By Charles Fenno Jacobs, August 1943
American workers made a staggering contribution to victory during World War II. They built 5,777 merchant ships, 1,556 naval vessels, 299,293 aircraft, 88,410 tanks, 6.5 million rifles, and 40 billion bullets. Average weekly wages rose 65 percent, and manufacturing workers saw their real income jump 27 percent.
National Archives, General Records of the U.S. Navy, 1789–1947 (80-G-468517)