Reopening 1908 ports after an Azur Lane attack

In Azur Lane's First Siren War, if every major port except New York were destroyed in 1908, how quickly could the ports be restored?

Improvised cargo handling could resume quickly unless the harbour, rail approaches, and merchant fleet were destroyed along with the waterfront.

The answer distinguishes destroying warehouses and cranes from making an entire harbour unusable. In 1908 debris could be cleared and portable steam cranes, crane tank engines, shipboard derricks, cargo lighters, or landing craft used while permanent facilities were rebuilt. Damage to rail approaches and the merchant hulls caught in port might matter more than the loss of inexpensive sheds. An attack large enough to erase the waterfront could also excavate new sheltered water while devastating the surrounding city. The scenario therefore shows why disabling a port system requires sustained attacks on transport links, ships, labour, and handling equipment rather than one spectacular strike.