on marshy ground, and was built on artificial earth supported by 57,000 piles driven into the mud. Shipbuilding commenced before the fitting-out docks were even completed. The yard's workers came from every region of the United States, reaching a force of 40,000 men and women, only 1% of whom had any shipbuilding experience whatsoever. The Calship Log, aimed at "Calshippers" and "Calshipperettes", was published on the 1st and 15th of each month. The log covered the progress of working for the war effort, safety rules, policies and procedures, as well as leisure activities and information on public transport, gasoline rations, personal tax increases and war bonds. A Victory Edition was published on September 27th, 1945. After the war, the Maritime Commission and the Navy department cancelled their contracts with Calship. As the result of that, the level of shipbuilding began to decline. Calship closed in September 1945, after launching the last Victory ship, "four years to the minute after the first slid into the water." Calship ranked 49th among United States corporations in the value of World War II military production contracts. In 1947 the Calship facility was taken over by National Metal & Steel Corporation which operated a scrap yard there. Ironically, 55 of the Liberty and Victory ships that were built at Calship were scrapped on the same site. The surviving museum ships: SS American Victory and SS Lane Victory, were built in the Calship yard. The SS American Victory is in Tampa, Florida and the SS Lane Victory is in Los Angeles. They are open to the public for dockside tours and also sail periodically. Notable ships SS Oshkosh Victory SS Tufts Victory SS U.S.S.R. Victory SS Luray Victory USS Arenac SS Alamo Victory USS St. Mary's (APA-126) SS Carroll Victory SS Gainesville Victory SS Joplin Victory USNS Dalton Victory (T-AK-256) USS Attala SS Clara Barton USS Botetourt SS Colby Victory SS Mexico Victory USS Kenton (APA-122) SS Sharon Victory USS Hendry (APA-118) USS Lanier (APA-125) USS Hinsdale (APA-120) USS Kittson (APA-123) USS Don Marquis (IX-215) SS Carlos Carrillo USS Bosque (APA-135) SS Leland Stanford USS Betelgeuse (AK-260) SS Edward Eggleston See also Emergency Shipbuilding Program California during World War II References Further reading Collins, James H. All Aboard! All Aboard! But Where Are the Passengers? Public Utilities Fortnightly, June 24, 1943. Herman, Arthur. Freedom's Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, Random House,