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Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal Built Tanks and Tank Destroyers
Grand Blanc built M4A2 Sherman Tank Photos   Grand Blanc Built M4A3 Tank Photos   Grand Blanc M10 Tank Destroyer Photos

 The Fisher Body Grand Blanc, MI Tank Arsenal in World War Two
A Surviving Fisher Body Plant 
1942-Current
Fisher Body - Gone but not Forgotten!!!

This page updated 11-7-2019.

"I don't get no respect!" - Rodney Dangerfield 1921-2004

Abstract:  The Fisher Body Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, MI never got the publicity and hype of the Chrysler Tank Arsenal either during or since WWII.  Grand Blanc never received the credit it deserved for delivering desperately needed tanks and tank destroyers with more potent main guns or heavier armor to soldiers facing better German tanks in Europe after the Normandy invasion.  However, the US Army recognized its importance by awarding Fisher Body Grand Blanc the Army-Navy "E" Award five times.  Below is the complete story of the importance of Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal in WWII, which until now went unrecognized.
David D Jackson 12-4-2015

Ground was broken for the 452,000 square foot Fisher Body Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, MI in January 1942; and M4A2 Sherman tanks started coming off its assembly line in July.  Prototype work was done and all of the necessary tooling, fixtures and jigs at Fisher Body #1 4.5miles north on Saginaw Street.  The first tank came off the prototype line April along with three others and in May sixteen more M4A2s came off the Flint 1 prototype line, allowing Fisher Body to deliver tanks two months before scheduled, and before the Grand Blanc plant was finished in July.

Grand Blanc produced 19,034 tanks, tank destroyers and prime movers from April 1942 to October 1945.  This record makes it second in the production of tanks and tank destroyers during World War Two.  The plant was built and owned by the US government with Fisher Body operating it during the war years.  In 1946 Buick leased the facility for storage, and then purchased it in late 1950.  On June 1,1951 Fisher Body Division took possession of the facility in order to build 4,200 M48 Patton tanks for the Korean War effort.  Construction began on additions to the plant, resulting in a total of 1,179,442 square feet.  When M48 production ceased in 1955 Fisher Body converted it into a metal stamping plant, operating it until it disappeared as a division in 1986.  Several different GM divisions then controlled it until the Metal Fabrication Division that took possession of the plant in 1994.  In 2002 the presses were moved out; and the facility became the GM Tool Weld Tool Center until closing on July 1, 2013.  When it closed, the plant had grown to 1.6 million square feet on 311 acres of land. 

When I was there in June 2015, GM was using the parking lot of the plant for car storage.  The plant is on the list of plants to be razed.  With all of the commercial growth in the area, the land will quickly be redeveloped into shopping centers, housing, or new smaller factories.  So while the factory that did so much to help win WWII will soon disappear and be forgotten, this webpage will keep its important contributions alive.

There were 49,234 M4 Sherman tanks of various types built by ten companies during the Second World War.  This Fisher Body built M4A3 Sherman tank combat veteran is displayed in downtown Bastogne, Belgium.  It was knocked out of combat during one of the most famous battles of World War Two, the Battle of the Bulge, in December 1944.  It now sits at the intersection of several roads in Bastogne, the location that made the town an important military objective during the battle.  Author's photo.


Of all of the Sherman Tanks built during WWII it is noteworthy that one built by Fisher Body in Grand Blanc, MI in March of 1944 has the honor of representing all of the M4s that participated in the Battle of the Bulge.  Registration Number 3081532 was one of 339 M4A3 Sherman tanks built in the Fisher Body Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, MI in March 1944.  Author's photo.

The M4A3 Sherman tank was powered by a Ford V-8 engine and armed with a 75mm cannon.  This particular M4A3 was one of 1,711 M4A3s that were built by Fisher Body between February and September 1944.  Author's photo.

This M4A2 is the oldest Fisher Body built tank in North America, and is on display at Victoria Park in London, Ontario.  It came off the Grand Blanc assembly line in September 1942.  It landed with the Canadian Army at Normandy, and then fought its way across Europe until the end of the war.  It survived the many battles it was in, and then came back to Canada.  Author's Photo.

 Fisher Body built M36 Serial Number 115.  This is one of 300 Grand Blanc M10A1s that were pulled off the line with no turrets.  The workers at Grand Blanc then rebuilt the inside of the vehicles to store 90mm rather than 3 inch ammunition.  Newly fabricated turrets with the 90mm main guns were then installed.  Nine survive worldwide and three in the United States.  This one is owned and operated by WW2 Armor in Orsteen, FL.  Author's photo added 3-28-2019.

The first tank into Bastogne, Belgium with Patton's Third Army was this Grand Blanc-built M4A3E2 "Jumbo."  It was named Cobra King and still exists today.  It has already been placed on location at the new National Museum of the US Army that will open at Fort Belvoir, VA in late 2019. 

The Fisher Body Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal was awarded the Army-Navy "E" Award five times.

The Fisher Body Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal was awarded the Army-Navy "E" Award on January 15,1943.
The plant was awarded its first star on September 22,1943.  This was for the timely production of M4 Sherman tanks and M10 Wolverine tank destroyers
It received its second star on July 30,1944.
The third star was awarded March 5,1945.
The fourth star was awarded May 17, 1945.

 This photo shows the awarding of the Army-Navy "E" award on January 15,1943.  The award ceremony always included the workers being present, even though this shut down needed war production, as the military officials wanted the workers to know how important they were to winning the war.  This type of ceremony happened 4,283 times during the war.  Photo added 12-16-2016.

 Hanging center stage is the Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal "E" flag.  Today its location, if it still exists, is unknown.  Photo added 12-16-2016.

Unfortunately the Fisher Tank Arsenal did not get the publicity given to the Chrysler Tank Arsenal in Warren, MI; whether that was then or from WWII historians today.  There are a few reasons for this.  Firstly, the Chrysler plant was built and got into production a year earlier than the Fisher plant, and when it opened, it was in April 1941, before the US was officially at war.  When the Grand Blanc plant opened, the nation was at war and there were many new war plants opening and being converted to war production.  It did not make for the same news impact as was Chrysler's opening the year before.

Secondly, Chrysler did an excellent job of promoting its new plant, even producing a movie entitled "Assembly Lines of Defense" which can be found today online.  The link to this informative video is posted on my "Links" page.  Conversely, there was not much publicity by General Motors about its tank plant at Grand Blanc.  In 1946 Chrysler published an excellent series of seven small books on the subject of the company's accomplishments during the Second World War.  The book on the Warren Tank Arsenal was entitled "TANKS are Mighty Fine Things" and gave the complete history of the plant.  Conversely, GM and the other auto makers put the war behind them, addressing the challenge of getting the auto assembly lines back going and making automobiles.

Thirdly, most history today is Detroit-centric, focusing on the Detroit metropolitan area such as Chrysler's  Warren location.  Meanwhile, places like Flint, Grand Blanc, Lansing and a  multitude of other important locations are overlooked or not given the emphasis as the Detroit area.

In spite of the lack of publicity the Fisher Tank Arsenal did contribute significantly to the war effort.  Its contribution is outlined with the information and photos below.  Fisher produced at total of 19,052 tanks and tank destroyers, 3,183 less than the Chrysler Warren plant.  If one looks at the number of tanks produced by Chrysler in first extra year of production it had in 1941, the numbers between the two are comparable.

M10 Series Wolverine Tank Destroyers:  Fisher Body Grand Blanc with Ford Motor Company produced all of M10 and M10A1 Tank Destroyers.  Fisher produced 4,993 M10s and 375 M10A1s, and Ford 1,038 M10A1s.  The difference between the two types were Fisher built M10s were powered by twin 6-71 Detroit Diesel engines, and the M10A1s were powered by Ford GAA V-8 gasoline engines.  Because of the larger number built by Fisher Body and the difference in the engines, the US Army sent the Fisher Body M10s overseas to the combat zones.  The Ford M10A1s were kept in the US for training purposes. 

First combat for the M10 was March 23, 1943 in the North African campaign at the battle of El Guettar in Tunisia.  The 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion lost seven M10s, but helped to destroy thirty German tanks.  At Salerno, Italy, Sgt. Edwin Yost became the first M10 "ace" when he destroyed five PzKpfw IV tanks on September 14, 1943.

Between June 1944 and the end of the war in May 1945, M10 monthly strength in the European Theatre of operations varied between 486 and 790; and 540 were lost in combat.  The British received 1,548 Fisher built M10s, the USSR was given 52 under Lend-Lease, and the Free French Army was provided 255 M10s.  The M10 also served in the Pacific but not to the extent as in Europe due to the lack of Japanese tanks.

The main point is that Fisher Body Grand Blanc built all of the M10s in combat during WWII.  All photos of M10s in combat during WWII were Fisher Body built and it was the first of three fully tracked Tank Destroyers to enter combat for the US Army.  Today there are 37 M10s and 58 British Achilles still in existence.  The British replaced the 3 inch gun in the M10 with a 17 pounder main gun and called it the Achilles. 

Until March 1, 1943 the M10 was classified by the War Department as "Secret".  From a manufacturing standpoint the turret was constructed of armor plate instead of a cast turret like the M4.  The design using the armor plate allowed for reduced production hours by using automatic welding machines instead of having to be hand welded. 

This Grand Blanc built M10 Wolverine was totally restored in 2016 by the Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles in Nokesville, VA.  This photo was taken at its premier public showing on September 24, 2016 at the Museum's annual open house.  Author's photo added 10-7-2016. 

Below are several photos of M10 tank destroyers in action in Europe.

A Fisher Body M10 built in Grand Blanc, MI fires its three inch Oldsmobile built gun at a target in Normandy, France in July 1944.  This was one of 743 deployed with US forces in Europe in July 1944.

This photo provides an excellent profile view of another Fisher Body built M10 Wolverine as it comes out of hedgerow in Normandy.  This particular vehicle belonged to the 889th Tank Destroyer Battalion.  Photo added 11-10-2015.

Three M10 Wolverine tank destroyers are moving into position to fire on a German observation post in Aachen Germany in October 1944.  This was the first German city to be captured by the US Army and the Grand Blanc M10s were there.  As can be seen in this series of photos, the M10 was used for general fire support along with its main mission of destroying tanks.  Photo added 11-18-2015.

The WWII tank destroyer was designed to not be well armored; and was to rely on speed in combat with enemy tanks.  It fell into the category of "it sounded like a good idea of time".  There have been innumerable books and articles written about the US WWII misguided tank and tank destroyer theory ad nauseum.  Whatever the official policy and theory, the M10 tank destroyer crews in their Grand Blanc, MI built vehicles were in the thick of the battle, doing whatever it took to win the war.  This particular M10 has attached sandbags, wheels, and logs to the vehicle to help defend against enemy anti-tank projectiles.  Also steel from the Normandy beach obstacles was cut up and welded to the front of the M10 to allow it to penetrate the hedgerows of Normandy.  This was known as a Culin hedgerow cutter.  Photo added 11-10-2015.

A Fisher Body built M10 assists members of the 90th Infantry Division flush out a German soldier from a pillbox at Mainz, Germany on March 22, 1945.  Note that there is an extra armor plate welded to the front of the vehicle.  Photo added 11-9-2015.

Two Grand Blanc M10 tank destroyers are slogging through a German forest near the end of WWII.  Photo added 11-9-2015.

Another Fisher Body Grand Blanc built M10 in action in Europe during WWII.  Photo added 11-9-2015.

M36 Jackson Tank Destroyers:  There were three different types of M36 tank destroyers as defined below.

This photo from 1944 shows construction one of 714 M36 turrets Fisher Body built at Grand Blanc.  Photo added 12-16-2016.

M36:  The M36 utilized the Ford and Fisher Boyd M10A1s that had been previously built and converted them to the M36 by installing a new larger turret with a 90mm main gun.  Also, the last three hundred Fisher built M10A1s were constructed without turrets.  Grand Blanc fabricated turrets with a 90mm main gun, and installed them in these 300 M10A1 chassis.  Because Grand Blanc was so busy with other war contracts, the re-conditioning and addition of the new turrets for the remaining M10A1s was contracted to other companies.  Fisher Body, according to Fisher Body Craftsmanship goes to War, supplied 713 turrets for the M36 Jackson Tank Destroyers being converted by the other contractors.  In the end M10A1s finally saw combat as the M36.

M36B1:  The M36B1 was a pure Grand Blanc version of the M36.  It consisted of a Fisher built M4A3 Sherman tank chassis with the Fisher Body fabricated 90mm turret installed.  Only 187 of these were built, making it the rarest of the M36 series tank destroyer.  This version was developed when the US Army couldn't retrieve all of the M10A1s fast enough to convert them into M36s.  So in the emergency Grand Blanc built 187 M36B2s on the M4A3 chassis. 

M36B1 tank destroyers sitting outside of the Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal.  Only 217 M36B1's were built and several of them are in photo.  The photo is the only known WWII photo of the exterior of the plant.  Photo added 12-17-2016.

This is a rare photo of one of the 187 Fisher Body built M36B1 Jackson tank destroyers in the European combat zone.  Note on the turret are four victory markings indicating this M36B1 has destroyed two German Tiger tanks and two Panzer IVs.  The new 90mm main gun was doing its job!  This Grand Blanc built unit is serving here with the 654th Tank Destroyer Battalion.   Photo added 11-18-2015.

M36B2:   These were 724 Fisher built M10s that were converted to the M36B2.  Conversion started with 50 in May 1945 and the remaining 674 being converted after the end of WWII.  They can be indentified by a sheet metal covering over the turret and a large muzzle brake.  The result was the M36B2 powered by Detroit Diesel engines. 

Several of the 300 M36 tank destroyers coming down the assembly line at Grand Blanc during 1944.  Photo added 12-16-2016.

Today there are 80 M36 tank destroyers still in existence, of which seven are the M36B1 model.  Most of them are overseas, as they were given to foreign countries after WWII. 

M4 Sherman Tanks:  Grand Blanc built 11,358 M4A2 and M4A3 tanks between April 1942 and May 1945, totaling 23% of the 49,234 built by ten different companies during the war.  Grand Blanc, Chrysler, and Pressed Steel Car Company were the only companies still producing the Sherman tanks at war's end. 

The tracks are being prepared for installation on an M4A2 small hatch Sherman tank on the Grand Blanc assembly line.  Photo added 12-16-2016.

There were four basic types of Sherman tanks built based on the engine type.  The M4/M4A1 was powered by a Continental R-975 Radial aircraft engine and at the beginning of the war was the preferred Sherman for the US Army.  Fisher did not build any of this type.

The second type was the M4A4 which was built exclusively by Chrysler with its Multi-Bank engine.  This model, like the diesel powered M4A2 described below, was built because there were not enough R-975 engines for all of the tanks that needed to be built. Both the M4A4 and the M4A2 for the most part were given to the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union under Lead-Lease.  Fisher did not build any of the M4A4.

The third type was the M4A2,which was built in quantity by Fisher Grand Blanc and three other companies. It was powered by twin GM Detroit Diesel 6-71 engines driving a single drive shaft and designated as the 6046 engine.  It was only natural that Grand Blanc would build the M4A2, as General Motors did a good job during the war of using the products of other GM divisions in its final products.  At the start to of WWII, the automotive diesel engine was just starting to come into its own, and was not nearly as prominent as it is today.  Having the Fisher Tank Arsenal build tanks with Detroit Diesel engines was an excellent way to showcase the attributes of the diesel engine for future sales after the war.

This M4A2(76)HVSS is Grand Blanc serial number 69192 and registration number 30129671 which was built in April 1945.  It can be seen outside the Beatty Street Drill Hall in Vancouver, BC.  It was one of 7,508 M4A2s built in the plant.  Photo courtesy of David Jackson, Jr.

With the exception of the M10 Tank Destroyer, the US Army utilized gasoline powered vehicles rather than diesel fuel. Therefore, the M4A2 was like the Chrysler built M4A4, was given to the United Kingdom and the USSR for their tank forces under Lend-Lease.  The M4A2 was first used by the British in the North African campaign against Rommel's Afrika Corps.  The US Marines also utilized the M4A2 as it had access to the US Navy's diesel fuel.  The US Army in Burma utilized them also. The French 2ème Division Blindée also utilized M4A2s in service during WW2 which would have included Grand Blanc tanks.  Fisher Body provided 7,508 of the 10,998 or 68% of the total M4A2s produced during the war.  Today there are 26 of the Fisher Body built M4A2(75)s and 75 Fisher built M4A2(76) still in existence.

Supplying large numbers of tanks to our equipment starved Allies allowed them to continue the war and combat the German war machine until US Forces could enter the war in sufficient numbers.  Providing tanks to our allies was an important part of the war strategy for the US in WWII.

The M4A3 was the fourth major type of Sherman built.  It was powered by the Ford GAA gasoline engine.  In the latter half of WWII this was the preferred Sherman by the US Army.  Fisher Grand Blanc produced 3,850 in several versions including 535 with Oldsmobile built 76mm main guns.  Production started in February 1944. Many of the Fisher built M4A3s arrived in Europe later in the year, and were present to take part in the Battle of the Bulge.  Among these M4A3s was 3081532 that is now on display in Bastogne, Belgium as seen at the top of this page. Today there are still 43 Fisher examples of the M4A3.

This period photo shows a Fisher Body built M4A3 tank that was hit by enemy fire in the Bastogne area during the Battle for the Bulge.  Registration number 3081563 was one of the 339 M4A3 tanks built in March 1944 at the Fisher Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, MI.  Between February 1944 and March 1945 Fisher Body built 3,071 M4A3 Sherman tanks.  Photo courtesy of the Patton Museum.

Grand Blanc was the only location to produce an up-armored version of the M4A3.  It was designated M4A3E2 and was known as the "Jumbo".  Production of the "Jumbo" ran for two months from May to July 1944 and these were then immediately shipped to the combat zone in Europe.  Of the 43 Fisher Body built M4A3 Sherman tanks still in existence, seven are M4A3E2s. 

A Fisher Body Grand Blanc, MI M4A3E2 "Jumbo" tank passes burning German vehicles in March 1945. 

Components for the Buick assembled M18 Hellcat Tank Destroyer:  Besides building tanks and tank destroyers, Grand Blanc provided 2,445 turrets and 1,511 hulls for the 2,507 M18 Hellcats built by the Buick Division of GM.  It also converted and reconditioned 600 previously built and used M-18s into M39 prime movers for the US Army.

M39 Prime Movers:  Buick was also the prime contractor of this vehicle, but Fisher Body Flint #1 and Grand Blanc did all of the work.  Fisher Body converted 600 previously used M18s to the M39 Prime Mover.  Fisher Plant #1 did the design changes and built the necessary fixtures.  Another 40 brand new M39s were built by Fisher Body.

This is one of only twelve M39s that still exist of the 640 that were originally built or converted from the M18 Hellcat.  Mostly likely the 600 conversions were done at Flint #1 to not slow down the production of the M26 Pershing heavy tank at Grand Blanc.  An assembly line could have been set up to remove the turret and gut the interior.  The armored shield that went around the crew area would need to then be welded on, and the the new interior installed.  The new 40 M39s could have been built in either plant but most likely this would have been done at Grand Blanc as the hull needed to be welded.  After that they could have been sent to Flint #1 for the interior install.  Author's photo added 11-7-2019. 

Image courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Baun added 11-7-2019. 

Image courtesy of Pierre-Olivier Baun added 11-7-2019. 

T26E3/ M26 Pershing Tanks:  The only T25E3/M26 Pershing heavy tanks that arrived in Europe in time for combat at the end of WWII were Fisher Body Grand Blanc built starting in November 1944.  Chrysler did not start producing the M26 until March 1945 which was too late to get them to the European combat zone before the war ended two months later.

M26 Pershing tanks can be seen coming down the production line sometime after November 1944 at Grand Blanc.  Photo added 11-20-2-15.

The assembly line is empty in October 1945 as the last Grand Blanc M26 Pershing comes down the line.  Photo added 12-17-2016.

An empty 90mm shell casing is being thrown out of this Fisher Body built T26E3 on the streets of Cologne, Germany in March 1945.  It is serial number 26. When sent to Europe, the Pershing was still designated T26E3 as the tank had not yet been officially accepted by the military.  The first twenty T26E3s sent to Europe for combat evaluation were all Fisher Body built; and of the 310 Grand Blanc Pershing tanks to arrive before the end of the war, they saw all or most of the combat.  

 In this photo the same Grand Blanc built M26 is seen firing its 90 mm main gun in the fire fight.  Photo added 11-20-2015.

 One of the Fisher Body four built T26E3s that were involved in the capture of the Remagen Bridge is being ferried across the Rhine River.  The serial numbers were 27, 28, 35, and 39.  Photo added 11-20-2015. 

This Fisher Body built Pershing is on display at the Wright Museum of WWII in Wolfeboro, NH.  It may have been one of four Grand Blanc built T26E3s that helped liberate the Remagen bridge on the Rhine River on March 7, 1945.  See my M26 Photo page for more information and photos.  Author's photo added 8-19-2017. 

On June 28, 1945 Army Ordnance announced a 50% cut-back in M26 production; and that the M26 would be produced until April 1946.  With the end of the war, the situation changed and production was halted at the Chrysler Tank Arsenal on August 27, 1945.  Army Ordnance had chosen Grand Blanc to be the sole producer of the Pershing for the remainder of the war.  On October 5, 1945 the Flint Journal reported that Grand Blanc production was still running at a rate of 200 M26s a month.  Five days later it was reported by the newspaper on October 10, 1945 that production had stopped at the Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal, and that the 1,500 remaining employees were being laid off.  It was then reported that on January 22, 1946 that the plant had been returned to the control of the Reconstruction Finance Corporation. 

The Bottom Line:  The significance and impact of the Fisher Body Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal to the outcome of WWII has never been acknowledged or recognized.  While the Chrysler Tank Plant had considerable publicity, the Grand Blanc plant's history has remained in the shadows and generally ignored.  While Chrysler had a head start in building tanks, most of the M3 Lee/Grant tanks it built went to resupply the British tank inventory after Dunkirk.  As this was happening, the Fisher Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc was being built.

Grand Blanc started Sherman tank production two months before Chrysler began its manufacture of the tank.  In April 1942 Fisher started building M4A2 tanks, and in June 1942 Chrysler started building the M4A4.  The M4A2 was powered by GM Detroit Diesel engine, and the M4A4 was powered by the Chrysler A57 Multibank engine.  Because neither of these engines was favored by the US Army, most were sent to either the British or the Russians under Lend-Lease.  For initial Sherman tank production, tanks from both Arsenals went to foreign nations and did not directly contributing to the US war effort.  But those tanks helped keep our allies in the war until American forces could arrive on the battlefield.

In September 1942 Grand Blanc started producing the M10 tank destroyer at the request of the US Army.  There have been many forests felled and gallons of ink used to debate the usefulness of the American Army's tank and tank destroyer doctrine during WWII. That is beside the point.  At the time, the US Army wanted and needed fully tracked tank destroyers; and Fisher Body supplied all of the M10 Wolverines that were used in Europe during WWII.  The first Grand Blanc built M10s to see combat did so with the 899th Tank Destroyer Battalion in Tunisia in March 1943.  As the photos from above show, the M10 was an important weapon with the US combat teams in Europe in WWII.

In February 1944 Fisher started producing the M4A3 Sherman.  A month later, Chrysler started producing the same model.  Historians make note that Chrysler took over the M4A3 from Ford, which originally produced the M4A3 tank. This is what is written in the Chrysler published "TANKS are a Mighty Fine Thing" history.  Later day historians have taken that as gospel without investigating what really happened.  They ignore the fact that Grand Blanc actually started production a month before Chrysler; and both produced the M4A3 simultaneously until the end of the war.  Both Fisher Body and Chrysler took over the manufacture of the M4A3 from Ford, with Fisher going into production first.  

In mid-1944, when it became painfully obvious to the US Army that the 3 inch main gun on the M10 was not effective against new German tanks being seen on the European battlefield, it was Fisher Body, not Chrysler, that added turrets with a 90mm main gun to the last 300 Fisher built M10A1 chassis.  This was the M36 Jackson.  It was Grand Blanc that took 187 of its M4A3 chassis off the assembly line, put a 90mm main gun in a larger turret, and then sent them them to the battle zone as M36B1's.  And it was Fisher Body that supplied the 713 turrets needed to rebuild Ford and Fisher Body manufactured M10A1s into the M36 which was completed by other contractors.  Grand Blanc expedited all of the work on these items in order to get them to the front where they were needed as soon as possible.

In 1944 in Europe it became evident that the Sherman tank, even with its new 76mm main gun, was not effective in penetrating the armor of German tanks, while the armor of the Sherman could not stand up against enemy anti-tank shells.  Again, many trees have been cut down, and gallons of ink have been spilt on why this was not recognized as a problem earlier.  There are numerous documented instances of internal US Army mismanagement, internal bickering, and lack of vision.  When the Army finally decided what it wanted in the T26E3/M26 Pershing Heavy Tank, Fisher Body Grand Blanc started manufacturing the weapon four months before Chrysler.  All of the Pershing tanks that saw combat in Europe were built by Fisher.  All Pershings that arrived in Europe by the end of the war were Grand Blanc built!  All of the M26 Pershings that went to Okinawa were built by Fisher Body.  At the end of the August 1945 Army Ordnance chose the Fisher Tank Arsenal as the only supplier of the M26.  Fisher Body Grand Blanc built 1,729 of the 2,202 Pershings, or 79%.

In conclusion, the Fisher Body Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal has been over looked in its importance and the timeliness of its weapons production, as needed by American soldiers. While it did not produce the largest amount of tanks during WWII, it did produce the M10s, M4A3s, M36s, M36B1s, and T26E3/M26s when needed to arm the US tank and tank destroyer battalions with the proper weapons desperately needed on the European battlefield.

That is its worthy and lasting legacy! 

David D Jackson
10-18-2015 with additional comments on 10-24-2017.

The end of the line!  This M26 Pershing is the last tank to come off the assembly line at Fisher Body Grand Blanc in October 1945.  Photo courtesy of Genesee County Historical Society via Jeremy Whitman.  Photo added 11-20-2-15. 

Photo courtesy of Genesee County Historical Society via Jeremy Whitman.  Photo added 11-20-2-15. 
 

World War Two / WWII Products:  Below is a summary of tank and tank destroyer production at Grand Blanc and below that contemporary photos of the weapons today.

This 1982 photo of the Grand Blanc plant.  Note the Body By Fisher sign with the iconic Coach on it. 

This is a June 2015 photo taken from approximately the same location as the previous 1982 shot.  The Fisher Body sign is gone as the Division was dissolved in 1986.  The plant windows have been covered over and the administration building has new windows.  Author's photo taken June 2015.

A closer look at the Administration building.  Author's photo taken June 2015.

Another photo of the office building and the front of the plant.  Author's photo taken June 2015.

Looking west from across the street on Saginaw Street.   Author's photo taken June 2015.

 Author's photo taken June 2015.

Author's photo taken June 2015.

The Grand Blanc Arsenal provided 98% of the hulls and 60% of the turrets for the Buick assembled M18 tank destroyer.  Author's photo from the National Military Historical Center in Auburn, IN added 12-4-2015.


The 2014 movie Fury with Brad Pitt featured a Fisher Body built M4A2E8 Sherman Tank as the other co-star.  In the movie it was supposed to be an M4A3E*

Fisher Body Grand Blanc provided twenty-five T26E3/M26 chassis only to Wellman Engineering which then added the turret and long barreled 90mm manin gun.  It was designated T26E4s and was known in the vernacular as a "Super Pershing.  This one on display at the First Division Museum at Cantigny is the only example still in existence. The feature that gave the T26E4 its name "Super Pershing" is a high velocity T15E2 90mm cannon that used two part ammunition.  Note the large counterweight welded to the rear of the turret to balance the long gun barrel.  Author's photo added 9-30-2015.

This photo shows the long barrel of the T15E2 90mm cannon, which was five and a half feet longer than the normal M3 90mm cannon on the T26E3/M26s.  An M46 Patton tank can be seen in the background, and was the next version of the M26 with a more powerful 830 hp engine.  It is one of the many fine tanks on display outside at in the First Division Museum's tank park.  Author's photo added 9-30-2015.  
 


This page from the 1942 GM Annual Report states Fisher Body built the M10, while other GM Divisions supplied components for the tank destroyer.

Post WWII:  Between 1952 and 1955 Fisher Body and the Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal again answered its country's call and produced 4,200 M48 and M48A1 Patton tanks.  Originally produced by Fisher Body, Ford, and Chrysler, the M48 was only built by Fisher Body after 1953.

This M48A5 on display at the AAF Tank Museum in Danville, VA started life as Grand Blanc built M48A1 with a 90mm main gun.  It was one of 2,069 M48A1s converted to the A5 version that had a M60 turret with a 105mm main gun.  Author's photo added 12-4-2015.

Photo added 12-16-2016.