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Higgins Industries Time Line in World War Two

This page added 2-27-2019.

Author's Note:  The entries 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.  99.5% of the book is about Andrew Higgins, his battle with the Bureau of Navy Ships, the various labor unions in New Orleans, and his view of the world.  The other 0.5% is information dispersed throughout the book on the boats and plants that built them.  It took me several page by page trips through the book to find the information below and put it in a chronological order.  In most cases, I have been able to assign a month, day, and year to the event.  In some cases, only a month, or only a year could be assigned.

In the book, Jerry Straham makes reference to the LCVP starting in April 1941.  During the course of the book, he refers to both an original LCVP and an improved LCVP.  From the limited descriptions in the book, it appears that the original LCVPs were actually what were designated later as the LCV, a 36-foot landing craft with a full ramp across the bow, but with the coxswain's station on top of the stern with no provision for self-defense armament.  It could very well be that in 1941 the original boats of this design were referred to as LCVPs and then re-designated LCVs in November 1942 with the improved LCVP as we know it went into production.  I will refer to it below as the original LCVP/LCV.
 

• September 26, 1930 - Higgins Industries incorporated.  The company moved into 1755 St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. 
   

• December 24, 1937 - Patent applied for "Boat Hull Construction."  This was the basic hull design used in all of the subsequent Higgins designed landing craft.
   

• January 17, 1939 - US Patent Number 2,144,111 is released for "Boat Hull Construction."  This is most commonly known as the Eureka boat.
   

• August 31, 1939 - Keel laid down for PT-5, the first known documented PT boat built by Higgins Industries. 
   

• July 1940 - One 80-foot PT boat (MTB) and the first of five 70-foot PT boats (MTB) were delivered to Britain.
   

• July 1940 - Higgins purchased the former Albert Weiblen Marble and Granite Works in New Orleans, which became the City Park Plant.  This was located at 521 City Park Avenue.
   

• October 1940 - The first 50 of 138 Eureka landing boats are delivered to the British.
   

• October 22, 1940 - Tests were run at Virginia Beach, VA to test Vee shaped vs. flatter bottom Eureka boat.  The Vee bottom was faster, but the flatter bottom retracted from the beach better. 
   

• November 4, 1940 - PT-5 launched.
   

• November 5, 1940 - Further Navy tests at Virginia Beach confirmed the flat bottom Eureka boat retracted very well and was faster than the Navy specification.  The Navy chose the flat bottom for production. 
   

• November 18, 1940 - The U.S. Navy ordered 335 36-foot Eureka boats of the flatter bottom design.
   

• March 1, 1941 - PT-5 completed. 
   

• March 17, 1941 - PT-5 placed in service with U.S. Navy Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron One.  In April it was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force and used as a High Speed Rescue Launch, designated B-117.  It was returned to the U.S. in late 1945.
   

• April 1941 - Work begins on designing and building a Eureka boat with a ramp.
   

• April 1941 - The U.S. Navy ordered 188 Eurekas, now designated LCP(L).  88 were converted to original LCVP/LCVs.
   

• May 30, 1941 - USMC orders 50 Higgins designed 45-foot tank lighters.  Ten had to be delivered to Norfolk, VA by June 15,1941.
   

• June 1941  - The LCVP/LCV is designed. 
   

• July 21, 1941 - The U.S. Navy ordered 162 LCP(L)s.
   

• September 19, 1941 - The U.S. Navy ordered 196 original LCVP/LCVs.
   

• September 1941 - City Park Plant starts construction.
   

• October 1941 - Britain orders 150 50-foot tank lighters/LCMs.
   

• December 7, 1941 - Land is purchased along the Industrial Canal in New Orleans for a new plant.  Negotiations for the purchase of the land by Higgins and his staff at the prospective location for the plant happened as 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.
   

• December 8, 1941 - Patent applied for "Lighter for Mechanized Equipment."  This is the Higgins design for what became the Landing Craft, Mechanized (LCM) that could land a 30-ton tank M4 Sherman tank directly to the beach.
   

• January 1942 - The U.S. Navy ordered 384 original LCVP/LCVs.
   

• March 9, 1942 - The U.S. Navy ordered 408 original LCVP/LCVs.
   

• March 18, 1942 - All of the equipment and production was moved from the St. Charles Avenue Plant to the City Park Plant.  LCM construction stated at City Park.
   

• March 21, 1942 - Higgins purchases Tucker Aviation of Ypsilanti, MI, and moved the operations to New Orleans.  There it became the Higgins-Tucker Engine Company.
   

• March 1942 - Higgins Industries is awarded a contract to build 100-200 Liberty Ships.  A new government financed plant to build the ships was to be built in the Michoud District of New Orleans.  This was next to the Michoud Canal where the ships could be launched.
   

• April 1942 - Construction of the Michoud Plant begins.
   

• April 1942 - Higgins Industries Headquarters moved to City Park Plant from the St. Charles Avenue Plant.  Higgins employed 3,000 persons.
   

• July 18, 1942 - Higgins Liberty Ship contract was cancelled due to lack of steel.  Work on the Michoud Plant stops.
   

• September 13, 1942 - Higgins wins first "E" award.
   

• September 13, 1942 - The Industrial Canal Plant is dedicated. 
   

• March 3, 1943 - Keel laid for first U.S. Army 170-foot FS-135 cargo vessel.
   

• July 9, 1943 -  Engineering Drawing for 36 FT Landing Craft LCVP with sharp chines on the stern.  There were no Navy contract numbers on the drawing.
   

• July 21, 1943 - FS-135 launched into Industrial Canal.
   

• August 3, 1943 - Contract for 1,200 wooden C-76 Caravan transport aircraft to be built at Michoud is cancelled due the shortage of needed wood to produce more landing craft.  It is unknown when the contract for the C-76 was released.
   

• August 3, 1943 - It is announced that Higgins would build Curtiss C-46 Commando transports at Michoud.
   

• August 7, 1943 - Production figures for July 1943 are announced.  Production included 600 36-foot landing craft and 118 LCM tank lighters.  Note that no PT boat nor LCS(S) production is included were included in this report.  However, records show ten PT boats built in July 1943.
   

• September 1943 - Higgins Industries moved some operations into the eight-story Industries building at Gravier and Saratoga Streets in downtown New Orleans. 
   

• October 1943 - C-46 wing panel production begins at Michoud.  These were sent to the Curtiss C-46 assembly plants in Louisville, KY and St. Louis, MO for assembly into C-46 aircraft.
   

• October 24, 1943 - Michoud Aircraft Plant dedicated.
   

• November 1943 - Design begins on the 27-foot A-1 life boat.  The length was such that it could be dropped from a B-17 that still had the ball turret installed.  With waterproof compartments it was unsinkable even when tipped over or swamped.
   

• December 1943 - The Higgins Engine Company is formed after Preston Tucker resigns as president of the Higgins-Tucker Aviation Company.
   

• December 8, 1943 - PT-305 is completed.  PT-305 was restored to full World War Two operating configuration by the National Museum in World War Two in New Orleans, LA.  It is one only two surviving Higgins PT boats with a combat record.  It is the only one that still operates and gives rides to interested persons.
   

• January 26, 1944 - PT-309 is completed.   It is one of only two surviving Higgins PT boats with a combat record.  It is on display at the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX.
   

• February 15, 1944 - US Patent Number 2,341,866 is released for "Lighter for Mechanized Equipment."
   

• July 22, 1944 - 1,000th LCM built.
   

• July 23, 1944 - 10,000th Higgins boat by Higgins Industries for the US Navy.  This included the 1,000 LCMs, PT boats, landing craft, anti-submarine boats, air-sea rescue boats, and other small boats for the Navy.  Another 3,000 boats had been produced for the U.S. Army, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Allied countries.  At this time there were seven Higgins plants employing 20,000 persons.  There was 5 million square feet of plant space under roof for the manufacture of boats.
   

• July 23, 1944 - Higgins wins its fourth star for the "E" award flag.  This was its fifth and last award of this type.
   

• August 10, 1944 - C-46 production cancelled.  Only one C-46 was built at Michoud.
   

• August 1944 - Andrew Jackson met with President Franklin D Roosevelt at the White House.  The President requested Higgins Industries to 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 the parts were for radio and radar communication.
   

• October 1944 - 7,000th LCVP built.
   

• December 1944 - Higgins Industries shipyards are producing LCVPs, LCMs, FS ships, LCS(S)s, air-sea rescue craft, and PT boats.
   

• December 1944  - Higgins Plastics is building airborne lifeboats at Michoud.
   

• December 1944 - Higgins Aircraft is building C-46 wing panels at Michoud.
   

• December 1944 - Higgins Industries Carbon Division is in full production at Michoud, making parts for the Manhattan Project.
   

• 1944 - Date unknown.  Higgins-built helicopter crashes and kills the test pilot.  Andrew Higgins cancels further work on the project.
   

• March 14, 1945 - The last FS ship undergoes river trials.  100 FS ships were built in 105 weeks using mass production methods.
   

• May 29, 1945 - A B-29 crew that made an emergency water landing in the Pacific after attacking Japan is saved by a Higgins A-1 Lifeboat dropped by a B-17. 
   

• July 30, 1945 - PT-658 is completed.  It has been restored to full World War Two operating condition by "Save the PT Boat, Inc." in Portland, OR.
   

• August 12, 1945 - Andrew Higgins begins a tour of the Pacific Theater of Operations.
   

• August 1945 - Twelve government contracts are cancelled.  Products cancelled included LCVPs, PT boats, LCMs, steel barges, torpedo tubes, solar stills and spare parts.  The A-1 airborne lifeboat and Manhattan Project carbon parts were not cancelled.
   

• August 1945 - Higgins Engine completes a government contract for 100 engines.  This contract had been repeatedly reduced in numbers, as the shortage of marine engines for landing craft failed to appear as earlier predicted.  Higgins Engines goes out of business.
   

• September 1945 - The City Park plant stops production of landing craft and PT boats.
   

• September 1945 - The St. Charles Avenue plant closed.  The retail sales division that had been there during the war is sold Frank Higgins, Andrew Higgins' brother.  The new company, named the Higgins Marine Sales Company, moves into the west side of the City Park Plant.  The east end housed the Higgins Industries appliance division.  It is unknown what the appliance division made.
   

• September 1945 - The Michoud plant continues work on carbon parts for the Manhattan Project.
   

• September 1945 - The Industrial Canal plant begins work on civilian craft such as barges, fishing boats, working boats, and large yachts.  It also has a contract for 212 boats ordered by the Dutch for the Dutch East Indies. 
   

• October 26, 1945 - PT-796 is completed.  PT-796 was known as the "Tail Ender" and is currently on display at Battleship Cove in Massachusetts.  This was the last Higgins PT boat built.  It may have also been the last boat built by Higgins Industries, because the company liquidated a week later. 
   

• November 1, 1945 - Higgins Industries liquidates its assets. 
   

• November 1945 - Higgins Plastics continues production of airborne lifeboats and Manhattan project carbon parts.  Higgins Plastics was not affected by the liquidation of Higgins Industries.
   

• January 7, 1946 - Higgins, Incorporated is formed.  This was a re-incarnation of the previous Higgins Industries. 
   

• August 1, 1952 - Andrew Jackson Higgins passes away at age 65 due to a stomach ailment.
   

• 1959 - Higgins Incorporated is sold to New York Ship to pay its outstanding debts to Whitney National Bank.  A 29-year long era comes to an end in New Orleans.