^{An earthquake in November of 1941 did major damage, especially in the downtown area.}

The 1940s would be a major watershed for the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Population for the county would rise from 2.7 million in 1940 to 4.1 million at the end of the decade.

The 1940s saw peak usage of the region’s rapid transit system (the Pacific Electric Railway system) with more than 109 million boardings in 1944 across the 1,150 miles of rail. It was the fastest and the most expansive rapid transit system in the country.

As the country moved into World War II in December of 1941, the L.A. region shifted into major military-related manufacturing.

Los Angeles’ port became one of the major shipbuilding facilities in the country, employing more than 90,000 workers.

A third of the warplanes produced during the war would be manufactured in the L.A. region. This also meant that supportive machine, plastic, rubber and electronic components related to that manufacturing were being produced in the region.

The ports in Long Beach and Los Angeles also were handling fleet-related services.

They also became major receiving and transporting points for commodities and products of the war. The entire Los Angeles region saw troops passing through these ports for Pacific War Zone deployment.

The movie industry supported the war efforts with patriotic films and with the Hollywood Canteen where the troops had the chance to socialize with the stars.

The availability of jobs stimulated the large immigration of potential workers from across the country. Included in this was a migration of 140,000 African-Americans bringing the resident population to 200,000 by 1950 and making Los Angeles one of the largest urban populations of African-Americans outside of the South.

The war years were also a time of rationing and restricted availability of some items. There were no new automobiles produced until 1946.

Tires, gasoline (which was only 15 cents a gallon), sugar, butter and meat were rationed and required ration points to purchase. There were drives for kitchen grease and scrap paper and metal. Many citizens grew victory gardens of fresh vegetables and fruits.

As the war ended, the region saw many returning soldiers and war-time workers choosing to make Southern California their home. There were also the returning Japanese-American internees who had been held in “relocation” camps through the war.

The post war boom in auto sales and the continuing demand for aviation products provided a solid economic base. The last years of the decade saw rapid construction of residential units and a continuing shortage of schools for the ever-growing population.

In 1940, the Arroyo Seco Parkway became the first of a rapidly growing network of freeways that allowed for the spreading of this population into what was the “empty” farm lands of the suburbs.

The Los Angeles metropolitan region was at hand. Torrance reflected much of that regional history, but it also had elements that were its own.

Torrance was shaken into the war years by the 1941 earthquake in November. No lives were lost, but many of the brick buildings in Downtown Torrance suffered major damage. Significant damage took place to commercial and residential properties. The damage related mainly to the unreinforced masonry facing and parapets, and in the residential area brick chimneys and foundations.

The damage was estimated to be more significant than that caused by the 1931 Long Beach earthquake.

With the declaration of war in December of 1941, the people of Torrance took a position of supporting the Japanese heritage families who were part of the community.

The City Council adopted a resolution stating this community support. But the federal government took steps to have individuals of Japanese heritage removed from their homes and farms to be interned in locations far from Torrance.

Torrance had many young men signing up for service in the various military branches. Two of these were Louis Zamperini and Ted Tanouye, both graduates of Torrance High School.

Torrance benefited from the rapid economic growth related to the preparation and engagement in World War II.

The steel-related industries of Torrance saw an ever-increasing demand for their products.

Columbia Steel added to its work force and expanded production. Union Tool was still involved in oil production tools, but now also became involved in Navy arsenal items. Many other manufacturers in the community became involved in defense-related production.

Pacific Electric saw a major increase in passenger miles and with that significant increased maintenance, adding the big blimp cars to the line through Torrance to serve the ports. This again resulted in increased employment for the Pacific Electric service facilities along Crenshaw.

In 1941, the federal government purchased 480 acres in the southern portion of the City from Weston Ranch. It then constructed the Lomita Flight Strip, which was developed as a training base for the Army Air Corps for P-38s.

At times there would be 40 officers and 200 enlisted men housed in the barracks at the flight strip. At the end of the war the barrack area was used as a staging area for returning Japanese-American internees.

At about the same time, some 100 acres were acquired by the Navy and transformed into the Torrance Naval Annex, an extension of the Long Beach Supply Depot for materials and supplies leaving the Long Beach Naval Base for transport.

The facility had a large number of employees receiving, storing and distributing a wide range of supplies, which would be ultimately transported by train to Long Beach to be loaded on ships.

Torrance’s oil field production and the refinery’s output also shifted into high gear.

And the City saw new industries as Doak Industries established its home in Torrance in 1939 preparing fuselage sections for the B17 and North American AT3. The facility was originally on Abalone Avenue, with a peak of 3,000 employees.

Once quiet Torrance must have rocked with the soldiers at the airport and all the workers in town.

At the end of the war and its use for housing returning internees, the Lomita Flight Strip would be declared surplus property and offered to Mr. Weston, the former owner. He declined the offer unless the land was returned to its pre-construction status.

The federal government explored other options, but finally accepted the City’s application for the facilities.

On December 7, 1946, the City named its newly acquired asset after Louis Zamperini.

Both daytime and nighttime populations grew during these war years, with the nighttime population increasing from 9,500 in 1940 to 22,000 by the 1950 census.