
Higgins Boats transformed battle. Previously, fleets had to attack highly fortified ports. Armies may unload over an open beach and choose multiple attack places with Higgins Boats. The defending forces were also strained. Defenders have to cover more shoreline instead of focusing on a few access spots. Higgins Boats helped Allied soldiers land in the Pacific and European Theaters of WWII.
The success of these boats made Higgins Industries a significant Wartime employment. From 75 workers in 1938 to nearly 20,000 in 1943. Higgins was New Orleans' first racially mixed workplace. His workers comprised undrafted white men, women, African Americans, the elderly, and disabled. All received equal pay for their work ratings. They broke manufacturing records, producing over 20,000 boats before war's conclusion.