Word: corsaire
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Flying Leathernecks. From one of the Essex-class carriers flew two squadrons of new-type Chance-Vought Corsair fighters, piloted by Marine Corps aviators. The marines long ago had won their fight to fly from escort carriers (TIME, Oct. 23), but this was different; this was the big time. They went as escort for Avenger torpedo bombers. Grumman Hellcats with Navy pilots made up the rest of this carrier's complement. It had no dive-bombers-McCain and Thach never had believed in dive-bombers...
...this situation Akron does not chew as much war work as it has bitten off. As tire-making slacked when rubber got scarce, the Big Four grabbed orders for rubber rafts, gas tanks, ammunition, etc. Goodyear even set up its own aircraft unit, now employs 24,000 turning out Corsair fighters and plane parts. This was good business as long as the synthetic rubber program floundered. But now synthetic is pouring in, and Akron is trying to turn out more heavy tires than ever before...
...protested. But the Administration had stepped in unprepared, and fumbled its first big cutback crisis. Now it had to resort to make-work, tiding over the dismissed employes until July 1, to give them "adequate" dismissal notice. The Government could put Brewster to making spare parts for other Corsair producers -but this would be highly inefficient: their manufacturing techniques differed. Was the Administration's answer to cutbacks a kind of wartime WPA, to keep plants going that were uneconomic to operate-at a time when the War Manpower Commission is crying for workers in more crucial industries...
...Ship builder Henry J. Kaiser, his job done (to get Brewster finally into production), was leaving. He gave out the cheerful news that Brewster, after two years of losses, was finally making money. But he warned that this might not last, that the Navy might end its contract for Corsair fighters, the only contract Brewster held...
...days later the blow fell. The Navy cut Brewster's contract for Corsairs in half, decided that it would not accept any more Brewster planes after July 1. It explained that it was cutting back fighter production $180,000,000, mainly because attrition had been only one-third as great as anticipated. Brewster was the last to get into Corsair production, produced feebly, and now bore the brunt of the cut. Brew ster also became the first U.S. planemaker to have all its war work suddenly ended...