Higgins Industries in World War Two

Higgins Industries Time Line in World War Two Higgins PT-305 Video
Higgins Industries in World War Two
Includes Higgins Aircraft, Higgins Engine Company, and Higgins Plastic Corporation
New Orleans, LA
1930-1945

An American Auto Industry in World War Two Special Edition

This page updated 6-15-2024.

Higgins Industries was not part of the American Automobile Industry. It was far from it, as the company was in New Orleans, LA, and the builder of shallow draft wooden boats. The owner of the company, Andrew Jackson Higgins, was a flamboyant and self assured entrepreneur, who was always willing to speak his mind. One of the subjects he quite frequently addressed was the need for proper landing craft for American marines and soldiers with equipment to use for landing on hostile beaches. He had a long series of disagreements with the Navy Bureau of Ships on the proper design of these type landing craft so that they could land right up on the beach. In the end, it was Andrew Higgins' final design of the famous "Higgins" landing craft, the Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LVCP), and the Landing Craft, Medium (LCM) that were accepted. The LCVP became the most produced landing craft of World War Two. But the LCVP was the last of several design iterations that finally progressed to become the Higgins boat. The original version still had the soldiers jumping over the gunwales to get out of the boat, just as they had been doing since men started landing on hostile beaches.

Higgins Industries is also known for manufacturing Motor Torpedo Boats, more commonly known as PT boats. While Higgins Industries is most well-known for its design and production of the Higgins boat landing craft and PT boats, the Higgins' design of the Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCM) in December 1941 was also an important contribution to the war effort that has been largely overlooked. The company also built several other types of boats and ships that have also gone unrecognized. Andrew Higgins formed several other companies to make non-boat products for wartime use. Late in the war, as part of a secret project, Higgins Industries produced carbon parts used in the Manhattan Project at Oak Ridge, TN, to separate U-235 from U-238. He also formed several other companies to build aircraft and aircraft engines. Neither of these companies ended up building any appreciable products for the war effort.

World War Two made household names out of Higgins Industries and Andrew Higgins. Before the war, his company was a small boat manufacturer. His design of the Eureka landing boat and his persistence in getting it accepted made Higgins Industries the largest manufacturer of boats built in the world. When the war ended, the demand for thousands of landing craft ceased. Higgins Industries was taken into receivership, largely due to labor issues in November 1945. While the company was reorganized as Higgins Incorporated, the bloom was off. It would never regain the former glory and importance it had during World War Two.

There was a direct link between the American Auto Industry in Detroit, MI and Higgins Industries in New Orleans, LA. Automakers in Detroit built most of the engines that went into the boats built by Higgins. All of the engines used in the Higgins built PT boats had three Packard 4M2500 marine engines. Most of the landing craft Higgins built had Detroit Diesel Division of General Motors 6-71 diesel engines modified by Gray Marine Motor Company in Detroit, MI. It was the preferred engine for U.S. landing craft in World War Two. When Gray/Detroit Diesel engines were not available, gasoline powered engines built by the U.S. Auto industry were used.

Author's Note: Some of the information below are from "Andrew Jackson Higgins and the Boats that Won World War Two" by Jerry E. Straham, published in 1994 by the Louisiana University State Press. When I reference the book below, I will note it as "Higgins Biography."

This 1944 Landing Craft, Personnel, Large (LCP(L)) was the first type of landing craft that Andrew Higgins designed. This particular boat was built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans in October 1944, and is currently on display at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. It has returned home for museum visitors to see. It is the only one on display left in the world. Author's photo.

This is Andrew Higgins' most famous landing craft design, the LCVP or Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel. It was better known as the Higgins boat. Only twelve original LCVPs still remain of the 23,358 built by seven different boat manufacturers. Of the twelve remaining original Higgins boats, this is only one of two known to have been built by Higgins Industries. It is owned by three members of the Ohio Motor Pool. Author's photo.

Higgins Industries is also known for building PT boats during World War Two. This is one of only four remaining Higgins-built PT boats left in the world. It is fully operational and is owned by the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. It gives rides for those that want to experience a little bit of what it was like to serve on a PT boat in World War Two. This photo and others on this page are from my ride on it in March 2018. Author's photo.

Higgins Industries won the Army-Navy Award five times.
The award included the Industrial Canal, the City Park, and the Bayou St. John Plants.

The celebration of the first "E" Award on September 13, 1942 at the Industrial Canal Plant. An "E" is formed by students from the Higgins Boat Operators School. The students are all piloting LCP(L) landing craft.

Four stars on the Higgins Army-Navy "E" Award Flag. A smiling Andrew Jackson Higgins stands among Navy officers as his company is given its final "E" award on July 23, 1944. The flag was presented for the initial award. Then a star was added each time the award was renewed. Not many companies received so many stars.

Higgins Industries World War Two Production Statistics: There is some confusion and misinformation regarding the number of landing craft built by Higgins Industries during World War Two. Please bear with me as we work through the analysis below.

Boats: Higgins Industries is credited with building 20,094 total "boats" in World War Two. This is based on the photo below.

Author's Note: Higgins Industries did not build LSTs or Liberty Ships during World War Two. Several inaccurate historical websites claim Higgins built these type ships. There were plans for Higgins to build 100 Liberty Ships, but this project was cancelled. The company built several varieties of ships and boats as shown below.

The question arises. What does the "20,094th boat built by Higgins" actually include? Some sources imply that these were Higgins-built 36-foot wooden landing craft (LCP(L), LCV, LCVP).

See Table 1 below. Production numbers for LCP(L), LCP(R), LCV, and LCVP for most manufacturers are incomplete or non-existent. Table 1 shows that Higgins Industries built around 14,800 36-foot landing craft during World War Two. This was 49% of the total built. For more information Chris-Craft production numbers, visit my Chris-Craft Page.

Table 1 36-foot Landing Craft built during World War Two
Column A	Column B	Column C	Column D	Column E
Type	Higgins Production	Known Production by Other Manufacturers	Columns B+C	Total Production by all Manufacturers by Year
LCP(L)	~1,100	Chris-Craft=1,200 Matthews Company=see subtotal below Owens Yacht Company=see subtotal below Richardson Boat=see subtotal below	2,300	1941- 564 1942- 307 1943- 282 1944 - 547 1945 - 493 Total - 2,193
LCP(R)	0	Chris-Craft=1,773 Matthews Company=see subtotal below Richardson Boat=see subtotal below	1,773	1942 - 1,563 1943 - 24 1944 -705 1945 - 339 Total - 2,631
LCV	~1,200	Chris-Craft=1,425 Owens Yacht Company=see subtotal below	2,645	1941- 110 1942 - 1,891 1943- 365 Total - 2,366
LCVP	12,500	Chamberlain=? Chris-Craft=8,602 Dodge Boat and Plane=74 Matthews Company=496 Owens Yacht Company=see subtotal below Richardson Boat=604	21,176	1942- 215 1943- 8,027 1944 - 9,290 1945 - 5,826 Total - 23,358
Owens Yacht Co		Owens Yacht Co=2,150 total LCP(L), LCV, LCVP	2,150
Richardson Boat Company		Richardson Boat Company=~1,000 total LCP(L), LCV, 604 LCVP	1,000	This number may well include the LCMs that Richardson built. The Tonawanda Heritage Center was not able be discern the difference between Higgins boats and LCMs in photos.
Matthews Company		Matthews Company =~ 2,555 total LCP(L), LCV, 496 LCVP	2,555	At the end of the war Matthews was producing two landing craft a day or 730 boats per year. Over a three and a half year period this would be 2,555 landing craft of all types. This is the best estimate for this company at this time.
Totals for 36-Foot Wooden Landing Craft	14,800	15,224	33,599	30,548
Column A Type	Column B Higgins Production	Column C Known Production by Other Manufacturers	Column D Columns B+C	Column E Total Production by all Manufacturers by Year

Calculation of the number of Higgins-built LCVPs in World War Two - The figure 12,500 is the number that is found on several sources for the total number of LCVPs that Higgins Industries built during World War Two. Is this an accurate number considering the lack of supporting data? I have found it is by putting several pieces of data together and using information from Table 1A below.

Method One:

July 1943 production of LCVPs is 600 from "Higgins Biography." Total production of LCVPs for July 1943 was 1,073 from Table 1A. Higgins was building ~60% of the LCVPs. This is fairly correct based on the fact that Chris-Craft was building around 40%. The number of LCVPs built by the other four manufacturers were small and can be ignored in this analysis.
July 1943 production of 1,072 LCVPs was a one-time event. Looking at the available data of LCVPs built between August 1943 and May 1944 shows that an average of 850 were being built per month. 8,499/10= 849.9 rounds up to 850. Assume Higgins continued to build 60% of LCVPs. This is 510 units per month. Without doing the calculations, I had estimated Higgins Industries was building around 500 a month.
October 1944 - 7,000th LCVP built from "Higgins Biography."
There were still 10.5 months of production left until the end of World War Two in the middle of September 1945.
Assume the same rate of production of LCVPs of 850 total units until the end of the war.
510 Higgins LCVPs built per month X 10.5 months = 5,355 LCVPs built in that time period.
7,000 + 5,355 = 12,355. This is very close to the 12,500 given by other sources. Higgins Industries built 53% of all of the LCVPs built during World War Two.

Method Two:

Assume Higgins Industries built 60% of the LCVPs during World War Two as noted in Method One.
From Table 1A as of May 1944 12,354 LCVPs had been built. Another 11,004 remained to be built. 23,358 total LCVPs built - 12, 354 built through May 1944 = 11,004 LCVPs left to be built.
11,004 X .6 (60%) = 6,602
7,000 + 6,602 = 13,602. This is higher than the 12,500 given by other sources but still within reason.

This has been a "sanity check" to determine if the total 12,500 Higgins-built LCVPs given by other sources has any logical basis. Yes, it does. It also reconciles with the LCVP information in Table 1 that estimates 2,182 LCVPs (23,358-21,176 = 2,182) were built by Chamberlain, Matthews and Richardson. Based on their total production, this reconciles rather well.

Table 1A Higgins Designed Landing Craft Monthly Production January 1942-May 1944 - All Manufacturers
Month-Year	LCM(3) and LCM(6)	LCP(L) and LCV	LCVP	Totals for LCP(L) and LCV and LCVP	Comments
Jan-1942	18	116	0
Feb-1942	10	0	0
Mar-1942	0	117	0
Apr-1942	1	174	0
May-1942	27	248	0
Jun-1942	35	344	0
Jul-1942	118	480	0
Aug-1942	307	600	0
Sep-1942	131	477	0
Oct-1942	203	394	0
Nov-1942	244	466	75
Dec-1942	168	345	140
Totals 1942	1,262	3,761	215	3,976

Jan-1943	114	37	205
Feb-1943	156	44	319
Mar-1943	406	18	655
Apr-1943	143	57	405
May-1943	236	0	416
Jun-1943	146	0	567
Jul-1943	244	0	1,073
Aug-1943	401	0	812
Sep-1943	502	0	943
Oct-1943	585	50	836
Nov-1943	563	50	921
Dec-1943	523	50	875
Totals 1943	4,019	306	8,027	8,333

Jan-1944	578	50	833
Feb-1944	641	50	932
Mar-1944	594	50	811
Apr-1944	470	50	744
May-1944	487	50	792
Totals 1944	2,770	250	4,112	4,362
Grand Total	8,051	4,317	12,354	16,671	Totals including 564 LCP(L) built in 1941 and the 2,633 LCVs built from 1941-1943 totals 19,898 "Higgins" landing craft of all types.

Link to: 10,000 "Higgins Boat" Ceremony, July 23, 1944

The page in the link above from The National World War Two Museum shows an LCV as the 10,000th Higgins boat landing craft built on July 23, 1944. From the information in Table 1, there were no LCVs built in 1944. Production stopped in 1943. The landing craft in the photo can be identified as an LCV by the fact that the coxswain's steering position was located on the stern deck above the cargo deck. This was not the case for the LCVP, where the steering position was down next to the engine.

Table 2 Various Boats built by Higgins Industries for the U.S. Army during World War Two
Type	Designation	Number built	Dates built	Comments
170 and 180-foot Steel FS Coastal Freighters	FS-135 to FS-234	100	9-43 to 3-45	575 Tons
J Boats	J	335	4-41 to 6-44	These came in three lengths: 27, 36 and 37 feet. Uses: Shallow-Draft, Patrol, Utility and Fireboat
36-foot CL Landing Boats	CL-1 to Cl-130	130	1-41 to 4-43
Barges	BSP 395, BK 101-400, TKL-9, BK	316	5-42 to 5-45	These came in four lengths: 53, 63, 50 and 80 feet. Uses: Balloon, Tank, and Knock-Down
Small Tugs	ST 204-213	10	3-43 to 6-43
Various small boats	Various	18	1941 to 1944	33 to 53 feet long
Total		909

Higgins Industries built 100 170/180-foot coastal freighters like this one for the U.S. Army. In the southwest Pacific the Army had its own navy.

Table 3 Higgins World War Two PT Boat Production by Month January 1941 - October 1945 Below is a tabulation of the 216 PT boats built by Higgins Industries during World War Two.
Month-Year	Number built	PT- Number	Length	Comments
Jan-1941	1	6(1)	81-foot Prototype	Built at the St. Charles Avenue Plant.
Feb-1941	1	6(2)	81-foot Prototype	Built at the St. Charles Avenue Plant.
Mar-1941	1	5	81-foot Prototype	Built at the St. Charles Avenue Plant.
Sep-1941	1	70	72-foot Prototype	Built at the St. Charles Avenue Plant.
Unknown	1	7 (See Note Below)	81-foot Prototype	Built at the St. Charles Avenue Plant.
Unknown	1	8 (See Note Below)	81-foot Prototype	Built at the St. Charles Avenue Plant.
Total 1941	6

Jul-1942	2	71, 72	78-foot Production	Production begins at the City Park Plant
Aug-1942	4	73, 74,75,76	78-foot Production
Sep-1942	4	77, 78, 79, 80	78-foot Production
Dec-1942	13	82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94	78-foot Production	PT-88, 90-93 served with Royal Navy in the Mediterranean at MTB 419-423.
Total 1942	23

Jan-1943	11	81, 197, 198, 199, 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 205, 206	78-foot Production
Feb-1943	10	207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216	78-foot Production
Mar-1943	16	217, 218, 219, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225, 226, 227, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232	78-foot Production
Apr-1943	8	233, 234, 235, 236, 237, 238, 239, 240	78-foot Production
May-1943	11	241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249, 250, 251	78-foot Production
Jun-1943	6	252, 253, 254, 279, 280, 564*	78-foot Production	*PT-564 70-foot Hellcat Prototype
Jul-1943	10	277, 278, 281, 282, 283, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288	78-foot Production
Aug-1943	9	265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 289, 290	78-foot Production
Sep-1943	9	272, 273, 274, 275, 276, 291, 292, 293, 294	78-foot Production
Oct-1943	6	295, 296, 297, 298, 299, 300	78-foot Production
Nov-1943	4	301, 302, 303, 304	78-foot Production
Dec-1943	3	305, 306, 307	78-foot Production
Total 1943	103

Jan-1944	6	308, 309, 310, 311, 312, 313	78-foot Production
Feb-1944	5	450, 451, 452, 454, 455,	78-foot Production
Mar-1944	8	453, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460, 461, 462	78-foot Production
Apr-1944	8	463, 464, 465, 466, 467, 468, 469, 470	78-foot Production
May-1944	3	471, 472, 473	78-foot Production
Jun-1944	4	474, 475, 476, 478,	78-foot Production
Jul-1944-	4	477, 479, 480, 481,	78-foot Production
Aug-1944	4	482, 483, 484, 485	78-foot Production
Dec-1944	2	625, 626	78-foot Production
Total 1944	44
			78-foot Production
Jan-1945	3	627, 628, 629	78-foot Production
Feb-1945	2	630, 631	78-foot Production
Mar-1945	5	632, 633, 634, 635, 636	78-foot Production
Apr-1945	6	637, 638, 639, 640, 641, 642	78-foot Production
May-1945	7	643, 644, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649	78-foot Production
Jun-1945	4	650, 651, 652, 653	78-foot Production
Jul-1945	5	654, 655, 656, 657, 658	78-foot Production
Aug-1945	2	659, 660	78-foot Production
Sep-1945	2	791, 792	78-foot Production
Oct-1945	4	793, 794, 795, 796	78-foot Production
Total 1945	40
Grand Total	216

Additional Author's Note: Most historical PT sources state 199 or 209 Higgins PT boats built. I do not know how the 199 was derived. I have never seen the data as to how 199 was derived. For the 209, the sources use the same information provided in Table 3 minus PT-7 and PT-8, which are only documented on this website. Therefore, the total number should be 214, not 209. The original author who did the work made a mathematical error. Then all the persons who followed who used the table above, copied the information without checking the addition for correctness, and continued to propagate the error over and over again.

Table 3A Higgins World War Two PT, MTB, and MGB Production for foreign countries during World War Two
Type	Month-Year	Number built	Designation	Length	Comments
Dutch Anti-Submarine	1941	6	OJR 1-6	70 foot	These six boats arrived in the Dutch East Indies between December 16, 1941, and March 2, 1942. All were either scuttled or lost in a gasoline explosion during the Japanese invasion. Either OJR-1 or OJR-4 was raised by the Japanese and commissioned August 4, 1943 as Auxiliary Submarine Chaser 101. It was sunk by American forces on April 8, 1945. So for two years a Higgins built boat was fighting for the Japanese.
Dutch Anti-Submarine	1942	2	H 7-8	70 foot	These two craft arrived in the Dutch West Indies on August 26,1942 and served on anti-submarine patrol. Both boats were stricken in early 1946. Photos of these two boats are shown below.

Note the number 8 and the Dutch flag on the stern of the boat. H-8 was a 70-foot anti-submarine boat armed with 16 depth charges and four .50 caliber machine guns in the two turrets. It was used by Dutch forces in the Caribbean after August 1942. Photo added 5-22-2019.

H-7 and H-8 running together.

H-8 is clearly visible at Bayou St. John in this photo. H-7 looks to be moored behind H-8. Both boats were delivered to the Dutch in the Caribbean in August 1942. This photo was taken at Bayou St. John earlier in the year.

PT-72 was laid down on March 2, 1942, launched on July 6, 1942, and completed on July 23, 1942. PT-72 served throughout World War Two with combat duty in the Aleutians. Then from May 1944 to October 1944 it was part of MTBRon 2(2) which was assigned to the OSS for special operations in the English Channel.

Table 4 Pre-1942 landing boat orders documented in the "Higgins Biography" not comprehended in the above tables
Date	Number	Type	Customer
Oct 1940	138	Eurekas	British
Nov 1940	335	Eurekas with a flatter bottom design	US Navy
Total	473

Table 5 Total of all Types of Boats built by Higgins Industries in World War Two
Type	Number built
36-Foot Landing Craft - Table 1	14,800
Various Types of Boats- Table 2	909
PT Boats- Table 3	216
Landing Craft, Mechanized -	1,400
LCS(S) Total built, may not all be Higgins	558
RAF Air-Sea Rescue Boats. Higgins built "hundreds." Estimated at 300	300
B-17 life boats - Estimated at 100	100
Pre-1942 Landing Boat Orders	473
Totals	18,756

Summary: My calculations and estimates for the total number of boats built by Higgins Industries in World War Two is 18,756. This is 1,338 short of the 20,094 painted on the side of the boat at the beginning of this section. In reference to the estimated 300 RAF Air-Sea Rescue boats, the "Higgins Biography" states Higgins built "hundreds." I have not been able to verify that with any other documentation concerning RAF boats of this type. The "Higgins Biography" makes several references to the production of the LCS (Landing Craft, Support) boat. There were two types of LCS built during World War Two. The LCS(L) (Landing Craft, Support, Large) was built by several shipyards, and Higgins was not one of them. However, the Landing Craft, Support, Small (LCS(S) was a small wooden boat of similar size to the landing craft that Higgins was building. I think the rocket boat and LCS referred to in the "Higgins Biography" were actually one and the same LCS(S). I assumed that all of the 558 LCS(S) types were built by Higgins.

The "Higgins Biography" mentions rocket boats twice and LCS several times. They are one and the same. Higgins built the LCS(S) in both Houma and New Orleans, LA. The 36-foot boat was armed with rocket launchers on each side of the cockpit. A total of 558 of these are documented as having been built during World War Two. These appear to have been built off of the Eureka design, as they are the same length and have the blunt nose of the LCP(L) designed by Higgins. The advertisement at the bottom of the page best shows the blunt nose of the craft.

In its wartime advertisements, Higgins Industries show photos of the Coast Guard 38-foot picket boat as being built during the war. It is unknown how many were built by Higgins.

Other products built by Higgins Industries in World War Two: Higgins has been identified as building the following products in "History in a Hurry - The Story of Higgins of New Orleans." While these products are listed to show the company's diversification, for all intents and purposes, Higgins Industries built boats. 20,094 of them during World War Two. Several of the products listed below, like the torpedo tubes and gun turrets, were for internal use on its PT boats. Other products, like the marine engines and aircraft, were not built in significant numbers. Two products that were built in significant numbers were the air-dropped life boat and carbon parts for the Manhattan Project.

Products: Torpedo tubes, power gun turrets for PT boats, sound communicating devices, paratroop radio telephones, frequency crystals, smoke generators, water purifiers and salt water converters, engine clutch and reverse gear mechanisms, hypoid and helical gears, plastic bonded wood products, life boat releasing gears, turbine type pumps, remote engine controls, mechanical steering devices, twin-machine gun turrets, cannon stabilizer and sighting controls, marine engines. (1) C-46, 300 A-1 lifeboats, carbon parts for the Manhattan Project.

Tucker Aviation: Higgins purchased the Tucker Aviation of Ypsilanti, MI in March 1942, and formed Higgins-Tucker Aviation to build engines and gun turrets for PT boats and for landing craft. Many of the products listed above, besides the gun turrets, may have also come along with the purchase. Tucker Aviation had $250 million in military contracts when it was purchased. At the end of the war, several marine engines had been tested and were production ready. The war was over, and the shortage of Packard engines for the PT boats never materialized.

C-46 Commando:

Higgins Aviation was contracted to build 500 Curtiss C-46 Commandos at the aircraft assembly plant in Michoud. These were serial numbers 43-43339 through 43-43338. By the time Higgins was ready to build the C-46, the faster than expected progression of the war in the Pacific reduced the need for the aircraft. The contract with Higgins was cancelled, with only two C-46s produced at Michoud. These were 43-43339 and 43-43340. This was the second aircraft contract cancelled on Higgins. The first was for 1,200 Curtiss C-76 Caravan wood construction transports. Beginning in October 1943, Higgins Aircraft started building wing assemblies for the C-46 which were shipped to the Curtiss C-46 assembly plants in Louisville, KY and St. Louis, MO. Author's Photo.

This is one of the two Higgins-built C-46s and has final work being performed on it at the Michoud aircraft plant.

Higgins A-1 Air Droppable Lifeboat: Design work began in November 1943. By the spring of 1944, the A-1 was in production. The original order was for 600 A-1s; but the order was changed and 300 were built. Higgins Plastic Company produced the 27-foot long 3,300-pound boat out of laminated mahogany at the Michoud Plant. It contained 20 internal waterproof compartments that would keep the vessel afloat even if it tipped over. Included in the supplies for the A-1 was a Gibson Girl survival radio and enough food and water to last twelve survivors twenty days. Equipped with two air-cooled gasoline powered engines, it had a range 1,500 miles running at eight knots. There was also a small, simple sail that could be used if needed. Its design allowed it to be dropped with three parachutes from a B-17 still equipped with a ball turret. When the A-1 hit the water, small rockets would fire and pull lifelines out from the boat. The A-1 was replaced by the A-3 in 1947.

There was also an 18-foot version of the A-1 to be dropped by a U.S. Coast Guard PBY Catalina. It could hold no more than eight persons.

The Higgins A-1 lifeboat attached to a SB-17G.

The Higgins A-1 lifeboat during a drop test from a B-17 that still had the ball turret installed. This allowed the A-1 to be dropped by any operational B-17.

An A-1 under sail. With waterproof compartments, even if it was swamped and turned over, it would stay afloat. For a B-29 crew that had to ditch in rough waters off the coast of Japan on May 29, 1945, this was a life saver. After ditching, the B-29's crew was only able to find a five-man and one-man life raft from the B-29, which failed immediately. A B-17 found their location and dropped a Higgins A-1 attached to three parachutes. They swam to the A-1 and found dry clothes, blankets and other gear. However, as the seas turned rougher, the A-1 was swamped and turned over. It stayed afloat and the crew was able to survive by hanging onto the straps attached to the side of the A-1. Sixteen hours later, the crew was rescued by a submarine. When Andrew Higgins visited Guam at the end of the war, the crew wanted to thank him personally for being saved by his lifeboat. Unfortunately, he was unaware of this, and did not learn about their situation until he returned home.

Helicopters:

Higgins aviation also built two experimental helicopters during World War Two. Andrew Higgins ceased work on the project after a pilot was killed while testing

Manhattan Project Carbon Parts: In August 1944 Andrew Jackson Higgins was invited to the White House for a meeting with President Franklin D. Roosevelt. During the meeting, the President told Higgins that a very important military project was having difficulty obtaining a reliable supplier. For seven months, other suppliers had failed to deliver the product to specifications. The President requested Higgins Industries become involved in "the most vital project of the war." The project was carbon parts for the Manhattan Project, although Higgins and his employees were told they were parts for radio and radar communication for security reasons. Until the Little Boy bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, the 2,500 employees making the carbon parts at Michoud were unaware of the importance of their work.

Higgins Industries did not make anything that went in the weapon itself. Instead, the carbon parts were used in the equipment to separate the fissionable U-235 from U-238. This replica of the Little Boy bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima needed 132 pounds of U-235. Author's photo.

This is one of the many electromagnetic racetrack separation machines in the Y-12 plant at Oak Ridge, TN. Higgins' 2,500 employees at Michoud worked ten hours a day, six days a week to keep up with the increasing demand for the carbon parts as the Y-12 plant expanded and brought new machines online. Over the 1944-45 holidays, the Michoud employees worked Christmas and New Year's days.

Higgins Plastics:
Truck Remanufacturing: The remanufacture of the trucks was done in the Michoud plant.

Table 6 - Higgins Plastics Incorporated Remanufactured Trucks Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945." Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch, January 21, 1946.
Type Truck	1944	1945	Total
1/4-ton 4x4 Command	170	1,680	1,850
2-1/2-ton 6x6 LWB w/w		187	187
2-1/2-ton 6x6 SWB w/w		17	17
2-1/2-ton 6x6 SWB wo/w		37	37
Total	170	1,921	2,091

Among the 2,091 trucks that Higgins Plastics remanufactured, 187 were 2-1/2-ton 6x6 long bed GMC-353s with winches. Author's Photo.

PT Boat Gun Turrets: Higgins made a number of PT boat turrets.

This PT boat gun turret is on display at the Indiana Military Museum in Vincennes, IN. I was not able to find any manufacturer's identification on it. Higgins may have built it. If not, the Higgins-built units were very similar to this. Author's Photo.

Author's Photo.

Landing Craft Personnel, Large (LCP(L)) - The Eureka Boat - Andrew Jackson Higgins applied for a patent on December 24, 1937 for the design of the hull of what became known as the Eureka Boat. This same hull design then carried over to the later landing craft designed by Higgins and Higgins Industries. It was patented on January 17, 1939 with US Patent Number 2,114,111. This was also referred to as the Eureka Boat as it was based on an experimental boat by Higgins with this name. Unfortunately, the term Eureka was sometimes used as a generic term for the other three landing craft Higgins designed using this patented hull configuration. This makes it difficult to understand exactly which landing craft is being referenced.

US Patent Number 2,114,111

Shown here is the only known restored surviving Higgins-built LCP(L). It is on display at the National Museum of World War Two in New Orleans, LA, and was built five miles away at the former Higgins City Park Plant in October 1944. The date of manufacturer of October 1944 may seem strange. By this point in the war the LCVP was the desired landing craft with the big ramp on the front for easy troop egress. However, there was still a demand for a good solid work boat that could navigate shallow waters and carry four tons of cargo or 25 troops. That kept the LCP(L) in production to the end of war. In the Pacific during invasions the LCP(L)s were used as control boats by the navy.

According to the "Higgins Biography," the U.S. Navy changed the design of the hull when they accepted the boat. This example has a flatter bottom front section than the V-shaped Eurekas that Higgins was selling to the British. In U.S. Navy tests, the flatter front section allowed for faster retraction from the beach while still meeting the Navy's speed requirement. Author's Photo.

Author's Photo.

There is a hole in the rudder, so when it is turned 90 degrees, the propeller shaft can be pulled out after the propeller is removed. Author's photo.

Author's Photo.

According to a Higgins engineering drawing in the December 1941 Operators Manual, Eureka landing boat, the LCP(L)s of that era were built with rounded stern chines. The design changed as the war progressed. Author's Photo.

Note the location of the coxswain's steering station and the two gun tubs for mounting self-defense machine guns. Note also that the 25 armed troops the craft could carry were in two different sections of the boat. Author's Photo.

This photo from "History in a Hurry" shows that the LCP(L) could get the troops up on the beach, but they still had to jump over the gunwales to exit the boat.

The following engineering drawings are from the "Operators Manual, 36-foot "Eureka" Landing Motor Boats," Revised June 1944 by Higgins Industries.

This undated drawing shows the LCP(L) with the rounded aft chines. The early LCP(L)s and LCVs came with the rounded chines. At some point in the war Higgins went to the hard chines. Drawing added 2-15-2020.

Drawing added 2-15-2020.

This drawing dated 11-3-1941 shows the plumbing for a Gray/Detroit Diesel engine installation for the LCP(L). It has the rounded chines. Drawing added 2-15-2020.

Drawing added 2-15-2020.

This drawing dated 11-4-1941 shows the plumbing for a Hall-Scott Invader engine with fresh water cooling for the LCP(L). Drawing added 2-15-2020.

Drawing added 2-15-2020.

Image added 2-15-2020.

This drawing is undated, but probably from the same time period as above. This would be early November 1941. Salt water cooling of boat engines was the norm previous to World War Two. However, the U.S. Navy in its requirements for the Higgins designed landing craft called out for fresh water cooling with a heat exchanger. Drawing added 2-15-2020.

A Superior Gas Engine Company of Springfield, OH had a diesel that was also specified as an engine for the LCP(L) as shown in this undated drawing. This was the Superior Model SMRA-4 four-cylinder, four cycle diesel engine that produced 150 hp @ 2400rpms. Note that this drawing shows the hard chine on the rear of the boat. Drawing added 2-15-2020.

Landing Craft, Vehicle (LCV) - In June 1941 Higgins at the request of the Navy designed a Eureka boat with a ramp. To make the prototype of the ramped Eureka boat, Andrew Higgins had his workers cut the front end off of an LCP(L) under construction, and add a ramp to it. While not the most efficient way to build the prototype, it was expedient. "Higgins Biography" labels this as an LCVP, but this is what later in the war was designated as the LCV. In feedback to Higgins, the Navy was concerned about the location of the engine, the coxswain's location on top of the stern that left him exposed to hostile fire, and the lack of provisions for machine guns like the LCP(L) did.

There is an engineering drawing on page 30 of "The Boat that Won the War - An Illustrated History of the Higgins LCVP" by Charles C. Roberts, Jr., Published 2017 by the Naval Institute Press. The date of the drawing is 8-22-1942 and it is for a U.S. Navy 36 foot Ramp Type Eureka Surf Landing Boat. The drawing shows an LCV with rounded chine on the stern. Also, on the drawing is the Navy contract Number 697 for 600 boats with Registry Numbers C-10755 to C-11354 Inclusive.

There were 2,633 LCVs built between 1941 and 1943 by Higgins Industries, Chris-Craft, Richardson, and Owens Yacht. While not built in the quantities of the LCVP, LCVs saw duty in early American invasions in World War Two. It continued to be utilized even after the LCVP became the dominant landing craft later in the war.

There are several key differences between the original LCV and the later LCVP that can be seen in the photo above and the outline drawing for the LCV shown below. The most obvious is the coxswain's station, which on the transom of the LCV. It was moved into the boat on the LCVP. Note the ramp winch is also located in an exposed position on the port side of the LCV. In the LVCP it was moved down into the boat to protect the crewman operating it from hostile fire.

The name given to the LCV at the time of this drawing on 12-29-1941 was 36 Foot Ramp Type Eureka Surf Landing Boat. Engineering drawing courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor added 1-9-2020.

The length of the boat was 36 feet and 4-1/2 inches. It was 10 feet and 9 inches in height, and 10 feet and 9-1/2 inches wide. The engine shown is a Hall-Scott 168 Invader six-cylinder gasoline powered engine. Engineering drawing courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor added 1-9-2020.

C. Downing drew this engineering drawing of the 36 Foot Ramp Type Eureka Surf Landing Boat on 12-29-1941. Note that it was neither checked nor approved. Engineering drawing courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor added 1-9-2020.

The following engineering drawings are from the "Operators Manual, 36-foot "Eureka" Landing Motor Boats," Revised June 1944 by Higgins Industries.

The two drawings below for a Hall-Scott Invader installation for fresh water cooling and both fresh and salt water cooling are most interesting. If I am reading the drawings correctly, the Hall-Scott engine is in the rear of the boat with the drive end of the engine facing towards the bow of the boat. The driveshaft runs into what I assume is a transfer case that supplies the power to the propeller at the stern. These drawings are dated September and October 1941, 2-3 months before the drawings above that are dated 12-29-1941. It appears that the LCV was originally intended to have the engine in the stern of the boat and a transfer case to provide power to the propeller. The drawings of 12-29-1941 above show the engine amidships with the drive end of the Hall-Scott Invader engine facing the rear to for direct drive to the propeller. All of the photos I have seen of the LCV show the engine amidships directly supplying power directly to the propeller.
There is mention in the literature of the navy being unhappy with the original location of the engine in the LCV. This may be the reason for the sudden change. If this is so, then there is the question of why a 1944 operator's manual has obsolete drawings in it.

This and the drawing below both have the soft chines on the rear of the boat. Drawing added 2-15-2020.

Drawing added 2-15-2020.

Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel (LCVP):

The LCVP was a great improvement, allowing for a quicker discharge of the troops onto the beach compared to the LCP(L) and the LCP(R). In August 1942, tests were performed by the Amphibious Command of the U.S. Corps of Engineers to determine how long it took for 36 fully equipped troops to exit the LCP(L), the LCP(R) and the LCVP.

Table 7 - Results of test for determining how quickly troops can depart a landing craft
Landing Craft	Results (Seconds)	Comments
LCP(L)	57	Soldiers had to jump over the gunwales as shown in the photo above.
LCP(R)	32	Soldiers have to exit single file.
LCVP	19

Table 8 - Higgins Industries built LCVP Registry Information - Partial
The information below comes from "The Boat that Won the War - An Illustrated History of the Higgins LCVP" by Charles C. Roberts, Jr., Published 2017 by the Naval Institute Press.
Mr. Roberts obtained several original Higgins 36 Foot Landing Craft LCVP engineering drawings from the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, LA for use in his book. Also, the first line of data comes from Mr. Robert's Website; http://www.robertsarmory.com/Higgins-Boat.htm. These drawings have provided the information below. The data is incomplete, but does provide more than was known before.

Date of Drawing Title of Drawing U.S. Navy Contract Number Registry Numbers Number of LCVPs Type of Stern Chines Page No. in Book Comments

Before July 1943 N/A Unknown C-32238 3,600 Round N/A From the website. Mr. Roberts has Higgins LCVP Registry C-32238 which was one of 3,600 boats built between February-April 1943. It came with rounded chines on the stern, but was later changed to a sharp chine.

July 9,1943 General Arrangement and Profiles None None Sharp 31

May 17, 1944 Ramp, Hoisting Gear Layout 1222 C-39071 thru C-41670 Inclusive 2,600 Round 57

" " " C-54847 thru C-55046 Inclusive 200 Round "

" " " C-69664 thru -70663 Inclusive 1,000 Round "

" " " C-70999 thru C-71598 Inclusive 600 Round "

February 13,1945 Framing None None Sharp 41

April 17, 1945 General Arrangement and Profiles 1950 C-77944 thru C-78678 Inclusive 750 Sharp 31 This same information is on a drawing dated March 31. 1945, for a 36 FT. Landing Craft LCVP Lines and Table of Offsets.

" " 2009
C-81554 thru C-82528 inclusive
975 Sharp "

Total 9,725

Analysis: While not complete, the information above does give some insights into Higgins LCVP production. Three US Navy contract numbers are listed, along with the 6,125 Registry numbers built under the contracts, although not all boats on contracts 1950 and 2009 may have been built by the end of hostilities. Also, it shows that Higgins apparently changed back and forth on the type of chines it installed on the stern of the LCVPs. The original LCVPs were built with the round chines, but Higgins later changed to the sharp chines when other manufacturers began production. This was apparently because the other companies could not do the rounded version. This may or may not be true. The other companies may have requested this because it was easier and cheaper to build. This would have also made for faster LCVP production. The data shows that in 1943 Higgins had sharp chines on the prints, then in 1944 rounded chines, and then in 1945 it returned to the sharp chines. It is unknown why the company was switching back and forth. The LCVP below is a rounded chine version, one of 4,400 built under US Navy contract 1222.

The LCVP, like several of other World War Two weapons, continued to be built after World War Two. It was a good solid design, and 1,465 36-foot wooden LCVPs were built for the U.S. Navy from 1950 through 1962. Between 1965 and 1969 452 fiberglass versions were built from 1950 to 1969. This, along with the Jeep. may have very well been the longest lasting design built into the Vietnam War era. Higgins did not build any of the post-World War Two LCVPs.

That raises the question of why were there new LCVPs built. No doubt because they those that were kept in service after World War Two were wearing and rotting out. Replacements were needed. This then casts doubts on museums and individuals that have LCVPs and do not have any C- number to identify who or when it was made. Many of the LCVPs in museums being identified as World War Two-built are more likely to be the newer post-war built boats.

Known Surviving Higgins-built LCVPs:

This is not a surviving Higgins-built LCVP. It is a replica that the National World War Two Museum in New Orleans, LA had built and is now on display at the entrance to the museum. What is interesting about this replica is that it is not like any of the known LCVPs I have looked at or the known Higgins boats shown below. See the photo below for more details. Photo added 2-15-2020.

Note that towards the bow the side of the boat is not flat and there is a sharp angle were it changes. All of the LCVPs I have looked to date in several different museums all have flat sides. This one does not have any armor plate and the molding along the edge of the side of the boat and the gunwale is a lot different than on those that I have seen. Photo added 2-15-2020.

In looking at the LCVPs below, note they all have flat sides.

Theoretically, there are around twelve known original World War Two LCVPs left in the world. Assuming for a moment they are, and that is doubtful based on lack of documentation or C-numbers, Higgins did not built them all. Based on the fact that Higgins built approximately 60% of the LCVPs during World War Two, seven should be Higgins built. To date, only two have been verified as World War Two era, and both are Higgins-built LCVPs. The one shown below is owned by three members of the Ohio Motorpool in OH. The photos below were taken at the 2017 Military Vehicle Preservation Association National Convention, Cleveland, OH.

This LCVP sat in a barn from 1948 to 2012. Because it was put in storage, and never used as a tourist or fishing boat, unlike many others on display, it is original. Nor was it kept by the Navy and then modified. The first set of photos below show it in its original condition before restoration.

This is a real 1944 Higgins Industries built LCVP looking no doubt very much like it did in 1947 when it was shipped from Mississippi to a farmer in Illinois. There is no need for extensive restoration, as it was in a barn for 65 years. Author's photo.

The boat's registry number of 70032 is imbedded in the wooden structure. Unless other LCVP owners can produce registry numbers like this, there is no direct way to discern whether their boats are World War Two or post-World War Two-built. Author's photo.

The Gray Marine name can be seen on the heat exchanger in front of the Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine. This is the connection between the American Automobile Industry in Detroit, MI, and the largest manufacturer of small boats during World War Two in New Orleans, LA. The preferred engine for the LCVP and other small landing craft during the war was the Gray/Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine. When it was not available, in many cases the replacement was a gasoline marine engine from a manufacturer in Detroit. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

The National World War Two Museum in New Orleans missed out on this. I asked the Ohio Motorpool person at the show what the WWII Museum thought when they found out about this LCVP. He told me that they visited it before the Ohio Motorpool, and couldn't figure out how to get it out the front of the barn, as there were interferences. So, they left. The Ohio Motorpool went to Illinois and determined if they took the back of the barn off, they could take it out that way. It would have to go across the neighbor's property and some trees on that property would have to be cut down. The neighbor agreed, and the Ohio Motorpool ended up with, in my estimation, the most important original LCVP in existence because it was built by the same company that designed it. Author's photo.

The rounded soft chines on the stern indicate this is a Higgins-built boat. But there is confusion and mystery in reference to this type stern. Supposedly other manufacturers could not build the rounded corners, and a design change was made to build the LCVP with squared corners. Author's photo.

This is Higgins-built LCVP 70032 after restoration. This was photographed at D-Day Conneaut, OH in August 2019. Author's photo added 1-9-2019.

This is the second known Higgins-built LCVP, owned by Roberts Armory in Rochelle, IL. It is registry number 32238. This had several post-WWII modifications to it. Author's photo.

Drawing added 2-15-2020.

This model LCVP and diorama is at the US Army Chemical Corps Museum at Fort Leonard Wood, MO. It shows how the Army Chemical Corps used the LCVP to fire smoke from 4.2 inch mortars during beach invasions. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

This is an LCV with a mortar in it.

This photo shows an LCVP being used as a rocket launcher.

LCVP Landing Ramp Hoisting Gear Layout: There were several ways cables ran to drop and lift the ramp at the front of the LCVP. Some may have been design changes made by Higgins. Othierwise, one of the other manufacturers of the LCVP may have run the cables differently than the drawings called for. The original method was a carryover from the LCV which had the winch located on the starboard side gunwale. One cable ran forward from the winch along the inside of the boat and then connected to two cables. One cable ran to the starboard side of the ramp while the other cable ran under the floor of the boat. It then came back up and attached to the port side of the ramp. A latter version moved the winch to the deck on the inside of the boat, as seen in the drawings below. The only difference between this latter version below and the original is the location of the winch. The routing of the cables was the same.

Engineering drawing courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor added 1-9-2020.

This photo of an LCV shows the winch located on the rear starboard side gunwale. The cables then run as shown in the drawing above. The port side cable can be seen running out from under the deck as shown in the drawing above.

This shows the ramp winch relocated to the floor of this LCVP. Author's photo.

Registry Plate for LCVP C-40302:

This item is part of the collection of Mr. John Posusta and tells us that LCVP C-40302 was built in January 1944. Image courtesy of Mr. John Posusta added 6-15-2024.

Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCM) - On December 8, 1941 Andrew Higgins applied for a patent for a "Lighter for Mechanized Equipment." US Patent Number 2,341,866 was granted on February 15, 1944. This became the Landing Craft, Mechanized in the US Navy nomenclature. It was more commonly known as a Tank Lighter to the sailors and coastguardsmen who operated it. This term became the generic term for this type landing craft. Both the LCM(3) and LCM(6) could deliver one Sherman medium tank directly to the landing beaches. While the LCVP has gained all of the publicity since World War Two, the LCM series of tank lighters were just as important and have been overlooked. Being able to land a Sherman tank on hostile beaches to provide heavy fire support for the infantry could make the difference in how quickly the invasion beach could be secured.

Like the Higgins's designed LCVP, the LCM series was a robust design that continued to be built after World War Two. Between 1950 and 1987, 1,164 LCMs were built. Ten were still in service in 2018. This is a strong testament to the soundness of the original design in Andrew Higgins's patent issued February 15, 1944.

Patent Number 2,341,866 This is the Higgins patent for a ramped LCM.

PT Boats: The 137 PT boats delivered to the U.S. Navy served in the Aleutians, the Mediterranean, Normandy, the Southwest Pacific, South Pacific and Central Pacific. Higgins-built PT boats PT-450 through PT-461 served along the English Channel from June 1944 to July 1945.

PT-305 - PT-305 had its keel laid down on March 30, 1943, was launched on May 27, 1943, and was completed December 8, 1943. On December 22, 1943 it was assigned to Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 22, and was based at Bastia, Corsica in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. After the invasion of southern France in August 1944, PT-305 moved to St. Tropez, France. During her time in the Mediterranean, she was credited with sinking five enemy vessels. When the war ended in Europe, PT-305 returned to the United States for deployment in the Pacific. When the war with Japan ended, she was in New York. PT-305 was struck from the Naval Register on November 25, 1945. On June 18, 1948, PT-305 was transferred to the War Assets Administration and was sold in 1948 to the first of twelve private owners through 2001. During that time period, the former PT-305 operated as a tour boat and a fishing vessel.

Currently, after 17,000 hours of work by volunteers at the National World War Two Museum in New Orleans, PT-305 has been restored to her original World War Two configuration. She is the world's only Higgins-built PT boat combat veteran in operating condition.

PT-305 is in her boathouse at Lake Pontchartrain on the morning of 3-17-2018. She carries the name USS Sudden Jerk. During World War Two, she also was named Higgins Mortuary, Half Hitch, and Bar Fly. Author's Photo.

Author's Photo.

The door to the right leads down into the chart house and radio room. Author's Photo.

Author's Photo.

The chart house is on the port side of the compartment. Author's Photo.

The radio room is on the starboard side of the compartment. Author's Photo.

The American Automobile Industry connection to PT-305 was her three Packard-built 4M2500 marine engines. This is the port engine. Author's Photo.

This is the starboard engine with Delco-Remy Division of General Motors starter and DC generator visible at the rear of the engine. The Harrison Division of General Motors furnished the heat exchangers for the engines. Author's Photo.

Cruising at 30 knots, the sweet spot for a Higgins-built PT boat. The flag, the pennants, and the crew member's pants were whipping around in the wind. This was a nice 70-degree day on Lake Pontchartrain, so the 30-knot wind over the deck was not too uncomfortable. Higgins PT boats were used extensively in the Mediterranean and Aleutians Theaters of Operation during WWII. Imagine being on deck of a PT boat going 30 knots in the Aleutian winters. The crewmen suffered many hardships in these small boats. Author's photo.

The wake of PT-305 at 30 knots. Author's photo.

PT-796- PT-796 had its keel laid down on May 3, 1945, was launched on June 23, 1943, and was commissioned on July 17, 1945. It was decommissioned on July 7, 1970 and is now on display at Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA. It is owned by PT Boats, Inc.

Author's photo added 2-15-2020.

PT-625 Series PT Boat Engineering Drawings:

Two major changes are the replacement of the bow 37mm cannon with a 20mm Oerlikon and the replacement of the aft torpedo tubes with depth charge racks. Image added 5-10-2024.

Image added 5-10-2024.

This image shows all of the changes that went into the last two contracts of Higgins-built PT boats. Image added 5-10-2024.

Image added 5-10-2024.

Table 9 - Higgins Industries' Major World War Two PT Boat Contracts The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945." This was published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial Statistics Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946. Table added 5-10-2024.
Product-Customer	Contract Number	Contract Amount	Contract Awarded	Completion Date
Motor Torpedo Boats - Navy	Nos - 94729	$15,941,000	11-1941	9-1943
Motor Torpedo Boats - Navy	Obs -1053	$4,714,000	4-1943	8-1944
Motor Torpedo Boats - Navy	Obs -1284	$100,000	8-1943	7-1944
Torpedo Boats PT - Navy	Obs -1680	$4,899,000	5-1944	8-1945
Torpedo Boats PT - Navy	Obs -2037	$1,623,000	1-1945	11-1945
Total		$27,277,000

From the information above we have cost and the number of PT boats ordered under contracts Obs-1680 and Obs-2037.

The cost of PT 625-660 built under contract Obs-1680 was $136,083. This was 36 boats.

The cost of PT 791-802 built under contract Obs-2037 was $135,250. This was 12 boats.

The information above indicates the average cost of a Higgins-built PT boat during World War Two was at least $135,000.

Manufacturing Plants: Higgins conducted its boat manufacturing in five different plants during World War Two. Four were in New Orleans and one was in Houma, LA. The four plants in New Orleans were the St. Charles Avenue Plant, City Park Plant, the Industrial Canal Plant and the Michoud Plant. The five of them covered 1,486 acres and employed 20,000 workers. When the boats were completed at the St. Charles Avenue Plant or the City Park Plant, they were transported by truck or rail to St. John Bayou, a small river on the north side of New Orleans. The St. John Bayou was one mile east of the City Park Plant by road. The boats were then taken out on Lake Pontchartrain for testing. When the testing was complete, the boats were loaded onto railway cars to be shipped to their final destination. The boats built at the Industrial Canal Plant would be launched on the Industrial Canal, tested, and then delivered to the St. John Bayou for shipment.

St. Charles Avenue Plant: This was Higgins Industries' original plant It built the early landing craft and PT boats. All of the boats were trucked to the Bayou St. John for testing and delivery. On May 30, 1941 the USMC ordered 50 LCMS from Higgins Industries. Ten had to be delivered to Norfolk, VA by June 30, 1941. The first ten LCMS were built at the St. Charles Ave. plant. Due to the size and time frame of the project, some of the work was done outside on Polymnia Street at the end of the block northeast of the plant. Tarps were placed over the buildings on either side of the street to protect the workers from the elements. Vehicles were not able to use the street during the work, which was an inconvenience for the residents. They accepted the inconvenience as necessary to get the boats built. Final assembly was done in a nearby vacant stable.

St. Charles Avenue was closed as a production facility in March 1942. LCM work shifted to the City Park Plant temporarily until the Industrial Canal Plant opened. Higgins headquarters moved from St. Charles Avenue to the City Park Plant in September 1942.

The Plant was located at 1755 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. Today Houston's Restaurant is at this location. It does not appear to be the same building as this one. Apparently this one was torn down, and a new one built in its place.

City Park, New Orleans, LA Plant: Higgins purchased the former Albert Weiblen Marble and Granite Works plant at 521 City Park Avenue in July 1940, and converted it to the world's largest boat manufacturing plant under one roof. The construction of the PT boats and landing craft was done on the second floor, with the completed boats lowered to ground level by an elevator. Because the plant was not near water, the boats were then moved by rail or truck to Bayou St. John for testing and shipment. Today the plant is the location of Delgado Community College Administration building and adjacent parking lot. Only a historical marker at the college indicates that this was once the location of a thriving plant that built thousands of boats for the winning of World War Two. Higgins implemented assembly line techniques developed by the American Auto Industry, allowing the facility to turn out thousands of landing craft and 216 PT boats.

The top photo is City Park Plant at night. Apparently, there was no black-out in New Orleans. The middle photo looking northwest, the City Park Plant is bounded by City Park Avenue on the south side, the railroad tracks on the west side, and the Holt Cemetery to the north. The bottom photo shows the main entrance to the plant along City Park Avenue.

This view of City Park Plant is looking north to northeast, while the Isaac Delgado Hall of the Delgado Community College is to the northeast of the plant.

The final assembly line on the second floor of the City Street Plant building LCVP landing craft. Assembly of PT boats took place in the next bay.

The 7,000th LCVP built by Higgins in October 1944 is in front of the City Park Plant for a photo shoot. From here, the LCVP went to Bayou St. John for testing and final delivery to the U.S. Navy.

The PT boat assembly line at the City Park plant. Note the overhead crane that runs the length of the building to deliver large components to the assembly area.

PT-77, PT-80 and PT-82 are shown in this stern view from 8-3-1942. This photo is significant in that it shows the PT boats being built at least four abreast. Photo added 3-4-2019.

The stern view of PT-75 and PT-76 are seen in this photo from 8-3-1942. Photo added 3-4-2019.

A PT boat exits Park City via railroad transport to nearby Bayou St. Johns northeast of the plant.

Industrial Canal, New Orleans, LA Plant: Land was purchased along the Industrial Canal for a new plant. While Higgins and his staff drove to the negotiations for the purchase of the land for the plant, they were listening to the car radio broadcast of news of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The land was purchased, and workers started clearing the land for construction the same day. Construction began on the plant in January 1942 and it was dedicated on September 13, 1942. First construction was for 150 50-foot LCM Tank Lighters that the British had ordered in late 1941. The plant built at least 1,400 LCMs by the end of the war, most of them for the U.S. Navy. The plant also built the 100 170-foot FS ships for the US Army. Higgins built torpedo tubes at the plant that were activated by compressed air for its PT boats. This product did not last to the end of the war because the U.S. Navy went to a simpler roll-off torpedo launcher. The plant also built the J-boats, tugs barges and other small boats for the U.S. Army and Coast Guard. It was a busy place during World War Two.

Two views of the Industrial Canal plant from World War Two.

Inside the long assembly bay of the Industrial Canal Plant, six LCM Tank Lighters are under construction in the foreground with many others towards the rear of the plant. The LCM(6) was fifty feet long and fourteen feet across the beam. In October 1944, the Industrial Canal Plant produced its 1,000th LCM, having started in September 1942 with a run rate of 450-500 per year. By the end of the war, Higgins produced at least 1,400 of the LCMs for both the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Army and the British. The British ordered 150 of the 50-foot tank lighters in early 1942. Production of the LCM commenced in early June 1941 at City Park Plant. It then moved to Industrial Canal when it opened.

A contemporary view of the former Higgins Industrial Canal Plant. This was the primary ship and boat building plant for Higgins Incorporated after World War Two. However, the plant was too big to compete with the smaller boat manufacturers, and too small to compete with the larger ship manufacturers. In the end this led to the final demise of the Higgins' operations in 1959.

This Google Earth image shows the current state of the former Higgins Industrial Canal plant complex. While the factory buildings seem to be in relatively good shape, the covered monorail structure is in poor condition. It was the monorail that carried the completed LCMs from the building on the left out out the the canal for launching. Image added 5-10-2024.

FS ship the Veracruz is launched at the Industrial Canal Plant. Industrial Canal had the only moving assembly line for cargo ships in the country.

Bayou St. Johns, New Orleans, LA: This is where all of the boats came for testing and final shipping. Sometimes the boats would be finished without engines and stored here until they could be installed. The PT boats after initial work was completed at the City Park plant were delivered to Bayou St. Johns by railcar. Here they would be finished out, which took normally about five months of work.

There are around 135 boats in this photo, most of them landing craft. The majority of the landing craft appear to be the fifty-foot LCM Tank Lighter. Near the bottom of the left side of the photo are three 78-foot PT boats. Just above them are about twelve smaller boats which are the 36-foot LCS(S) boats. There are another seven LCS(S)s near the top of the photo.

An unfinished PT boat from the City Park plant is lowered into the water for the average five-month finishing out process.

LCVPs are being loaded on to railroad cars at Bayou St. John for shipment to the U.S. Navy. Note that they have the rounded chines on the stern.

Higgins Engine Company Plant, New Orleans, LA: In March 1942, Higgins purchased the Tucker Aviation Company of Ypsilanti, MI, and formed the Higgins-Tucker Engine Company to build marine engines for his boats, as there were engine shortages during the war. The company was renamed Higgins Engine Company after Preston Tucker, CEO of Higgins-Tucker Engine resigned in December 1943. The engine shortage went away, and only 100 engines were produced to fulfill a government contract near the end of World War Two. Afterwards Higgins Engine was dissolved.

Victory Plant, New Orleans, LA: During World War Two Higgins Industry cut LCMs into several pieces with torches. The components were then boxed at the Victory Plant where they could be more easily shipped in the hold of a transport. U.S. Army engineers near the war fronts then re-welded the parts back into the final LCM. This process was an Andrew Higgins invention.

West End Plant, New Orleans, LA: This was located on the New Basin Canal. Military boat operator and maintenance training was conducted in this plant for a good portion of the war. The training moved to another location when the numbers of trainees exceeded the capacity of the building. By the end of the war 300,000 military personnel were trained by Higgins Industries in New Orleans.

Industries Building, New Orleans, LA: Occupied by Higgins in September 1943. The first four floors of this eight-story building at Gravier and South Saratoga Streets in New Orleans were the employment offices for Higgins Industries, Higgins Aircraft, Higgins Engine Company, and Higgins Plastic Corporation. The fifth and sixth floor were leased out.

Higgins Aircraft Plant, Michoud District, New Orleans, LA: Construction on this plant started in April 1942, to build 100-200 Liberty Ships on four parallel production lines. Work stopped on July 18, 1942, when the Liberty Ship contract was cancelled for lack of steel. Work resumed on the plant to convert it from a ship building facility to an aircraft plant. This transpired when Higgins received a contract to build 1,200 Curtiss C-76 all wooden twin engine transport aircraft. This contract was then cancelled on August 3, 1943. The same day it was announced that Higgins Michoud would build C-46 Commando transport aircraft. Only one C-46 was produced at Michoud as the contract for C-46s was also cancelled, as this type aircraft was no longer needed for the war effort. The Michoud plant went on to build the A-1 Lifeboats and the carbon parts for the Manhattan Project.

Michoud was a 2,324,000 square foot complex in a total of 21 buildings. The main assembly building shown above was 1365 feet by 1095 feet for 1,494,675 square feet. With the side building and mezzanine it totaled 1,872,000 square feet in size. The office building was a two-story structure, 50 feet by 837 feet for 78,000 square feet, while the engineering building was also two stories at 50 feet by 1,257 feet for 108,000 square feet. In 1946 the building complex was up for sale by the War Assets Administration. During the Korean War, the plant was reopened by the government. Chrysler was given control of the plant to build Continental VA-1790 tank engines under license for M47 tanks. AV-1790 engines came off the Michoud assembly lines from May 1952 until July 1953 when the plant was again taken out of service. In 1962 NASA acquired the facility, and made Saturn 1B and 1C boosters for the Apollo program. Today it is still part of NASA.

Houma, LA Plant: This is the least well known and the smallest of the Higgins Plants from World War Two. It produced landing craft and rocket launching boats LCS(S) while it employed 170 local Cajuns. Production of both products would have been minimal compared to the high production plants in New Orleans, but the plant did provide wartime employment in the area while providing needed landing craft for the military.

The Higgins Industries Houma Plat has been described at being at the location of South Van Avenue and Industrial Boulevard in Houma, LA. This satellite photo shows this location. There is evidence of something being there in the past. This is along the Bayou Lacarpe which feeds into the Intercoastal Waterway both to the north and south of this location. Photo courtesy of Google Maps added 2-15-2020.

This is a street view from South Van Avenue looking north. Photo courtesy of Google Maps added 2-15-2020.

Higgins World War Two Magazine Advertisements:

PT-254 was completed on June 16, 1943. Salerno was invaded in September 1943, making this a late 1943 or early 1944 advertisement.

The aircraft in the advertisement is a Curtiss C-76 Caravan twin engine transport of wooden construction. Higgins' contract for 1,200 of the C-76s was cancelled in early August 1943.

This advertisement gives some hints as to what the missing boats may be from the total of Table 5 above.

The "Crocodile" is an LCV. Higgins built around 1,200 of these. I have never seen it referred to as the "Crocodile."
The Coast Guard Patrol Boat shown is a 38-foot Picket Boat. A number of small boat builders built 470 Picket Boats in early World War Two. Higgins portion would probably not have been significant in the total number of boats it built.
The Landing Boat is the LCP(L), of which Higgins built 1,100.
The Anti-Submarine Boat is an unknown. There are no references to it in the "Higgins Biography."
The Tank Carrier is the LCM.
The Armored Support Boat is the LCS(S) that the "Higgins Biography" calls either the rocket boat or LCS. It was built both in Houma and New Orleans.
Date of the advertisements would be after late 1943 based on the three "E" awards.

Post World War Two: After World War Two, Higgins Incorporated continued to build boats. During the Korean Conflict, Higgins operations in New Orleans again produced boats and ships for the military. Among them were ten 165-foot minesweepers, 21 100-foot tugboats, and 322 90-foot LCM(8)s for the U.S. Navy. The Army Corps of Engineers ordered 900 27-foot bridge erection boats of its own design from Higgins. The bridge erection pontoon boat shown below was formerly at the National Military History Center in Auburn, IN. The information shown below is all that I could find on this boat. Of the 900 built, this is the only one I have ever seen, making it a very rare historical artifact.

Author's photo.

In August 2023, I re-discovered the Higgins bridge erection pontoon boat at the National Museum of Military Vehicles. It was on outside display. Author's photo added 5-10-2024.

The nearest boat in this photo at Fort Eustis, VA is LCM8095 which was built by Higgins Incorporated during the Korean War. The LSM-8s were a compromise design between the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships and Higgins Incorporated. The hull design was that of the Bureau of Ships, and the bow and ramp were that of Higgins. Higgins began production in the spring of 1953. The Higgins-built LCM-8s were ordered by the U.S. Navy for the U.S. Army. This particular series of boats had both Army and Navy numbers associated with them. The estimated Army numbers are from LCM8001 to ~ LCM8307 and the Navy estimated numbers from LCM200615 to ~LCM200821. Photo and information courtesy of George Schneider added 11-24-2022.