California during World War II

A total of 12% of all U.S. Government war contracts awarded to California companies. A total of 17% of the war materials were made in California. Mining, natural gas, and oil production were active industries in California before World War II, and these rapidly expanded to support the war effort. Like World War I, the mines and mining towns came to life again, due to an increase in demand for gold, copper, and silver. California oil production doubled, the synthetic rubber industry created in California and California agricultural output almost tripled. In 1941 California oil production was 230,263,000 barrels; by the end of the war in 1945 the output was 326,555,000 barrels.[9] Raw material was also shipped to California from Lend lease US Allies. After the attack on Pearl Harbor and America entered the war, there was a quick build of new military bases, airfields, training camps, and other military installations. New military construction projects and the emerging war industries in California brought in tens of thousands of workers from across America. After the war, many stayed in California, with some others returning back to their home states. Towns and cities next to military and industrial facilities grew and had an increase in the economy. California's population in 1940 was 6,907,387 and by 1950 it had grown to 10,586,223, a 53.3% increase.[10] California received one eighth of all war orders. With the manpower shortage many women entered the workforce in manufacturing and other jobs held by men in the past. As factories added more shifts, a variety of stores and services increase operating hours. To retain workers, some businesses increased their employee benefits. Many military personnel who were trained in California returned after the war to tour the state, so California's tourist industries began to grow. Federal Aid Highway Acts built the Interstate Highway System so motorists were able to travel to the state. Disneyland opened in 1955, Knott's Berry Farm which had opened in 1920 expanded, SeaWorld opened in 1964, and Universal Studios opened up its studio tour in 1964 which started the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park; these became some of the world's most visited tourist attractions.[11]

California's mild climate made it ideal for year-round food production.[12] With many men overseas, there was labor shortage at haverst time. The need for extra workers at harvest brought in housewives, students and Scouts. Some businesses even loaned workers to help with haverst and food packing as needed. The Woman's Land Army of America was one of the organizations helping in food production. Even with the increase in food production there was mandatory food rationing. Civilians were encouraged to plant Victory gardens to help with the food shortage. The slogan "grow your own, can your own", was started at start of the war and referred to families growing and canning their own food in victory gardens. With its mild climate most victory gardens were grown almost year round.[13][14] Tires and gasoline were also rationed.[15][16] Rationing of wool fabric was also required during the war. This is one of the causes of the June 1943 Zoot Suit Riots in Los Angeles.[17]

US Army promotional pamphlet for Japanese-American

• After the attack on Pearl Harbor it was feared that some Japanese Americans might be loyal to the Empire of Japan and the Emperor of Japan. On February 19, 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which authorized the Secretary of War to set some military zones for the internment of Japanese Americans. California had some of the US prisoner of war camps and Japanese Americans internment camps. War Relocation Authority built both temporary and permanent relocation camps. As aliens they had to register in accordance with the law and were required to turn in all weapons and short-wave radios. Japanese Americans first were sent to one of California's 11 temporary relocation camps, like the two in southern California: Pomona assembly center and the Santa Anita assembly center. From these centers many were sent to other states and some were sent to California's Manzanar War Relocation Center, California or the Tule Lake War Relocation Center. Even with internment, a number of American-born Japanese (or Nisei) volunteered to join the US armed services. The Nisei units fought well and are highly decorated units. Nisei joined all the US armed branches, most joined the U.S. Army.[18][19][20][21][22][23]
• Camp Haan was built at near March Air Reserve Base, the camp housed 1,200 Italian prisoners of war (POW). German POWs were also housed at the camp. The camp was named after Major General William G. Haan. In all 21 POW camps were built in California. A number of Italian POWs, pledged to help the United States. About 70% to 90 % of the Italian POWs volunteered for Italian Service Units (ISU). Due to labor shortage the Italian Service Units helped on Army depots, arsenals, farms and hospitals, there they volunteered to work and received better housing, than the standard POW camps. Camp Lamont was used for German POW volunteers to work on crops.[24][25][26][27] Camp Cooke held German POWs, now the site of Vandenberg Air Force Base.[28] The Stockton Ordnance Depot held 1,500 German prisoners from May 1944 till June 1946.[29]

Shot-down fire balloon reinflated by the US at Moffett Airfield

• On February 23, 1942 the Japanese bombed the Ellwood Oil Field. The Ellwood Oil Field and oil refinery are located in Goleta, California in the Santa Barbara Channel. Japanese submarine I-17 fired 16 shells at the Oil Field from its deck gun before running. This attack along with the Niihau Incident started the fear of the invasion of California. There was great fear that the battle group that attacked Hawaii would come to California next. This also started the idea of the internment of Japanese Americans.[30] There were no casualties in the attack. The total cost of the damage was approximately $1,000.[31] News of the attack triggered an invasion scare along the West Coast of the United States.[32][33]
• Fu-Go balloon bombs were the other attack on California and 14 other states. Japanese launched fire bomb balloons across the Pacific Ocean. These high-altitude balloons carried bombs and incendiary explosives. In California 25 fire bomb balloons were found, none caused injuries in California. The balloon bombs were launched in Japan from November 3, 1944 to April 1945. On February 23, 1945 a P-38 Lightning plane shot down a balloon near Santa Rosa, California.[34][35][36][37][38]
• Ships off the California coast were attacked: SS Agwiworld (escaped), SS Emidio (sank), SS Samoa (escaped),[39] SS Larry Doheny (sank), SS Dorothy Phillips (damaged), SS H.M. Storey (escaped, sank later), SS Camden (sank), SS Absaroka (damaged), SS Montebello (sank), SS SS Barbara Olson (escaped), SS Connecticut (damaged), SS Fort Camosun (Sank), and SS Idaho [tanker] (minor damage). In the attacks 8 seaman were killed and others injured. After the attack on Pearl Harbor the Imperial Japanese Navy sent five Submarines, I-17, I-19, I-23 I-25 and I-26, to attack ships off coastal California.[40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51]
• Due to fear California coastal cities turned off lights or blacked out windows at night. Some sandbagged their homes and businesses. Some radio stations went off the air and civil ships were ordered to stay in port. Commercial air travel was grounded.[52][53][54][55] A military defense system was installed up and down the coast, that included blimps, patrol ships, artillery batteries, and aircraft.[56][57]
• The great sense of fear caused what is called the Battle of Los Angeles. On February 24 and 25, 1942 Los Angeles thought it was under attack and so 1,440 rounds of US anti-aircraft ammunition was fired at what turned out to be a non-existent enemy. Reports of an unidentified aircraft started blackout and shooting of reported incoming aircraft. There was crazed and inaccurate reporting of the event at the time. The only damage in the city was self-inflicted from anti-aircraft fire coming down. The event exposed the defenselessness of the West Coast. As California was defended by only 16 modern warplanes at the time.
• After the war it was learned that there was a planned December 24, 1941 attack on San Diego Bay. Japanese submarine I-10 was to be the leader of seven other submarines that were to shell the US Navy at San Diego Bay. The attack was called off with the subs only 20 miles off the California coast.[58]

African American sailors of an ordnance battalion preparing 5-inch shells for packing at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine in 1943

California was a major ammunition manufacturer for the war. Off the California coast, ships worked around the clock to harvest kelp of the vast California kelp forest. The kelp's nitrate, actin and potash was used in the making of gunpowder.[59] The largest World War II accident in California was the Port Chicago disaster. The Liberty ship SS E. A. Bryan exploded on July 17, 1944 while being load with ammunition. About 4,600 tons (4,173 tonnes) of explosives had been loaded in the ship's holds at the time. The explosion killed 320 sailors and civilians and injured 390 others. SS Quinault Victory, situated next to SS E. A. Bryan, was destroyed and a United States Coast Guard fireboat sank. The trains at the port, the port's buildings and much of the surrounding town were severely damaged. Riverbank Army Ammunition Plant in Stanislaus County and Benicia Arsenal were two of the largest ammunition makers. In San Bernardino the Western Stove Company built incendiary bombs. Three California Victory ships loaded with 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) of ammunition for troops in the Pacific sank after Kamikaze attacks. The three ammunition ships were the: SS Canada Victory, SS Logan Victory and SS Hobbs Victory.[60][61][62][63][64]

Hollywood's motion-picture industry continued to make movies during the war. In addition to entertainment films, Hollywood made training films and films to raise morale.[65][66][67] The 1942 film The Arm Behind the Army showed how important home support of the war was.[68]

Bob Hope volunteered with the United Service Organizations (USO) and entertained troops during World War II and for decades later (1941 to 1991). Hope brought many Hollywood stars with him on his USO tours.[69] Overlapping with this was his movie career, spanning 1934 to 1972, and his USO tours, which he conducted from 1941 to 1991.[70][71]

Desi Arnaz was stationed at Birmingham General Army Hospital in Van Nuys, California during the war to entertain the troops there. Arnaz had a bad knee and so was transferred to the US Army Medical Corps. Arnaz also coordinated with the stars that visited the hospital. Arnaz was discharged on November 16, 1945.[72]

To help pay for the war the US sold war bonds. With its booming economy during World War II, Californians was one of the top of US War Bonds sold. Much of the advertising for war bonds was donated. The spirit of sacrifice was never stronger for the defense of democracy and a way of honoring the sacrifices of American troops. Named after the 1942 Hollywood Victory Caravan, Paramount-produced film promoted bond sales in a 1945, post War. The short film included Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Alan Ladd, William Demarest, Franlin Pangborn, Barbara Stanwyck, Humphrey Bogart, and others. Other heroes like boxing Joe Louis and Joe DiMaggio sold war bonds. Albert Einstein donated the original copies of his manuscript on the theory of relativity for auction to raise money for war bonds.[73][74]

California National Guard was mobilized and called to active duty in August 1940. The US Army recruited the first group to deploy to the war in Europe. The others troops called up were sent to the Pacific war. Between 1940 and 1941 about 12,000 California National Guard troops were called up to service in federal duty. Some troops were used for the defense of California and Hawaii. California National Guard was used for coast patrols, security guards for the Army Air Force bases, railroad bridges, rail tunnels and major dams. Major training bases are Camp Roberts and Camp San Luis Obispo.[75]

Due to the attack on Pearl Harbor and on California civil defense systems were started in California. Office of Civilian Defense was founded on May 20, 1941 and the Office of Civil Defense in May of 1941. The Civil Air Patrol was started on December 1, 1941, in which civilian planes and spotters were used in air reconnaissance, search-and-rescue, and transport. After the attacks on California the Coast Guard Auxiliary, became very active in the use of civilian boats and crews for reconnaissance and search-and-rescue. Towers were built along coastal California, staffed with spotters to look for enemy aircraft working with the Ground Observer Corps.[76][77][78][79][80][81][82] In February of 1942 the Federal government started War Time, ending in September of 1945. With War Time California time was renamed to Pacific War Time with special Daylight Savings times. The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) started on August 5, 1943 used 1,074 civilian women pilots to fly new warplanes from the factories to Army airfields for training and deployment points. WASP pilots also towed targets for live anti-aircraft artillery practice, towed gliders for practice landings, simulated strafing missions, and transported cargo. WASP California headquarters was at Santa Ana Army Air Base, Merced Army Airfield, Minter Field, and Victorville Army Airfield [83] Cal Aero Academy was a private flying academy hired by the Army Air Forces for pilot training.[84]

Soldiers arriving at Camp Freda railroad siding

American railroads moved 70% of all freight transported in the United States in 1940. During World War II the passenger and freight volume increased vastly. Railroads moved about 90% of the military’s need cargo and transported 98% of military personnel. Railroads worked overtime keep up with demand. It was patriotic to avoid all unnecessary travel, to give space needed for troop movement. Railroad brought troop to California training centers and camps.[85] Railroad brought workers to California's growing defense industry. During World War II rail-line moved to Diesel locomotives and away from the labor intensive steam locomotives. The Army had special hospital cars built to move wounded soldiers, one operated out of San Francisco.[86][87] Many cities still had local tram services like Los Angeles vast Pacific Electric system.[88][89][90][91][92][93][94][95]

The develpemnt of new systems was a key to winning the war. World War 2 brought about many new technologies. Some California colleges and universities joined in the V-12 Navy College Training Program training vollenteers for Navy commission.[96] Some California universities also had classes for aeronautical engineering, resident inspectors of ordinance and naval material, and a liaison for the National Defense Research Committee.[97][98]

• Los Alamos National Laboratory - Top secret Manhattan Project
• California Institute of Technology - aeronautical - wind tunnels - rocketry
• University of California, Berkeley - Manhattan Project
• Stanford University - Radar microwave research
• University of California-San Diego came up with Frequency modulation Sonar to track multiple targets with a single ping and large Sonar crystals.[99]
• University of California, Riverside - V-12 Navy College
• University of California, Los Angeles - V-12 Navy College - Scuba diving
• Occidental College - V-12 Navy College
• Early Penicillin experiments were done at the Kaiser Richmond Shipyards.[100]
• Skunk Works - Planes and jets
• Hewlett-Packard built oscillators for proximity fuze and microwave Signal generator used in radar and counter-radar measures.[101]
• Hedy Lamarr Hollywood actor with George Antheil invented Frequency-hopping spread spectrum for the Navy.[102]

After the war Operation Magic Carpet started to bring the troops home, some brought home war brides. On October 30, 1944 Governor Earl Warren started the California Veteran's Commission. The Commission worked to help veterans re-entry into civilian life. The Commission working with United States Department of Veterans Affairs, California Military Department, state agencies, local governments, and community groups like: American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Disabled American Veterans. Many Veterans Health Administration facilities were opened in the state.[103][104][105] Veteran's Bond Act of 1943 helped veterans to purchase a home or farm.[106] Veterans started families, that is called the baby boom, birth rates increased in the US and California.[107][108]

California became a major builder of ships for the war. Under the Emergency Shipbuilding program, cargo ships like Liberty ships and Victory ships were built in days, not the normal months. Ships that could be repaired overseas greatly deduced repair time, so California shipyards also built floating dry docks like the Large Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks and Medium Auxiliary Floating Dry Docks. As fear of an attack on California seemed likely, the War Department requested some ships be built at an inland ports, so many new ships were built at the Port of Stockton, seventy nautical miles from the ocean. Henry J. Kaiser built day care centers at his shipyards in Richmond. Some of the ships were given to the Allies of World War II through the Lend-Lease act of March 11, 1941. At the end of the war there was a surplus of ships and most shipyards were closed. Surplus ships were either sold or put into the Navy Reserve Fleet, like the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet. California ship yards:[109][110][111][112][113][114][115][116][117]

B-17Bs at March Field, Californial

WASP pilot Ruth Dailey climbs into a Lockheed P-38 Lightning

Built in California during World War 2 were: B-17 Flying Fortress, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Douglas SBD Dauntless, Douglas A-26 Invader, Lockheed Ventura, Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar, Lockheed P-2 Neptune, Lockheed Constellation, Douglas P-70 Nighthawk, Douglas DC-5, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, Douglas BTD Destroyer, Douglas A-33, Douglas TBD Devastator, Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer, Northrop A-17, Northrop BT, Northrop N-3PB, Northrop P-61 Black Widow, McDonnell FH Phantom, Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Consolidated PB2Y Coronado, Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf, Consolidated B-32 Dominator, Consolidated P-30, North American B-25 Mitchell, North American P-51 Mustang, Vultee A-31 Vengeance, Vultee BT-13 Valiant, Vultee P-66 Vanguard, Vultee V-11, Interstate Cadet, North American T-6 Texan, Douglas A-20 Havoc, Lockheed C-69 Constellation, Consolidated PBY Catalina, Interstate TDR, Timm N2T Tutor, Ryan PT-22 Recruit, Ryan ST and the Waco CG-4 / Timm CG-4A . The Lockheed Hudson built in Burbank was deleived to Canada and then the United Kingdom starting in 1939. By the end of the war California had 70% of the aerospace manufacturing in the United States and had built over 200,000 planes. Hughes H-4 Hercules, Victory Trainer and Bartlett Zephyr were built in California, but not used. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California started a School of Aeronautics and other aeronautic research labs in the early 1920s, this helped California become an major aerospace manufacturing center.[136][137][138][139]

Aircraft manufacturers of World War II in California:

GM California M5A1 tank on display

During World War II all California civilian automobile manufacturing ended.[140]

• General Motors South Gate Assembly built Stuart M-5 and M5A1 Light Tanks at 500 per month.[141][142][143][144]
• General Motors Oakland Assembly built Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and munitions.
• Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant in Richmond built 49,399 jeeps. The Ford plant also did completion work on tanks, armored personnel carriers, armored cars and other military vehicles. Ford's Long Beach plant was leased to the Air Force and used as an Air Base.[145]
• Willys-Overland Maywood, California plant was used by Lockheed to build subassemblies for Lockheed Hudson.[146]
• Chrysler of California, Los Angeles, built 12,214 aircraft engines, 4,100 B-17 cabins and 688 PV-2 Harpoon cabins.[147][148]
• Studebaker Pacific Corporation of Los Angeles built engines for the B-17s and PV-2 Harpoons being built in Burbank.[149]
• Menasco Motors Company in Burbank, built aircraft landing gear for North American, Lockheed, Republic, General Dynamics, and other aircraft manufacturers. Menasco continued this work after the war.[150]
• Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of Los Angeles built 1,550 turrets used on M5 tanks. Firestone also built 3,100 M5 tank tracks.[151]

The largest United States Army training installation in the history of the United States was the Desert Training Center. To prepare troops for the battles in the North African campaign, the army had General Patton build many desert training camps in Southern California and a few in Arizona. The camps were built in the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert. The open space let the Army and Army Air Corps use live fire to train troops, test and develop equipment. Tactical doctrines, techniques, and training methods for combat were developed from this training. From 1 April 1942 to 1 July 1944, the complete training area covered 18,000 square miles. The camp reached from Pomona, California east to almost to Phoenix, Arizona and from Yuma, Arizona northward into the southern tip of Nevada.[155]

California Army Divisional Camps

• Camp Clipper and Camp Essex
• Camp Coxcomb
• Camp Granite[156]
• Camp Ibis
• Camp Iron Mountain
• Camp Pilot Knob
• Camp Young - Desert Training Center Headquarters

California Army Depots

• Camp Freda Quartermaster Depot
• Camp Desert Center
• Camp Goffs – Depot and Infantry training.
• Pomona Ordnance Depot

California Army Airfields

Camp Goffs Army Field Train station, 1943

Camp Goffs Army Field, 1943

• Major airfields
  • Blythe Army Air Base
  • Desert Center Army Airfield
  • Thermal Army Airfield
  • Rice Army Airfield
  • Shavers Summit Army Airfield (now Chiriaco Summit Airport)
• Minor airfields
  • Camp Coxcomb Army Field (abandoned)
  • Camp Essex Army Field (abandoned)
  • Camp Goffs Army Field (abandoned)
  • Camp Ibis Army Field (abandoned)
  • Camp Iron Mountain Army Field

Desert Training Center California Hospitals

• Banning General Hospital (Banning, CA)
• Camp Freda Hospital
• Camp Desert Center Hospital
• Camp Goffs Hospital
• Torney General Hospital
• Needles Station Hospital

For World War 2 existing California Army bases were enlarged and many new bases were built. Bases were used for induction, training, deployment, supply depots, hospitals and housing of POWs.

Existing United States Army Air Corps air bases were enlarged to house and train the many new crews needed. Almost all civilian airports and airstrips were converted to Army Air training centers. Almost all civilian air flights were cancelled. Many new airstrips and landing pads were built for pilot landing and take off training. Air bases had housing and meals for the troops. Some airstrips and landing pads had no support buildings, as they were used only for landing and take off training. United States Army Air Corps World War II bases, airstrips and landing pads in California:[161][162]

United States Navy's main marine bases were located in the deepwater ports of: San Diego Bay, Port of Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay and the Stockton Deepwater Shipping Channel. The US Navy during WW2 Pacific Fleet operated: ports, supply depots and airfields for aircraft carrier training, also blimps used for patrol of the coast.[163]
United States Navy World War II bases and stations in California:[164]

Camp Pendleton became the main training grounds for training Marines including landing craft school, amphibious tractor school, beach battalion school, amphibious communications school, and a medical field service school. Skills that would be used across the island hopping in the Pacific War and the war in Europe.[167][168][169]

• Camp Pendleton San Diego
• Marine Corps Air Station Miramar San Diego
• Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow Barstow, Yermo Quartermaster Sub-Depot
• Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego San Diego
• Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton
• El Toro Marine Corps Air Station
• Tustin Marine Corps Air Station
• Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara
• Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range
• Camp Elliott
• Camp Matthews
• Gillespie Field
• Camp Las Pulgas Bivouac Area
• Camp Ensign
• Ensign Ranch Airfield
• Camp Dunlap

In times of war, like during World War 2, the United States Coast Guard operated as a branch of the Department of the Navy. In California the Coast Guard operated out of the 12th Naval District. Coast Guard's World War 2 Navy support included use of Coast Guard cutters, patrol boats, bases, stations and lighthouses. Patrols and search and rescue missions being the main task.[170][171][172]

United States Coast Guard World War II bases in California:

• Coast Guard Island Alameda
• Training Center Petaluma
• Coast Guard Air Station San Diego
• Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow
• Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco
• Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego
• Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
• Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range
• Coast Guard Station Golden Gate

The United States Merchant Marine operated merchant ships out of California US Navy and private ports to supply goods needed around the world. Most merchant ship operated with civilian merchants and US Navy armed guards to man the deck guns under the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. Merchant Marine operated many different types of ships, the most numerous type was the Liberty ships and Victory ships. Merchant Marine training was conducted by the Coast Guard.[173][174][175][176] The Maritime Service established several Merchant Marine training centers in California for World War 2:

• Port Hueneme, California (1941–1942)
• Avalon, California (1942–1945)
• Government Island, California (1938–1943) (officers training also)