Ford Production During World War II
Ford production duringWorld War IIwas transform to assist the state of war effort . All civilian car production was halted by February 10 , 1942 ; any Fords work up after that date were inspirit away to government warehouses or turn over to the military .
Despite Henry Ford ’s anti - war views , his company lend heroically to the warfare effort . Overnight , Charlie Sorensen and a few others had turned from cranking out Fords to build B-24 submarine , jeeps , tank railway locomotive , and a broad array of other military hardware . The Willow Run B-24 plant was really Sorensen ’s idea , and more than a year beforePearl Harborhe had somehow managed to get Henry ’s approval . That was n’t easy – after suffering a second stroke in 1941 , Henry became even more fit in his ways .
Not long after Pearl Harbor , Edsel Ford ’s health went from bad to worse . Doctor of the Church diagnosed his job as a belly ulceration , but an surgery in January 1942 revealed extensive belly cancer . But the official effort of his death on May 26,1943 , was lean as undulant fever from salute foul milk from the Ford farms . Those close to the vista know it was Edsel ’s longtime cancerous relationship with his father . For this , the category – especially Henry II – would never forgive the previous serviceman .
Although Willow Run had been end for a year at the fourth dimension of Edsel ’s death , it still was n’t turn out many B-24s , which had Washington worry . In August , young Henry Ford II was released from his duty as a naval national flag to avail his grandfather , who was now president of Ford again after 24 years . Not that Henry particularly welcomed help or want to see the fellowship in anything but a complete Department of State of disarray .
Predictably , Henry II and Sorensen both drag with Harry Bennett , who claimed no " boy " could start the troupe , and who blamed all of Willow Run ’s production delays on Sorensen . The elder Ford naturally listened to Harry , so Sorensen resigned under duress . Laurence Sheldrick , caput of engineering , was fired . He and Gregorie had foolishly exhibit Henry II plans for modern postwar Fords with a " novel fandangled " self-governing front pause .
Old Henry and Harry made no castanets about their dislike for youthful Henry ’s poke about . Still , the heir to the Ford fortune was made an executive vice - chairwoman in December 1943 . From that fourth dimension forward , the air pressure was on old Henry from his married woman , Clara , and daughter - in - law , Eleanor , to " let go . " After a craze over an say codicil and a menace by Eleanor to sell her companionship stock , the old buzzard finally capitulated .
Young Henry became Chief Executive on September 21,1945 – and Harry Bennett was quickly sent wadding . Former FBI agentive role John Bugas took his place , while Jack Davis devolve from his California expatriate . A whole new , youthful regimen , bear out of wartime experience , come in . A giant rebirth at Ford was at hand .
Henry II vowed to revenge the death of his father and rebuild the Ford imperium as a monument to his retention . It was an obsession he carried to his grave accent , leaving the Edsel automobile and 30 years of fired Ford presidents as his bequest . Some even say that as Henry II grew older he became more and more like his grandfather . In any event , Henry II ’s history and Ford ’s unbelievable Renaissance go way beyond the 1946 - 1948 models .
proceed to the next page to see how Ford bound from wartime with the 1946 Ford models .
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