The American Automobile Industry in World War Two
An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute by David D Jackson

 Overview      Lansing Michigan in World War Two   The U.S. Auto Industry at the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944    The U.S. Auto Industry and the B-29 Bomber   U.S. Auto Industry Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   The Complete listing of All Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   Sherman Tanks of the American Auto Industry   Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry    M26 Pershing Tanks of the American Auto Industry   M36 Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry   Serial Numbers for WWII Tanks built by the American Auto Industry   Surviving LCVP Landing Craft    WWII Landing Craft Hull Numbers   Airborne Extra-Light Jeep Photos  The American Auto Industry vs. the German V-1 in WWII   American Auto Industry-Built Anti-Aircraft Guns in WWII   VT Proximity Manufacturers of WWII   World War One Era Motor Vehicles   National Museum of Military Vehicles   Revisions   Links

 Automobile and Body Manufacturers:  American Bantam Car Company   Briggs Manufacturing Company   Checker Car Company   Chrysler Corporation   Crosley Corporation   Ford Motor Car Company   General Motors Corporation   Graham-Paige Motors Corporation   Hudson Motor Car Company   Murray Corporation of America   Nash-Kelvinator   Packard Motor Car Company      Studebaker    Willys-Overland Motors

General Motors Divisions:  AC Spark Plug   Aeroproducts   Allison   Brown-Lipe-Chapin   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Cleveland Diesel   Delco Appliance   Delco Products   Delco Radio   Delco-Remy   Detroit Diesel   Detroit Transmission   Electro-Motive   Fisher Body   Frigidaire   GM Proving Grounds   GM of Canada   GMC   GMI   Guide Lamp   Harrison Radiator   Hyatt Bearings   Inland   Moraine Products   New Departure   Oldsmobile   Packard Electric   Pontiac   Saginaw Malleable Iron   Saginaw Steering Gear   Southern California Division   Rochester Products   Ternstedt Manufacturing Division   United Motors Service   Vauxhall Motors

 Indiana Companies:  Bailey Products Corporation   Chrysler Kokomo Plant   Continental Steel Corporation  Converto Manufacturing    Cummins Engine Company   Diamond Chain and Manufacturing Company   Delta Electric Company   Durham Manufacturing Company   Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation   General Electric Kokomo Plant   Haynes Stellite Company   Hercules Body Company   Horton Manufacturing Company   Howe Fire Apparatus   International Machine Tool Company   J.D. Adams Company   Kokomo Spring Company   Magnavox   Muncie Gear Works   Pierce Governor Company   Portland Forge and Foundry   Reliance Manufacturing Company   Republic Aviation Corporation - Indiana Division   Ross Gear and Tool Company   S.F. Bowser & Co.   Sherrill Research Corporation   Tokheim Oil Tank and Pump Company   Warner Gear   Wayne Pump Company   Wayne Works

Commercial Truck and Fire Apparatus Manufacturers:  American LaFrance   Autocar   Biederman Motors Corporation   Brockway Motor Company   Detroit General   Diamond T   Duplex Truck Company   Federal Motor Truck   Four Wheel Drive Auto Company(FWD)   International Harvester   John Bean   Mack Truck   Marmon-Herrington Company   Michigan Power Shovel Company   Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation   Pacific Car and Foundry   "Quick-Way" Truck Shovel Company   Reo Motor Car Company  Seagrave Fire Apparatus   Sterling Motor Truck Company    Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation   White Motor Company

Aviation Companies:  Abrams Instrument Corporation   Hughes Aircraft Company   Kellett Aviation Corporation   Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation   Naval Aircraft Factory   P-V Engineering Forum, Inc.    Rudolf Wurlitzer Company-DeKalb Division  Schweizer Aircraft Corporation   Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft Corporation   St. Louis Aircraft Corporation   Timm Aircraft Corporation

Other World War Two Manufacturers:  Air King Products   Allis-Chalmers   American Car and Foundry   American Locomotive   American Stove Company   Annapolis Yacht Yard   Andover Motors Company   B.F. Goodrich   Baker War Industries   Baldwin Locomotive Works   Blood Brothers Machine Company   Boyertown Auto Body Works   Briggs & Stratton   Caterpillar   Cheney Bigelow Wire Works   Centrifugal Fusing   Chris-Craft   Clark Equipment Company   Cleaver-Brooks Company   Cleveland Tractor Company   Continental Motors   Cushman Motor Works   Crocker-Wheeler   Dail Steel Products   Detroit Wax Paper Company   Detrola   Engineering & Research Corporation   Farrand Optical Company   Federal Telephone and Radio Corp.   Firestone Tire and Rubber Company   Fruehauf Trailer Company   Fuller Manufacturing   Galvin Manufacturing   Gemmer Manufacturing Company   General Railway Signal Company   Gibson Guitar   Gibson Refrigerator Company   Goodyear   Hall-Scott   Hanson Clutch and Machinery Company   Harley-Davidson   Harris-Seybold-Potter   Herreshoff Manufacturing Company   Higgins Industries    Highway Trailer   Hill Diesel Company   Holland Hitch Company   Homelite Company   Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Huffman Manufacturing   Indian Motorcycle   Ingersoll Steel and Disk   John Deere   Johnson Automatics Manufacturing Company   Kimberly-Clark   Kohler Company   Kold-Hold Company   Landers, Frary & Clark  Lima Locomotive Works   Lundberg Screw Products   MacKenzie Muffler Company   Massey-Harris   Matthews Company   McCord Radiator & Mfg. Company   Metal Mouldings Corporation   Miller Printing Machinery Company   Morse Instrument Company   Motor Products Corporation   Motor Wheel Corporation   National Cash Resgister Company   Novo Engine Company   O'Keefe & Merritt Company   Olofsson Tool and Die Company   Oneida Ltd   Otis Elevator   Owens Yacht   Pressed Steel Car Company   Queen City Manufacturing Company   R.G. LeTourneau   R.L. Drake Company   St. Clair Rubber Company   Samson United Corporation   Shakespeare Company   Sight Feed Generator Company   Simplex Manufacturing Company   Steel Products Engineering Company   St. Louis Car Company   Twin Disc Company   Victor Adding Machine Company   Vilter Manufacturing Company   Wells-Gardner   W.L. Maxson Corporation   W.W. Boes Company   Westfield Manufacturing Company   York-Hoover Body Company   Youngstown Steel Door Company  
   

The Power to Win
Detroit Diesel Division of General Motors in World War Two
Detroit, MI
1938-1988 as part of GM. 
Currently it is the Detroit Diesel Corporation.

This page updated 3-28-2024.

Detroit Diesel World War Two Production:  Detroit Diesel built an estimated 193,000 engines during the Second World War.  These included one, two, three, four, and six-cylinder two-stroke in-line diesel engines.  They were built for military use in four types of tanks and tank destroyers, eleven different types of landing craft, and unknown number of applications providing auxiliary ship's power, engines for stationary generators, tugboat propulsion, and earth moving equipment.  

The only reliable World War Two production numbers available are from the current Detroit Diesel Corporation website, which states that 57,892 engines were built in 1943. General Motors data indicates the Corporation built 198,000 diesel engines during the war.  My research indicates that Electro-Motive and Cleveland Diesel combined built 5,000 diesel engines, which gives the 193,000 estimated for Detroit Diesel.  My research also indicates that the six cylinder 6-71 engine was the major production model of the five sizes used by the military.  Below are tables that show that 43,060 6-71 engines were used in tanks and another 52,525 6-71 engines were utilized in landing craft for both propulsion and ships' power.  This leaves another estimated 95,907 Detroit Diesel engines built during the Second World War where I have not been able to identify the application.  Note that the number of engines provided for landing craft just about equaled a year's production at the rate obtained in 1943.

Detroit Diesel engines were in high demand.  In some cases, as is shown in the Table 3 below, gasoline powered engines had to be substituted by landing craft builders.  Even in far away Australia, the Detroit Diesel was in demand by the Army and Air Force for their 40-foot utility boats.  Only when Detroit Diesel engines became available out of scrapped tanks in the country could they get some.

Detroit Diesel employed around 4,300 employees during the war.


Detroit Diesel Division of General Motors won the Army-Navy "E" Award one time during WWII.

Nomenclature Confusion:  Sometimes in the current literature Detroit Diesel will be referred to as a GM or GMC diesel.  The GMC Truck and Coach Division (Previously Yellow Truck and Coach until mid-1943 was a company in which GM had majority stock holdings.) did not make diesel engines.  Before and after WWII, Yellow Truck and Coach / GMC used Detroit Diesel 6-71 engines in the Silversides Greyhound buses it was making.  GMC or previously Yellow only built gasoline powered engines.  If just identified as a GM diesel engine, it would still be a Detroit Diesel.

General Motors Diesel Power:  GM had four diesel divisions during the Second World War.  Detroit Diesel built 15 to 250 hp diesels, Cleveland Diesel built 150 to 2,000 hp diesels, Electro-Motive built locomotive and some ship diesels, and the Diesel Equipment Division supplied components for the other three divisions.  As can be seen in the ads below, GM combined the marketing of the engine-producing divisions, although the one ad is all about Detroit Diesel producing its 100,000th engine for the war effort.

Table 1 - Detroit Diesel World War Two Engines

Model Displacement (Cubic Inches) Cylinders Maximum Horsepower Comments
1-71 71 1 10  
2-71 142 2 68 Inline Engine
3-71 213 3 113 Inline Engine
4-71 284 4 160 Inline Engine
6-71 426 6 238 Inline Engine


The basic Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine:  35,351 of these provided the basis for powering 20,855 tanks and tank destroyers as singles or in pairs.  It also supplied 52,525 6-71s as the basic building block for 33,549 landing craft as singles and quads.


This is a view of Detroit Diesel 6046 tank engines coming down the assembly line.  They would be used in the M3, M4A2, and M10.


This M4A2(76)HVSS Fisher Body Grand Blanc Tank Arsenal with serial number 69192 and registration number 30129671, was built in April 1945.  It was powered by the Detroit Diesel 6046 engine.  It can be seen outside the Beatty Street Drill Hall in Vancouver, BC.  It was one of 7,508 M4A2s built by Fisher Body.  Photo courtesy of David Jackson, Jr.


This is one of 4,993 M10 Tank Destroyers.  It was powered by two 6-71 225 hp diesel engines driving one driveshaft designated the 6046 that was built by the Fisher Body Division of GM at its Tank Arsenal in Grand Blanc, MI.  Fisher Body-built M10s were deployed overseas while the Ford-built M10A, with a gasoline engine, stayed in the US during the war.  Consequently, any M10 seen in a photo in combat in Europe or the Pacific was powered by Detroit Diesel.  This is one of 1,648 that was provided to the British during 1944 and 1945 and is also one of 1,017 that was converted to an M10C with a British 17-pounder main gun to replace the original 3 inch gun.  The 17 pounder can be identified by the long barrel and the distinctive muzzle brake.  As this was a British operated M10C, the US stars on the vehicle are incorrect.  Author's photo from the Bastogne Historical Center in Belgium added 10-12-2015.


The Free French army in Europe operated 255 Detroit Diesel powered M10s and the USSR received fifty-two of them in 1943. Author's photo added 10-12-2015.


This is one of 3,981 Valentine tanks built in both Canada and Great Britain that used a Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine.   Author's Photo from the Canadian War Museum added 1-8-2017.

Table 2 - Detroit Diesel Engine World War Two Tank Applications
Armored Vehicle Number built Type Engine Engines per tank Total Engines 6-71 Engines per tank  Total 6-71 Engines Comments
British  and Canadian Valentine 3,981 6-71 1 3,981 1 3,981  
British Archer SP Anti-Tank with 17 pounder main gun 665 6-71 1 665 1 665  
M3A3 Grant/Lee 322 6046 1 322 2 644 The  6046 was two 6-71 engine blocks working together as one power plant.
M3A5 Grant/Lee 591 6046 1 591   1,182 The  6046 was two 6-71 engine blocks working together as one power plant.
M4A2 Sherman Tank 10,968 6046 1 10,968 2 21,936 This was about 20% of the total M4 Sherman production in WWII.  The US Army preferred gasoline powered tanks, since  that was the fuel it normally used in its vehicles.  The Detroit Diesel powered M4A2 Shermans served either with the USMC, which had access to US Navy diesel fuel, or were sent overseas as part of Lend Lease.
M10 Tank Destroyer 4,993 6046 1 5,368 2 10,736 The M10 Tank Destroyer was a US Automobile Industry product being built by the GM Fisher Body Division at Grand Blanc, MI.
Totals 21,520     21,520   39,144 This does not include any spares.

The Landing Craft, Vehicle Personal (LCVP)

The LCVP or the Higgins Boat, as named after its inventor Andrew Jackson Higgins, was considered by Dwight D Eisenhower to be one of the most important weapons of World War Two.  With its low draft, which allowed it to come right up on to the beach, and its innovative front drop ramp let the assault troops exit forward right onto the beach.  With the previous type of landing craft, it was difficult for the troop to climb up over the sides with heavy combat packs.  Then, jumping onto the beach or into the water near the beach could bring broken bones or drowning.  While its concept seems obvious, in retrospect it was truly a game changer for allied forces.  (Actually, it was based on Japanese landing craft that already had a ramp in the front of the craft.) 


23,353 LCVPs were built in the United States during World War Two by Higgins Industries, Chris-Craft, and four other companies.  The one shown above was built by Higgins and is one of only eight original LCVPs built during World War Two still in existence.  What makes this LCVP significant, owned by the Roberts Armory in Rochelle, IL, is that it was one of the 19,353 that came equipped with a Gray Marine/Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine.  Charles Roberts, owner of Roberts Armory, a private museum, has done a remarkable job of restoring this all wooden vessel to the way it looked when it was built in 1945.  Author's photo added 9-18-2015.


The LVCP was 36 feet long, made of plywood, and could transport 32 infantrymen directly to the beach.  The engine was at the rear of the craft.  Charles Roberts allowed me to photograph the engine bay with its Gray Marine/Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine when I visited the museum on Memorial Day, 2015.  Due to high winds, he did not take the tarp off completely as he normally does to let the public look at the landing craft.  I thank Charles for taking the time to show me and let me photograph the engine.  Author's photo added 9-18-2015.


Standing in the right rear of the engine bay, the coxswain's station with steering wheel, the throttle, and a few gauges were first to be photographed.  Note that there is a simple throttle linkage that runs across the front of the engine, in front of the water to water to water/alcohol heat exchanger.  Then it connects to the governor on the side of the engine.  Author's photo added 9-18-2015.


The governor has two settings, "Normal" at the right top, and then "Battle" which is partially obscured by the shadow of the set screw shadow.   Author's photo added 9-18-2015.


The front of the LCVP and engine are to the right.  At the bottom of the photo is the air intake and filter, then the Roots supercharger with a Delco-Remy Plant Five rotor, the engine block, and then on far side the exhaust.  Author's photo added 9-18-2015.


Looking from front to back one can see the name Gray Marine on the front.  While Detroit Diesel provided the operating engine, Gray provided the water to water/alcohol heat exchanger with its name on it.  Over 95% of the content of the engine was provided by Detroit Diesel.  Author's photo added 9-18-2015.


This view is looking down at the rear of the engine with the fuel system on the left and the exhaust on the right.  Author's photo added 9-18-2015.


This photo looks down at the back of the engine from the right or starboard side of the LCVP.  Author's photo added 9-18-2015.

The Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 Marine Engine:  In looking at the literature that describes the type engines used in many of the landing craft of the Second World War, they are described as a Gray Marine 225 hp diesel engine.  Gray Marine Motor Company in Detroit, MI modified Detroit Diesel 6-71 engines for marine use on landing craft by adding a transmission and a heat exchanger as the central part of the cooling system.  Gray also added a governor, air intake with silencer, and a flywheel assembly to power such items as a bilge pump in the boat.  Because Gray was the last company to "touch" the modified Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine, it was identified as the builder.  However, Detroit Diesel built up the engines in its plant and probably had 90% of the value in the final product.  Therefore, in the information on this page I have designated it as the Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71, to show that Gray modified the Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine.  They both get credit for their portion of the final product. 

Also, the current literature shows the Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 as a 225 hp engine rather than the 238 maximum hp shown in the table above.  The 225 hp was a net hp rating.

Table 3 - Detroit Diesel Engine World War Two Landing Craft Applications - Updated 3-28-2024

Type Landing Craft Number built Type Engine Engines per Landing Craft Landing Craft using Detroit Diesel Engines for propulsion Number of Detroit Diesel Engines for propulsion Number of 6-71  for ship's power 6-71 Engines Usage 2-71 Engine  Usage Comments
LCP(L) 2,193 Various including Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 1 1,097 1,097   1,097   Assumes 50% Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 as that was the preferred engine.
LCP(R) 2,572 Various including Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 1 1,286 1,286    

1,286

 

   Assumes 50% Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 as that was the preferred engine.
LCV 2,366 Various including Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 1 1,183 1,183    

1,183

 

   Assumes 50% Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 as that was the preferred engine.
LCVP 23,353 Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 or Hudson built Hall-Scott 210 hp gasoline powered Invader 1 19,353 19,353   19,353   Some LCVPs received the Hudson built Hall-Scott 210 hp gasoline powered Invader engines due to the fact Detroit Diesel could not supply all of the engines the military was requesting.  Hudson built 4,000 of these so I have used that number to subtract from 23,353.

LCS(S) Mk 2

 

 340 Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 1 340 340   340    
LCM(3) 8,631 Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 or
Kermath 225 hp six cylinder gasoline engines		 2 4,223 8,446   8,446   Assumes 50% Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 as that was the preferred engine.
LCM(6) 2,513 Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 or
Kermath 225 hp six cylinder gasoline engines		 2 1,885 3,770   3,770   Assumes 75% Gray Marine 64HN9/Detroit Diesel 6-71 as that was the preferred engine.
LCC Mk 1 60 Gray Marine 66TL1/Detroit Diesel 6-71 2 120 120   120 120 (2) Generators with  DD 2-71 engines
LCC Mk 2 30 Gray Marine 66TL1/Detroit Diesel 6-71 2 60 60   60 60 (2) Generators with  DD 2-71 engines
LCT(5) 470
Gray Marine 64TL1/65TL1 (RH x 2/LH x 1) or 64TL2/65TL2 (RH x 2/LH x 1) or 64YTL/65YTL (RH x 2/LH x 1)/Detroit Diesel 6-71		 3 470 1,410   1,410    
 

LCT(6)

 

 960 Gray Marine 64YTL/65YTL (RH x 2/LH x 1) or 64YTL3/65YTL3 (RH x 2/LH x 1) /Detroit Diesel 6-71 3 960 2,880  


2,880

 

    
LCI(L) 923 Detroit Quad Diesels (6051) 2 923 1,846   7,384 1,846 The 6051 was the designation for four 6-71s tied together.  The ship's power on the LCI was provided by two 2-71 engines driving 20KW generators.
LCS(L) 130 Detroit Quad Diesels (6051) 2 130 260   1,040 260 The ship's power on the LCS(L) was provided by two 2-71 engines driving 20KW generators.  There is still one LCS(L) in existence at Mare Island in San Francisco, CA.  See the links page for more information.
LST 1,052 Detroit Diesel 6-71 3   0 3,156 3,156   The ship/s power on the LST was provided by three 6-71 engines driving 100KW generators.
Totals 45,593     32,030 42,051 3,156 51,525 2,286 This does not include any spares.  Also, this is almost a year's production for Detroit Diesel during the WWII.
Type Landing Craft Number built Type Engine Engines per Landing Craft Landing Craft using Detroit Diesel Engines Number of Detroit Diesel Engines Number of 6-71  for ship's power 6-71 Engines Usage 2-71 Engines Usage Comments


This is the original Quad Four Engine that was originally developed by Electro-Motive Division in LaGrange, IL in February 1942.  After it was proven feasible, Detroit Diesel picked up the manufacturing for use in the LCI(L) and LCS(L).


An LCI(L) that used two 6051 Quads for eight 6-71s.  They provided propulsion to two propellers, and then two more Detroit Diesel 6-71s, running generators to provide electrical power for the rest of the ship's power.  The LCI(L) could carry an entire army infantry company and deliver it to the beach, ready for combat as a unit.


Here, an LCT unloads its cargo including a GMC 2-1/2 ton CCKW truck on the beach.  The LCT got to the beach powered by three Detroit Diesel 6-71 engines driving three propeller shafts.


1,052 Landing Ship Tanks (LST)  each utilized three 6-71 Detroit Diesel engines for ship's power.  Half of the LSTs had propulsion provided by GM's Electro-Motive Division.  This is the only LST still operating.  LST-325 is seen here just a mile downstream from her berth along the Ohio River in Evansville in June of 2015.  Author's Photo added 10-12-2015.


Here are two of the three 6-71 ship's power engines on LST-325 in Evansville, IN.  Part of the tank level deck has been cut open so visitors can look down to see the engines inside the auxiliary engine room.  The hole is covered with Plexiglas for safety reasons, but also impairs clear photos of the engines.  The orientation is looking towards the front of the ship.  The engines, the electric generators, and the controls can be seen for two of the engines.  The third engine to the right or starboard side of the ship is now a newer Cummins diesel that currently runs power for the ship.  Author's photo added 6-22-2018.


 This is looking at the port side of the middle 6-71.  The name Detroit Diesel can be seen on the valve cover.  Author's photo added 6-22-2018.


This is looking at the starboard side of the port 6-71.  The name Detroit Diesel can be seen on the valve cover.  Author's photo added 6-22-2018.


Author's photo added 6-22-2018.


The name Detroit Diesel can be seen on the valve cover of the port engine.  Author's photo added 6-22-2018.


This ad has an artist's rendition of one of the 1,052 LST's that were equipped with three Detroit Diesel 6-71s for ship's power landing an M10 Tank Destroyer that was powered by two Detroit Diesel 6-71s.  All M10s deployed overseas were powered by the 6-71 engine.

Detroit Diesel Fights
This 42 page booklet published by Detroit Diesel in December 1943 states in its own words how it is contributing to the winning of World War Two.


 


 

 

 

 

 

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