What World War II Can Teach Us About Fighting the Coronavirus-- Part 2: Scale, Speed and Success

The coronavirus calls for a different set of needed vital weapons to fight it than what was needed against the Axis.  World War II, however, played out over many years, the virus has really transformed lives across the world in just a matter of weeks.

American factories are not shut down because they are crippled.  They are shut down because workers need to keep their distance.  In 1941, most of the materials needed for the war effort were available right at home.  Now, those materials come from around the world.

Still, the way American industry mobilized for World War II was remarkable for its scale, speed and success.  This can likely be repeated in today's crisis.

--GreGen

What World War II Can Teach Us About Fighting the Coronavirus-- Part 1

From March 26, 2020, Wired  by Alex Davies.

With the fast spread of the virus, Ford has announced it won't be resuming production  of its trucks and SUVs.  However, they have started several projects  aimed at fighting the pandemic.  That means collaborating with 3M  on a new respirator design using stockpiled fans.  They are also working with GE Healthcare to increase production of ventilators.

In addition, Ford designers are producing  new sorts of transparent face shields to protect medical workers and first responders.  It hopes to soon be making  100,000 a week at a subsidiary
plant.

Tesla and GM are also helping.

This is similar to what the big companies did to battle the Axis.  They quickly switched from peace time production to war footing.  New factories were built.  Ford made aircraft (at its peak, turning out a B-24 bomber every  63 minutes at its Willow Run plant west of Detroit), Frigidaire made machine guns, lingerie factories churned out camouflage netting and parts made for vacuum cleaners went into gas masks.

Getting Big Business On Board.  --GreGen

Guadalcanal 'A Darkness Without Time'-- Part 4: The Japanese Air Strip

"This was the first real test of what's now referred to as the Greatest Generation,"  frank said.  "Going toe-to-toe with an Axis power at the height of their capability, to see whether we had what it would take."

"Guadalcanal was really the testing ground,' he said.  "People talk about Normandy or Iwo Jima ...  but for the generation that fought the war (Guadalcanal) was a very big deal."

The fight for the island began after the Japanese landed there on June 8, 1942, to begin construction of an air strip.

The U.S. and the Allies realized such an airbase would threaten shipping lanes to Australia and decided to seize the island from the Japanese.

--GreGen