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Battleship Revitalization and National Industry Recovery

October 29, 1925

After the World War I, employment at the shipyard dropped significantly. No new ships were being built. in 1925, the Navy decided to revitalize and retrofit its battleships. Six of the fleet’s older battleships were modernized at the Norfolk Navy Yard: the TEXAS in 1925-26, the NEW YORK in 1926-27, the NEVADA in 1927-29, the ARIZONA in 1929-31, the MISSISSIPPI in 1931-33, and the IDAHO in 1931-34. By 1933, the Great Depression was in full swing and the community feared layoffs. Most government employees, including Shipyard workers were given a 15% cut in pay in an effort to keep everyone employed. In July of 1933, Congress passed the National Industry Recovery Act. From this and succeeding programs, the yard was allotted a total of nine destroyers, built and launched during the years 1934-1939. With its battleship modernization program, yard employment had risen by the end of 1932 to 3,819, but, with a work-load of nine destroyers, there began a steady climb in employment which reached a total of 7,625 by September 1, 1939, the day World War II began in Europe. (Courtesy of Naval Sea Systems Command)

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