form to the ocean's unruly surface.
44:11Mile upon mile, she keeps the pace.
44:13This is the grueling endurance run, taking the final measure of seaworthiness.
44:18The test completed with flying colors, the ship turns homeward.
44:22With a fresh notch cut in its side, a broom is raised to the mast,
44:26proving that this marine ship tanker has swept the seas.
44:41When the broom reaches the top, an uninvited visitor spreads wings in tribute to success.
44:50To join the celebration, the battleship Missouri and a carrier appear on the scene.
44:57Back through the Golden Gate, the tanker drifts passively past the Sausalito waterfront
45:02to the place of her birth.
45:04Wherever she may go in coming years, on all the seven seas,
45:09only the shipyard with a mission will ever be her home.
45:18Now for every Navy oiler comes the commissioning,
45:30when friends come to see the captain take over command.
45:36The sponsor of the marine ship, flagship Tummel Pius, presents a redwood plaque for remembrance.
45:42In his quarters, the captain confers with the chief engineer.
45:45Already the ship is loaded and on the cargo deck are airplanes
45:49to use the fuel carried in tanks beneath.
45:52All for which we have worked is in readiness.
45:55Tomorrow we sail.
45:58Loaded to capacity with gasoline for war,
46:01the marine ship tanker heads out through the Golden Gate, destination unknown.
46:07One day this tanker is destined to return to sail out again with the cargoes of peace.
46:15Ship's officers peer into the horizon.
46:18While back at marine ship, trained hands and minds continue to play their part,
46:23building more tankers, oilers, barges, and secret type craft,
46:29and then repairing the ships which made up the marine ship pipelines to Tokyo.
46:34Here is a picture for remembering the sea, the ship, the sky, and the flag,
46:45composing a marine ship memory that will live forever in the hearts and minds
46:50of all those who know the unforgettable phrase, well done.