Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Summer 7-1-2019

Publication Source

Michigan History

Volume Number

103

Issue Number

4

First Page

18

Last Page

24

Publisher

The Historical Society of Michigan

ISSN

0026-2196

Abstract

On June 6, 1944, Allied forces clamored over the sides of large troop ships into 4126 landing craft, many of those LCVPs (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel), and prepared to storm several beaches of northern France in Operation Overlord, better known as D-Day. Preparation for this day started in the early 1942 as companies throughout the United States converted their factories from peacetime to wartime production. In Michigan, all three Chris-Craft Corporation plants quickly converted from pleasure boat building to building boats for the war effort full time. Together, the three plants would become part of the America’s arsenal of democracy from 1941-1945 producing more than 12,000 landing craft for D-Day and other invasions.

Keywords

Chris-Craft Corporation, Wold War II, Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP), D-Day Invasion, Operation Overlord, 1944, Normandy, France, Holland Michigan, Cadillac Michigan, boat building

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