With established American yards already full, Emory Land directed the British purchasing mission toward Henry Kaiser as a last practical option. Kaiser's anti-Hitler stance and contacts in Britain meant the British already knew of him before placing the order. He welcomed the work because it advanced his long campaign to build an independent West Coast industrial base rather than import the region's industrial needs. His network linked Kaiser Shipbuilding with the California Shipbuilding Corporation, or Calship, and the Six Companies group. The Joshua Hendy Iron Works at Sunnyvale supplied the triple-expansion engines used by the Ocean and Liberty designs. Wartime ship orders and Kaiser's regional industrial ambitions reinforced one another.
Chapter · 24:02-27:46
Henry Kaiser links British ship orders to West Coast industry
A dam builder rather than a traditional shipbuilder, Kaiser accepts British orders that established the industrial network behind his Liberty ship contribution.