The facilities and ships under construction at the US naval shipyard at Philadelphia according to a memorandum dated 30 July 1937

USS Wichita

USS Washington

President Roosevelt asked on 17 July the Navy Department what extra building ways and shop facilities were needed at the navy yards to built each a merchant ship (hospital ship, passenger ship or transport) of 10.000-15.000-20.00 tons. In a memorandum dated 30 July 1937 he got his wanted details. While all naval facilities were in use or obligated by June 1939 there were 6 new building ways needed if 6 merchant ships were to be built. The given costs were if a 20.000 tons ship was to be built, for the 10.000 and 15.000 tons was the building way 400.000 US dollars cheaper except for the yard at New Orleans.  

Costs for the naval shipyard at Philadelphia for 1 complete building way 1.500.000 US dollars, plant improvements 710.000 US dollars and machine tools 250.000 US dollars, totally 2.460.000 US dollars. The 710.000 US dollars consisted of increase steel storage, plate and angle 150.000, enlarge machine shop 100.000, extend copper and pipe shop 60.000, enlarge electric shop 200.000, covered welding platforms 100.000, tracks and switches 50.000 and rolling stock 50.000. The 250.000 US dollars for tools consisted of enlarge machine shop 100.000, extend copper and pipe shop 50.000, enlarge electric shop 50.000 and tools for structural shop 50.000.

 At the moment was the shipyard suitable for building battleships, cruisers and smaller vessels. There were 3 building ways: No. 1 dimensions 464 x 70 feet, small vessels (double ways), No. 2 dimensions 720 x 120 feet, capital ships and No. 3 dimensions 852 x 120 feet, capital ships.  

At that moment were under construction:

Light cruiser Philadelphia (CL41) afloat and nearing completion.(1)

Heavy cruiser Wichita (CA45), building way No. 2, 60% completed.(2)

Destroyer Rhind (DD404), keel not laid, probably October 1937.(3)

Destroyer Buck (DD420), keel not laid, probably January 1938.(4)

Battleship Washington (BB56), keel not laid, probably September 1938.(5)

Notes

1. Brooklyn-class, preceded by Omaha-class, succeeded by Atlanta-class, building ordered on 16 June 1933, awarded on 3 August 1933, laid down on 18 May 1935, launched on 17 November 1936, commissioned on 23 September 1937, decommissioned on 3 February 1947, stricken on 9 January 1951, sold to Brazil, renamed Barroso (C-11) and broken up in 1974.  

2. Built under the London Naval Treaty restrictions was she originally planned to be part of the New Orleans-class. Instead of this was a hull used of a modified Brooklyn-class light cruisers design. The heavy cruiser Wichita-design was used for developing the American heavy cruiser designs like the Baltimore-class. Building approved under the 1929 Cruiser Act, laid down at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 28 October 1935, launched on 16 November 1937, commissioned on 16 February 1939, decommissioned on 3 February 1947, stricken on 1 March 1959 and sold to the Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation to be broken up on 14 August 1959

3. Of the Benham-class, preceded by Somers-class, succeeded by Sims-class, laid down on 22 September 1937, launched on 28 July 1938, commissioned on 10 November 1939, survived atomic bomb tests at Bikini on 1 and 25 July 1946, decommissioned on 26 August 1946, sunk on 22 March 1948 and stricken on 5 April 1948,

4. Of the Sims-class, preceded, laid down on 6 April 1938,launched in 22 May 1939, commissioned on 15 May 1940 and sunk by the German submarine U-616 off Salerno, Italy on 9 October 1943.

5. North Carolina-class consisting of the North Carolina and the Washington, preceded by the uncompleted South Dakota-class and the realized Colorado-class and succeeded by the South Dakota-class. Building ordered on 1 August 1937, laid down at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on 14 June 1938, launched by Virginia Marshall on 1 June 1940, commissioned on 15 May 1941, decommissioned on 27 June 1947, stricken on 1 June 1960 and sold to be broken up on 24 May 1961. Nickname Mighty W.

Source

Franklin Roosevelt D. Roosevelt Presidential Libray&Museum. Map Navy Department October 1936-1937 FDR’s President’s Secretary’s File (psfc000057).