Muskegon World War I Plants and Housing

Not only was Muskegon the "Arsenal of Democracy" in World War II, but it also played a role in World War I in which the city's main war production plants were Continental Motor, Lingerman Steel & Machinery Co. and Brunswick, Balke, Collander Co., //// They all did war work. ///// In addition, there were two major 1919 Housing Projects: the 248 detached units of the Schoenberg Tract and 30 detached units at the McGraft Tract (on the McGraft farm). //// I doubt that any of these two tracts were the ones was the Kissell home (Feb. 14th post). The Kissell home was detached and moved to Casnovia, Michigan, at some point after World War II. //// My Next Post on This Blog Will Be #1000!! --GreGen

Muskegon's USS Silversides Submarine Museum

The USS Silversides (SS-236) was built at Mare Navy Yard in Vallejo, California, and commissioned December 15, 1941. The Silversides is credited with sinking the third most ships of any Allied submarine during the war, with 23. Only the USS Tang and USS Taulog sank more. //// After the war, it was stationed at Chicago and used by the US Naval Reserve until 1969 and then went to Muskegon in 1987. Today it is a submarine museum. //// Right now, it has a new USS Flier submarine exhibit, a submarine that was sunk in the war. //// --GreGen

Dekalb, Illinois World War II Naval Activities

While on the subject of the last post, I looked up the naval activities in DeKalb, Illinois, for the war. I went to college there (Northern Illinois University). DeKalb had Naval Cost Inspectors at Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation and the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company (makers of pianos and organs).

There was also a Bureau of Aeronautics representative at Interstate Aircraft and Engineering.

The Navy All the Way Inland at DeKalb.  Something You Wouldn't Think.  --GreGen

Muskegon in World War II: Naval Activities

In 1941, the Continental Aviation and Engineering Corporation built a new plant in Muskegon. /

From U.S. Naval Activities WW II by State.

MUSKEGON NAVAL CONTRACTS: Brunswick-Balke-Collande Co., Campbell- Wynant Cannon Foundry Co., Continental Motors Corporation, Kaydon Engineering, Muskegon Meter Specialties Co., Sealed Power Corporation, West Michigan Steel Foundry, and Anaconda Wire and Cable Company.

In addition, Muskegon had a Resident Inspector of Naval Material and a Resident Representative of the Bureau of Aeronautics.

--GreGen

World War II "M' Flags But Did Find "Minuteman" Flags

I was unable to find any further information on "M' (for manufacturing) flags that I metioned in the last post. I did come across "Minuteman" flags which were given to World War II businesses and people for meeting their goals in the purchase of war bonds. //// --GreGen

Muskegon, the "Arsenal of Democracy"-- Part 2

Later Continental had to construct a new aircraft engine plant building to make Rolls-Royce Merlin liquid-cooled engines for the British Spitfire fighters, the planes that saved Britain. //// THE MAGNOLIA CONNECTION //// Recruiters from city factories roamed far and wide across the United States to find workers. They especially went to Kentucky and Tennessee to find poor Southern whites and blacks and sent them by train to Muskegon. Also, a lot of blacks came from Magnolia, Arkansas, and High Point, North Carolina. As a result, Muskegon's minority population increased seven times higher during the war. //// Muskegon was also the first U.S. city to be honored with the "M" flag (for manufacturing) in 1944. The city also a had a ship named after it, the USS Muskegon, a patrol frigate in the Atlantic Ocean. //// Lots of War Effort. --GreGen

Muskegon, the "Arsenal of Democarcy"-- Part 1

From the Dec. 6, 2009, M Live, Muskegon Chronicle "Muskegon was the 'Arsenal of Democracy' during World War II" by David Kello. //// The Continental Motor Co., at its wartime peak, employed 9,000 workers in 1944, manufacturing automobile, tank and aircraft engines for the U.S. and British military. Muskegon was a major industrial city in Michigan even before the war, but really ramped up as war approached. //// Continental Motors (later Teledyne and now L3 Communications) workers had already tripled in force to 3,250 some six months before Pearl Harbor. //// Other factories in Muskegon involved in the war effort were Sealed Power, Norge, Muskegon Piston Ring and CWC. Kaydon started in 1941 and made bearings. Continental received a $11.4 million contract for auto engines from the government. Later, the British ordered 6,000 tank engines. //// More to Come. --GreGen

Sgt. Walter Ehlers, Medal of Honor Recipient Dies

From NBC News. //// WALTER EHLERS, 92. //// The last-living Medal of Honor Recipient who stormed Omaha Beach on D-Day (although his Medal of Honor came three days later). //// He earned it "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" on June 9th and 10th, 1944. . //// He was wounded three separate times in Goville, France, and still had a German bullet in his leg when he died last week. He took out several German gun crews and drew a tremendous amount of enemy fire on himself to save his unit. A month after D-Day, he learned that he had run past the body of his older brother on the beach that day. //// Mr. Ehlers was one of only 75 living Medal of Honnor winners still alive.

To Make a Long Story Short

Back on the 14th, I wrote about the newly-found love letters from a couple living in Muskegon during the war. I started doing more research and that ended up taking a good three hours, which explains a difficulty with all my blogs. //// I start off with an article and as I dig deeper, it gets more and mopre interesting. As I already said, I had heard of Muskegon, Michigan, but had no idea about even where it was located, much less its role in World War II. //// What I found was a city whose experiences were much like those of Wilmington, NC, and almost on as big a stage as that southern town, other than fewer, if any, military bases and the shipbuilding, but from what I found out, it could easily be America's second World War II City in the future. //// --GreGen

Muskegon, Michigan

I had to look the town up as I was unfamiliar with it. It is a city of 38,400 and the largest city in Michigan on the Lake Michigan shore. //// It is the home of the USS Silversides Submarine Museum. Also located there are the LST-393 and the USCG Cutter McLane and the SS Milwaukee Clipper, a famous car ferry. //// The USS Silversides is hosting a World War II Lecture Series from Jan. 6th to April 2014 from 6-8 PM every Monday. //// Some interesting lectures are MARCH 3: "Muskegon-- The Arsenal of Democracy; MARCH 10th: "The Air War Over the Pacific and Muskegon's Ike Kepford; and APRIL 21st: "The USS Flier. //// I'd Sure Like to Attend These. --GreGen

Japanese Destroyer Shigure-- Part 3

From the Pacific Wrecks Site. //// Some information on the ship's operations. ///// APRIL 16, 1943-- Departed Truk with the Hibiki escorting the Chuyo and escort carrier Taiyo. (I did not know the Japanese had escort carriers.) //// JUNE 2-4TH-- Departs on troop escort run to Biak, but the run had to be aborted when it was detected by American aircraft. Diverted to Sorong. //// JUNE 8, 1944-- Attempted troop transport run to Biak. Rescued 110 survivors from the destroyer Harusame. // Later engaged American cruiser-destroyer group. Received minor damage from two shell hits with 7 dead and 15 wounded. Withdrew to Sorong. //// The site says they will have more on the Shigure, but says it was sunk March 10, 1945, but most sources I have found agree it was sunk January 24, 1945. //// --GreGen

Japanese Destroyer Shigure-- Part 2

The Shigure mad eight of the extremely dangerous Tokyo Express Runs to Guadalcanal. At the Battle of Vella Gulf, it was the only one of four Japanese destroyers to escape. At the October 6-7, 1943, Battle of Vella LaVella, it heavily damaged the USS Selfridge (DD-357) //// In February 1944, it suffered heavy damage from American planes. //// On January 25, 1945, while escorting a convoy from Hong Kong to Singapore, it was torpedoed by the submarine USS Blackfin and sank slowly. Thirty-seven died and 270 escaped. //// --GreGen

Japanese Destroyer Shigure-- Part 1

From Wikipedia. //// This was the destroyer sunk by Walter Taverna's submarine USS Blackfin, which I have been writing about. //// The Shigure was a Shiratsuyu-class destroyer in Japan's Imperial Navy. It had the ruputation of being a "lucky" or "unsinkable" ship along with the destroyer Yukikaze. They received the name because both had had been the sole surviving ship in numerous engagements. //// It was commissioned 7 September 1936 and was at the Battles of Midway, First Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, Vella Gulf, Horaniu, Vella LaVelle, Empress Augusta Bay, Philippine Sea, Leyte Gulf and Surigano Gulf. //// --GreGen

Submarine USS Blackfin (SS-322)

From Wikipedia. //// Back on Feb. 5th, I wrote about submariner Walter Taverna recounting his World War Ii experiences aboard the USS Blackfin. //// The Blackfin was a Balao-class submarine launched 12 March 1944 by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. Commessioned 4 July 1944 and decommissioned in 1948. //// Recommissioned in 1951 and decommissioned in 1972 and sunk as a target vessel off San Diego in 1973. //// It went on five war patrols. On Jan. 24, 1945, it sank the Japanese destroyer Shigure and a tanker. On its fifth patrol, it destroyed 61 floating mines. //// When recommissioned in 1951, it became a GUPPY submarine (Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program) to improve sub submerged speed, maneuverability and endurance. //// It was used in two movies: 1963's "Move Over darling" and 1968's "Ice Station Zebra." //// It was sunk 13 May 1973 by a torpedo. //// --GreGen

Deaths: Arthur J. Hubbard, Sr.--Code Talker Instructor

ARTHUR J. HUBBARD, SR. (1912-February 7, 2014) American state senator from Arizona and Navajoh Code Talker Trainer. //// Served in the USMC from 1939-1945 and trained over 200 Code Talkers. //// In 1972, he became the first Native-American senator to serve in Arizona. ////

Deaths: Werner Husemann (Luftwaffe Ace)-- Roderick Bain (Band of Brothers)

From Wikipedia. //// WERNER HUSEMANN (1919-Feb. 2, 2014) German Luftwaffe ace and received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross, one of Germany's highest awards, for shooting down 34 Allied planes. He was part of the 1st Night Fighter Wing and recorded his first victory the night of 17/18 August 1942. By the end of 1943, he had 17 kills. //// On the night of 25/26 June 1943, he shot down three British Avro Lancaster bombers. Altogether, he flew 250 combat missions. //// RODERICK BAIN (1922-Feb. 5, 2014) //// NCO of Second Platoon of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of 101st Airborne Division. Otherwise known as "The Band of Brothers" from the TV miniseries. //// He was one of the original 140 Toccoa men of Easy Company. //// In 2009, he wrote the book "We Who Are Alive and Remain: Untold Stories from Band of Brothers." ////

How Did the Home Get From Muskegon to Casnovia?

That got me interested in the story. I have done a lot of research on Wilmington, North Carolina, and its wartime experience with the thousands of workers who came ans where they were housed. Perhaps there was a big war industry in Muskegon and this could be classified wartime housing? I had to delve further into it. //// Perhaps Edward Kissel served in the military and these letters were written to Virginia from overseas. She might have worked at a war industry (perhaps a Rosie the Riveter?) I Yahooed Muskegon and found a not-complete list of servicemen from Muskegon County at the Genealogical Society. It didn't have Edward Kissel on the list (but again, they even admitted it wasn't complete). Maybe they both worked at a war-time industry? //// I'll See What I Can Find About Muskegon During the War and Maybe Something About the House That Moved. --GreGen

Long-Lost Love Letters Discovered in Michigan

From the Jan. 30, 2014, Yahoo! News/ABC News "Strangers Discover Long-Lost Love Letters in Attic, But Story Doesn't End There" by Eliza Murphy. //// Joshua McKinney, of Casnovia, Michigan, was removing old insulation in his attic Jan. 25 and found a stack of old love letters from World War II. They were wrapped in a pink ribbon and included a 1942 birth certificate for William Kissel and a marriage certificate from 1941 for Edward and Virginia Kissel. //// He alerted his local news station and media and within four hours Christina Frein, the grand-daughter of Edward and daughter of William, from Muskegon, an hour away, knew about it. //// That was the same weekend that her uncle, William's brother, had died and she said it was "like my dad was trying to talk to me." Her grandfather Edward died before she was born. //// No one from the family has ever lived in Casnovia, but the house had been in Muskegon in the 1940s and was part of a community. After the war, the house was separated from the others and relocated to Casnovia. //// An Interesting Story, But Wait, There's More. --GreGen

Deaths: Patrick J. Hannifin, Jacques Lazurus

PATRICK J. HANNIFIN (1923-Jan. 9, 2014) Graduated USNA in 1944, eventually becoming a vice admiral. Served in the submarine USS Balao (SS-285)during World War II. Later commanded USS Diodon (SS-349), USS George Washington (SSBN-598) and USS Lafayette (SSBN-616). A member of the Silent Service. //// JACQUES LAZURUS (1916-Jan. 8, 2014) Leader of the Jewish resistance in France after being forced out of the French Army by the Vichy Government. Then joined the Jewish Army which later became the Jewish Combat Organization. Captured by the Getaspo, he escaped from a train headed for Auschwitz. //// The Greatest Generation. --GreGen

Deaths: Joseph L. Coleman, Navy Aviator

JOSEPH L. COLEMAN, 91, Died Jan. 14, 2014. //// Cadet in Navy December 1943. In World War II was an aviator on the USS Swanee (CVE-27) from April 1944 to November 1945. Fought in the Pacific at Philippines, Leyte, Borneo, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. Also fought in the Vietnam War. Had two air kills. //// Carriet qualification on the USS Sable on the Great Lakes. Eventually rose to the rank of rear admiral. //// Was in the Navy Cadet Program and commissioned an ensign. Joined Fighter Squadron 40 on the USS Swanee and destroyed two enemy aircraft at Iwo Jima. //// --GreGen

Looted Paintings At Auction in New York City-- Part 2

Two of these had been in German Air Force Chief Hermann Goering's personal collection and had been painted by Jean-Batiste Pater. They had been taken from Baron James Mayer de Rothschild's collection in Paris. Both will be sold together and expected to get $500,000. //// They and the works of two other painters have Nazi markings (who meticulously catalogued looted items) as well as the numbered system on the Monuments Men after recovery. //// The Pater paintings have the Nazi marks R 70 and R 73, meaning they were taken from Rothschild. //// The Nazis scattered their loot across Europe in museums, mines, basements and salt mines. //// Last year, German officials found $1.38 billion of art in a Munich apartment that had been held by Cornelius Gurlitt. //// An unkown number of art works are still missing. //// A lot of history in those paintings. //// Congrats to the Monuments Men. --GreGen

Looted Paintings At Auction in New York City-- Part 1

From the Jan. 27, 2014, Yahoo! News, reuters "Painting looted by Nazis, recovered by the Allies to be auctioned in NY" by Patricia Reaney. //// These paintings were returned to their rightful owners by the "Monuments Men" which is of special interest right now because of the release of the movie. (I saw it yesterday.) Their charge was to find, recover and return Europe's art and culture to their rightful owners. The paintings were sold Thursday at New York's Sotheby's and were among the thousands of items recovered by the unit. //// The scale of the Nazi looting was "absolutely extraordinary." In France, some 36,000 items were taken from institutions and even more from individuals, especially Jews. //// --GreGen

Dravo's Neville Island Shipyard-- Part 2

Starting in December 1942 until February 1944, the shipyard concentrated on te construction of LSTs. They built LSTs 1 through 60. From January 1944 to April 1944, they built destroyer escorts DE-665 to DE 667: Jenks, Durik, and Wisemen. (The Durik had had John D. Catrano, who had commanded the APC-25 during the John Penn rescue, as executive officer,) Later, they built DE 723-738 and were to build DE 873-886 but they wer cancelled at the end of the war. //// They also built the LST-775 to LST-796, LST-884 to LST 905 and LST 1038 to LST-1059. //// Quite a Busy Shipyard During the War. --GreGen

Dravo's Neville Island Shipyard-- Part 1

From Shipbuilding History Site. //// While looking for information on the Fulton Shipyard in Antioch, California, I came across another major shipyard in the American war effort that I had never heard of before, the Dravo's Neville Island Shipyard, by Pittsburgh, Pennseylvania, in the Ohio River. //// This shipyard started in 1919 and was contracted by the U.S. Navy in World War Ii to construct those all-important LSTs (Landing Ship Tank). They invested $12 million. After the war, it turned into a ship scrapping facility for several years then returned to building barges and tow boats as it had before the war. ///// They built two ships in 1919. From 1932-1933, it built five dredges for the Corps of Engineers and in 1942 built subchasers for the Navy: PC-490-495, 573-577 and 593-595. In 1943, five minesweepers, AM-89 to AM-93: Despite, Direct, Dynamite, Effective and Engage. //// --GreGen

Real "Monuments Men" Records on Display-- Part 2

The movie "The Monuments Men" opened yesterday starring George "Ain't Michigan Winter Wonderful" Clooney, Matt Damon, Kate Blanchett, Bill Murray and John Goodman, tells their story and introduces most people, including myself, to the exploits of this group. //// On of the real "Monuments Men" was George Leslie Stout, an art conservator at the Fogg Museum in Boston, who drafted the plan for a special military team to protect Europe's art from Allied bombings. He even enlisted in the Navy to ensure his plan being carried through. //// The Monuments men were right in the middle of the fighting and mapped important sites to save and later worked returning stolen artwork to their rightful owners. //// Some of te images that can be seen at the Smithsonian Art Museum show a garden sculpture at the Palace of Versailles draped in camouflage netting protection, the Neuschwanstein Castle in germany where the Nazis amassed stolen art and the rescue of Michaelangelo's 1504 sculpture "Madonna and Child" which was stolen from a church in Bruges, Belgium. ///// -- GreGen

Real 'Monuments Men' Records on Display-- Part 1

From the Feb. 6, 2014, Kenosha (Wi) News by Brett Zongker AP. //// When Paris fell to the Germans in World War II, art historians knew that Europe's vast number of cathedrals, monuments, art and architecture were at risk. Efforts began to save as much as they could. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. became the center for lobbying to get FDR and Allied forces to prevent the destruction of these. The efforts created a group of British and American soldiers who worked for their preservation and to recover stolen art during and after the war. They became known as "The Monuments Men." And, of course, there is the movie by the same name opening today. //// Now, for the first time, photographs, maps, correspondence and records, including lists of Adolf Hitler's (and other Nazi leaders) amassed collection are on display at the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Archives of American Art and the National Archives. //// This Is Going to be a Real Good Movie. --GreGen

Submariner Recounts Experiences

From the Jan. 25, 2014, Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Express Times "World War II veteran recounts days aboard Blackfin submarine" by Jim Deegan. //// "Walter Taverna, 91, can still hear the sound-- the click that precedes a depth charge. It was a sound he heard while serving five war patrols on the USS Blackfin" in the South China Sea. //// "Once you get a click, the thing detonates. As long as you're below the depth charge, you don't get that much damage inflicted. When it's happening, you think about 'Am I going to make it?' But you pay attention to what you have to do." //// Today is the 69th anniversary of the Blackfin sinking the Japanese destroyer Shigure. This ship was considered to be lucky because twice begore in engagements, it was the only Japanese destroyer to come out of it. //// On Jan. 25, 1945, the Blackfin was getting ready to attack a Japanese tanker. Just before the attack, the sub's skipper turned the periscope and spotted the Shigure bearing down on him. The Blackfin sank it and then turned its attention back to the tanker and sank it as well. //// In all, 36,950 Navy personnel died in action and nearly 38,000 were wounded. //// Taverna belongs to the 27-member Lehigh Valley base of the U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc.. //// A Frightening Service. --GreGen

Some More Shorpy Photos-- Part 1

From the Shorpy.com website. //// Some more pictures of the U.S. homefront during the war. //// 1-24-14 THE WALLFLOWERS-- 1943: June 1943 "Glouceseter, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lopez. They have two boys in the armed service. He is a fish skinner in the Gorton-Pew Fishing." Photo by Gordon Parks, Office of War Information (OWI). //// 1-19-14 PLANE SPOTTING-- 1942: July 1942: Training high school boys to identify planes. There's no question about these young people's ability to recognize airplanes by their silhouettes. They're learning this and other essential facts of aviation at Weequahie Hig School, Newark, New Jersey, in a course designed to teach students the fundamentals of flying." OWI They are looking at silhouettes of planes on the ceiling. Many interesting comments from former spotters. //// This training was good both for defense and for future pilots who were always in big demand as the war progressed. //// --GreGen

Deaths: TV Producer and Munchkin

BEN STARR, 92 Died Jan. 19, 2014. Helped develop "Facts of Life" sitcom and other shows. During WW II he was a navigator in the Army Air Corps and won a Distinguished Flying Cross. //// RUTH DUCCIN, 95. Died Jan. 16, 2014. One of the Minchkins on "Wizard of Oz" and during WW II was a "Rosie the Riveter" at Douglas Aircraft. //// I have more wtitten onthese to people on my Cooter's History Thing, Feb. 4th and 5th. ////

Typhoon Louise

From the Naval History and Heritage Command. //// Following along with the minesweeper USS Industry which was essentially destroyed at yesterday's post, Naval Base Buckner Bay, after the war was over, in October 1945 by Typhoon Louise. This was one of the strongest storms on record for the Pacific Ocean. //// It started developing October 4, 1945, over the Caroline Islands and moving northwest in typical storm path. //// However, it unexpectedly swerved north to Okinawa and gained intensity. This sudden shift caught the naval vessels in the bay and they were unable to get out to sea to ride the storm out. //// Winds were clocked at 80 knots and there were 30-35-foot-high waves. Twelve ships and other craft were sunk, 222 grounded and 132 severely damaged. Casualties amounted to 36 killed, 47 missing and 100 seriously injured. //// Eighty percent of the bese's buildings were destroyed. //// One Big Storm. --GreGen

Naval Base Buckner Bay

From Wikipedia. //// Located in Nakagusuku Bay in south Okinawa. It was named after General Simon Buckner and established in June 1945 as an anchorage and repair facility. It still operates as a navy-army base. //// Typhoon Louise struck this base on October 12, 1945 and grounded 15 merchant ships, some beyond recovery, three destroyers beyond saving and 200 other ships were severely damaged or destroyed. One of the ships destroyed was the USS Industry which I have recently written about. Some 80% of the huge base's buildings were also destroyed along with 60 airvraft. //// --GreGen

Deaths: John W. Rogers, Sr., Tuskegee Airman

From the Jan. 22, 2014, Chicago Tribune. ////JOHN W. ROGERS SR, 95 died Jan. 21st. //// After World War II, he received his law degree and was a successful attorney before becoming a Cook County (Chicago) Juvenile Court judge. //// Born 1918 in Knoxville, Tennessee, and moved to Chicago after the deaths of his parents. Graduated from Tilden Technical High School in Chicago and got his pilot's license before enlisting in the Army Air Force in 1941. //// At that time, blacks were banned from flying, but civil rights groups pressured the government to create a black pursuit squadrom which was based at Tuskegee, Alabama. //// He became a part of the Tuskegee Airmen's 99th Pursuit Squadron, eventually flying 120 missions and becoming a captain. //// He was one of the 300 Tuskegee Airmen invited by President Obama to the White House to view the movie "Red Tails" about the group. He had known the president from his days in Chicago. //// Quite a Man Who Never Let Anything Stand In His Way. --GreGen

The USS Industry (AMc-86)-- Part 2

On 1 May 1945, the Industry and two other converted minesweepers left Pearl Harbor and made stops at Eniwetok, Guam and Saipan. It arrived at Okinawa 4 July 1945 and located and raised mines and sunken Japanese midget submarines. During this time, it fought off enemy aircraft in July and August. In September, it rode out a powerful typhoon. //// However, on 9 October 1845, one of the most powerful typhoons ever recorded in the Pacific hit Okinawa and the Industry was driven onto a reef. Its crew kept her afloat until the next morning when rescue arrived. //// It was determined to be a complete wreck and it was stripped of its equipment, decommissioned 22 Dec 1945 and the hulk sunk. //// I found out it was Typhoon Louise that wrecked the Industry. //// --GreGen

The USS Industry (AMc-86-- Part 1

From Wikipedia. //// This article grows out of research on the Fulton Shipyard in Antioch, California, where the APc-25 was built. It also built minelayers, including the Undustry which was the only one that sank in the war, although not from enemy action. //// The Industry was an Accentor-class coastal minesweeper laid down 11 May 1941 at Fulton Shipyard and commissioned 19 December 1941. Wooden-hulled, 195 tons and 97 feet long and armed with two 50-caliber machine guns. //// From 1942-1944, it patrolled the waters of Pearl Harbor. //// In 1944, there was a big need for mine locator ships in the Pacific and the Industry's sweeping equipment was removed and replaced with sounding gear and diving equipment. The ship was recommissioned 15 December 1944. //// --GreGen