Editing History of Alabama (section)

===World War II===
{{see also|Alabama World War II Army Airfields}} 
Alabama was an important player in the [[United States home front during World War II]]. The state  provided thousands of soldiers, sailors and airmen to the military. It provided large amounts of food, ammunition, and other supplies. Alabama was also the site of numerous military bases and factories that produced military supplies and equipment and warships. In addition, the state was home to several prisoner of war camps and Army and Navy hospitals.  The iron and steel industries in Birmingham smoothly transitioned to wartime production, with furnaces that had closed during the Great Depression reopening to meet the demands of [[War Production Board]] contracts. Alabama's Ingalls Iron Works became a leader in the construction of [[Liberty ships]], launching the first fully welded ship in October 1940, helping revolutionize the ship building industry.<ref>[https://visitvulcan.com/articles/birminghams-impact-on-the-homefront/#.YfDgphPMI1I Birmingham's Impact on the Homefront]. ''Vulcan Park & Museum''. Retrieved January 26, 2022.</ref><ref>Allen Cronenberg, ''Forth to the Mighty Conflict: Alabama and World War II'' (University of Alabama Press, 2003).</ref>

On February 12, 1945, [[Tornado outbreak of February 12, 1945|a devastating tornado outbreak]] occurred across the [[Southeastern United States]], which killed 45 people and injured 427 others.<ref name="Grazulis Book">{{cite book |last1=Grazulis |first1=Thomas P. |title=Significant tornadoes, 1680–1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events |date=1993 |publisher=Environmental Films |location=St. Johnsbury, Vermont |isbn=1-879362-03-1 |pages=922–925}}</ref><ref name="BAMS">{{cite journal |author1=F. C. Pate (United States Weather Bureau) |title=The Tornado at Montgomery, Alabama, February 12, 1945 |journal=Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society |date=October 1946 |volume=27 |issue=8 |pages=462–464 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/26257954 |access-date=27 May 2023 |publisher=American Meteorological Society|jstor=26257954 }}</ref> This outbreak included [[Tornado outbreak of February 12, 1945#Montgomery–Chisholm, Alabama|a devastating tornado]] that struck [[Montgomery, Alabama]], which killed 26 people.<ref name="BAMS"/> The [[United States Weather Bureau]] described this tornado as "the most officially observed one in history" as it reached within {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} from the U.S. Weather Bureau's office.<ref name="BAMS"/> Tornado expert [[Thomas P. Grazulis]] estimated the intensity of the Montgomery tornado to be F3 on the [[Fujita scale]].<ref name="Grazulis Book"/>