BTW, WW2 for USA began 12-7-41 - not 1945. My mom (12 y.o. at the time) was with her family on the way to church that Sunday morning when they witnessed the beginning of the Pearl Harbor attack. My grandfather quickly returned home with the family and then went on to Hickam Field to command his shore artillery battery's defense of the airbase.
I think the wartime chromium shortage was due to its use in hardening the inside of gun and artillery piece barrels.
John Thomas in NC