Pittsburgh During World War II
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During World War II, the city of Pittsburgh was an important shipbuilding center. One of the largest and most famous shipyards was Dravo Shipyard. Its main purpose was to build LSTs, or Landing Ship-Tanks. Due to the large demand for LSTs after Pearl Harbor, Dravo Shipyard was greatly expanded from its peacetime facilities. The growing shipbuilding business also created a plethora of jobs. The number of Dravo Shipyard employees increased from 1,000 workers in peacetime to about 14,000 in early 1944. The first LST was launched from Dravo Shipyard on September 7th, 1942. An original contract allowed the shipyard to build 60 LSTs, however soon, larger contracts were awarded to Dravo. It is believed that Dravo was the largest producer of LSTs during the war.
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