USS Pochard (AM-375) received three battle stars for World War II service. USS Pochard (AM-375) USS "Pochard" (AM-375) was an acquired by the United States Navy for the dangerous task of removing mines from minefields laid in the water to prevent ships from passing. "Pochard" was named after the pochard, a heavy-bodied diving duck. "Pochard" was laid down by Savannah Machine and Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia, 10 February 1944; launched 11 June 1944; sponsored by Mrs. Mary E. Kennard; and commissioned 27 November 1944, Lt. Comdr. David D. Long, USNR, in command. After fitting out and shakedown, she departed Norfolk, Virginia, for the
What Makes a Battle What Makes a Battle What Makes a Battle was a propaganda short produced by the US Army Pictoral Service in 1944. It documents the taking of the Marshall Islands while also encouraging increased war production. The film opens with the narrator asking "What makes a battle?" while the camera is focusing on shipments of industrial transports, "This is what it takes to make a battle." This statement sets up the dual nature of the entire film. War supplies are pouring in from every part of the country, from every type of American "Republican and Democrat, white and colored." Industrial production