American  Revolution  was  an  experienced  merchant mariner. The merchant marines were volunteers at that time, as you are today. When it first came into being, the U.S. Navy converted merchant ships into fighting ships by adding cannons to the decks. Through determination and the skills these merchant mariners had learned on the high seas, we won a great war. Congress authorized the first six frigates of the Continental Navy on 27 March 1794. Ex-merchant mariners commanded and manned these frigates. Until World War II, the officers and personnel trained in the merchant marine formed the most important manpower reserve for the Navy. With the threat of World War II in Europe and Asia, Congress enacted the Merchant Marine Act of 1936. That  act  provided  for  a  strong  merchant  marine  to service the fleet as a naval auxiliary during times of war and national emergency. When World War II started, merchant ships were scarce. Since the United States needed to get ships quickly to supply the war effort, we seized the ships of the enemy in our ports. We also took possession of ships from foreign private operators in both domestic and foreign trade. We bought foreign ships and redoubled our U.S. shipbuilding efforts. Within a year and a half after we entered the war in 1941, shipyards produced ships faster than the enemy could sink them. By mass-producing ships for the war effort, the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company produced a ship a day. Most shipyards built liberty ships that made only one trip to the war zone. If ships did come back, the Navy loaded them and sent them out again. Shipyards also mass-produced larger and faster ships—victory ships and tankers. Many of them were still in service 20 years later. We produced more than 6,000 merchant ships during World War II and somehow found and trained the crews to sail them. The Army and Navy used many merchant ships as auxiliaries. We used them as hospital ships, repair ships, airplane carriers, and for other special uses. We devised and used new methods of loading and replenishment. Every inch of the ship’s cargo holds and topside areas was loaded for increased carrying capacity. The U.S. merchant marine plays an important part in the sea power of this country. Besides importing essential raw materials for defense of the free world, the merchant  marine  transports  Army  and  Air  Force personnel during times of war or national emergency. It a l s o   t r a n s p o r t s   l a rg e   a m o u n t s   o f   e q u i p m e n t , ammunition, fuel, and other supplies that must follow our forces. In previous wars, we moved most of our troops to the war zone by ship. Although we airlifted most of our forces to the war zone during the Vietnam conflict,  the  merchant  marine  transported  about  97 percent of needed supplies. We must supply about 5 tons of supplies to take care of each person at the front during war. Getting those vital supplies to the right place is a major task. The experience gained from two World Wars and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts taught us how important the merchant marine is. PEACETIME MISSION The  merchant  marine  today  consists  of  all commercial oceangoing vessels flying the U.S. flag. Although the U.S. merchant marine is not part of the armed forces, it serves with them in wartime. It is subject  to  unified  control  under  the  Maritime Administration  during  times  of  war.  The  merchant marine  includes  all  waterborne  transportation— combination cargo-passenger ships, tankers, dry-cargo vessels,  river  barges,  and  harbor  tugs.  We  have restricted our discussion of the merchant marine in this chapter to oceangoing ships of 1,000 gross tons and over. Ships of that group include the liner fleet (ships operating on regular schedules). They also include ships contracted to carry cargo to all areas of the world and ships in domestic and foreign trade. The term merchant marine  refers to all these ships and their crews. WARTIME MISSION In a war, the mission of the U.S. merchant marine includes the following: Transport essential materials and cargo needed for  the  U.S.  economy  and  needed  to  aid  in supplying the economic needs of overseas allies Resupply American and allied military forces overseas Provide underway replenishment for wet or dry cargo and other direct services to Navy ships at sea 20-9 Student Notes: