A history of positive response

Beginning with the German invasion of Poland on 1st September, 1939, World War II was the largest armed conflict in history, spanning the entire world and involving more countries than any other war. It involved the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances - the Allies and the Axis. In a state of total war, the countries directed their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities towards the war effort, erasing the distinction between civilian and military resources. Over seventy million people, the majority of whomwere civilians, were killed, making it the deadliest conflict in human history.

During the years of World War II, Tata Steel again made a major contribution in supplying the materials necessary for war. The Company pledged its entire output to the war effort. The war also greatly challenged the ingenuity of Tata Steel’s scientists and in the course of the next five years the Company produced 110 varieties of steel, despite the fact that there were hardly any worthwhile facilities available anywhere in the country except in the plant. In 1941 Tata Steel put up a wheel, tyre and axle plant to meet the requirements of the railways; in 1942 a mill to manufacture 1,000 tonnes per month of armour plates for defence carriers was added; a benzol recovery plant for producing toluene, needed for the manufacture of explosives, was put up in 1943. Tata Steel’s major achievement was armour-plating for cars. After experimenting with different compositions of steel, the Company came out with 'The Tatanagar’, a light armoured vehicle that was used extensively during the war.

Not long after the war started and following the initial German western offensive, Hoogovens came under the supervision of the occupying army. Throughout the war years the Dutch management was faced with the challenge of steering the company through air-strikes, the constant threat that the occupier would force Hoogovens personnel to go to work in Germany, as well as German efforts to take over the company completely. The war took its toll and the main priority in the post-war period was to repair the damage caused and to secure scarce resources and spare parts in order to re-start operations. The heavy plate mill, which had been dismantled and shipped to Germany during the war, was also returned to IJmuiden.

In a country impoverished by the war, without financial resources, with a huge demand for steel and a government committed to rebuilding, Hoogovens faced many challenges. Although the government stressed the importance of providing materials for the home market, Hoogovens was convinced it should maintain its international outlook and was inspired by its new semi-continuous wide hot strip mill technology, which originated in the US and was obtained under the American Marshall Aid recovery programme after lengthy negotiations.

Having a long-term international vision, opting for completely new technologies, quick decision-making and fostering social cohesion among its workforce, all these things allowed Hoogovens to emerge successfully from the post-war period.