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   Haynes Stellite Company   Hercules Body Company   Horton Manufacturing Company   Howe Fire Apparatus   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  
   

 Pontiac Motor Division in World War Two
Pontiac, MI
1893-2010
Rest in Peace!

This page updated 8-1-2020.

The Pontiac Motor Division emerged from the original Pontiac Buggy Company, founded in 1893 by Edward Murphy.  In 1907 it became the Oakland Motor Car Company, which was acquired by General Motors in 1909.  In 1926 Oakland introduced its Pontiac line of automobiles.  They became so popular that the Oakland was discontinued.  A new Pontiac Plant was built in 1927.  It was within this plant that the Division produced the war products described below.


The new Pontiac Plant in 1927.  The Fisher Body Plant is across the railroad tracks.  The overhead conveyor transported the finished bodies from the Fisher Body plant to Pontiac final assembly plant.  This was long before GM combined the managements of the body and final assembly plants into one.  Today's automobile plants have both functions under one roof.  Photo added 12-25-2016.

Pontiac's Plant #4 was the first auto manufacturer to win the Navy "E" award on January 20,1942.  Pontiac received this award for delivering 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft guns to the Navy ahead of schedule.  Pontiac Plant #4 did not convert its Navy "E" award when it became a combined Army-Navy "E" Award, as it could have done.  This Navy "E" award was not noted by the War Department's Army-Navy "E" award public relations release dated December 5, 1945.  There is no mention of Pontiac being one of the original war plants to receive the Navy "E" award, nor that is was one of those that did not convert. 


As of November 1943 Plant #4 had added four stars.  It would add a fifth for a total of six awards..


This clip from the November 1943 "Pontiac at War" booklet shows the Pontiac Oerlikon Plant receiving the Navy "E" award for the third time.  It is also noted on the "E" for Excellence page of "Pontiac at War" had received four stars for the Navy "E" flag.


Here is the pin the Navy gave all of the employees of the 20mm gun plant.  Photo courtesy of the Todd L. Carlson collection added 8-1-2020.


This ring commemorates Pontiac's winning of the Navy "E" Award and is made from 20mm Oerlikon barrel stock.  Photo courtesy of the Todd L. Carlson collection added 5-26-2020.


The internal grooving of a 20mm barrel can be seen here.  Photo courtesy of the Todd L. Carlson collection added 5-26-2020.


Photo courtesy of the Todd L. Carlson collection added 8-1-2020.


The Navy "E" Award ring was just one of several Pontiac had made.  Photo courtesy of the Todd L. Carlson collection added 5-26-2020.

Pontiac's Plant #11 won the Army-Navy "E" Award one time for the manufacture of the Mark XIII aerial torpedo.
Pontiac's Plant #14 won the Army-Navy "E" Award one time.

Pontiac Motor Division of GM World War Two Production Statistics:  (47,026) 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon, (39,275) single 20mm Oelikon mounts, (5,760) twin 20mm Oerlikon mounts, (4,526) Mark XIII aerial torpedoes, 155mm artillery shells, tank axles for the M-5 Stuart and M24 Chaffee tanks built by Cadillac, parts for Detroit Diesel to include fly-wheel housings, connecting rods and cylinder liners, truck engine castings for GMC to include six cylinder blocks for all GMC 270 engines, some but not all engine heads for GMC 270 engine, oil pump housings, bearing caps.  Pontiac produced 4,900 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun mechanisms and 17,892 40mm Bofors gun tubes through March 1944.  

Pontiac 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon:  There are two different documented dates for the beginning of the Pontiac 20mm program.  "Pontiac at War," shown below, gives March 6, 1941.  The "U.S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance in WWII" by Buford Rowland gives a contract signing date of April 3, 1941.  In any event, eight months before Pearl Harbor, Pontiac started work on the production of the 20mm Oerlikon cannon for the United States Navy. The original contract was for 2,000 weapons for the British under Lend-Lease.  The contract was then modified for another 4,000 weapons.  It is unknown whether the 4,000 units were for the British or the U.S. Navy.  The initial production rate was for 200-400 weapons per month.  By the time of Pearl Harbor, Pontiac had delivered 115 weapons.  Each weapon included both the gun and the mount as shown in the first set of photos below.

There were four manufacturers of the 20mm Oerlikon during World War Two.  Besides Pontiac, there was the Hudson Motor Car Company that produced the weapons in the U.S. Navy Ordnance plant in Center Line, MI and American Oerlikon Gazda Corporation.  The U.S. Navy replaced Hudson with Westinghouse at Center Line in 1943.  In December 1941 contracts with each of the companies were modified for an increase in the production of the weapon.  Each company was given a monthly production rate.  While there are no known production numbers available for the individual companies of the 20mm cannon and its mount, totals are available, and an estimate of each manufacturer can be made.  This is done in the table below.

Between June 1941 and December 1945, a total of 146,956 20mm Oerlikon guns were produced. This also comes from the "U.S. Navy Bureau of Ordnance in WWII" by Buford Rowland.  It is known that Hudson built 33,201 guns.  From the table below it can be seen that Pontiac produced an estimated 47,026 20mm Oerlikon cannons.

Production of 20mm Oerlikon Cannon in World War Two
Company Contracted Monthly Production Rate - 20mm Oerlikon Cannon % of the Total Production Contracted Estimated or Known Number of 20mm Oerlikons built Comments
American Oerlikon Gazda Corporation 500 27 39,678 - Estimated  
Pontiac 600 32 47,026 - Estimated Pontiac delivered 115 weapons previous to Pearl Harbor.
Centerline Naval Ordnance Plant -Hudson 750 41 Confirmed 33,201 out of estimated 60,252 Hudson did not deliver any weapons until after Pearl Harbor.  Production started 7-7-41 and ended 10-43.
Centerline Naval Ordnance Plant -Westinghouse 750 41 27,051 - Estimated Westinghouse took over production at Center Line in 10-43.
Total   100 146,956  

The same thought process can be used to estimate the number of single weapon mounts that Pontiac and others built during the war.  There were a 122,735 mounts built by the same four companies.

Production of 20mm Oerlikon Single Mounts in World War Two
Company Contracted Monthly Production Rate - 20mm Oerlikon Mounts % of the Total Production Contracted Estimated or Known Number of 20mm Mounts built Comments
American Oerlikon Gazda Corporation 500 27 33,139 - Estimated  
Pontiac 600 32 39,275 - Estimated Pontiac delivered 115 weapons previous to Pearl Harbor.  Pontiac also built 5,760 twin 20mm Oerlikon mounts under a separate contract starting January 1945.
Centerline Naval Ordnance Plant -Hudson 750 41 Confirmed 33,201 out of estimated 50,321 Hudson did not deliver any weapons until after Pearl Harbor.  Production started 7-7-41 and ended 10-43.
Centerline Naval Ordnance Plant -Westinghouse 750 41 27,051 - Estimated Westinghouse took over production at Center Line in 10-43.
Total   100 122,735  


Pontiac's first war contract was building 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannons for the US Navy.  This particular weapon, along with the stand and gun sight, were all built by Pontiac.  This weapon is serial number 223843.  Author's photo from the 2016 Virginian Museum of Military Vehicles Open House.


 Author's photo.


Author's photo.


Data plates on the Mark 10 20mm gun stand.  The serial number on the middle plate is 267182. This matches the serial number on the bottom plate.  Author's photo.


The serial number on the Mark 4 gun breach is 223843.  Author's photo.


The brass Mark 4 gun sight assembly was also manufactured by Pontiac.  Author's photo.


It has a weight of 12 pounds.  Author's photo.


The Destroyer Escort DE 766 USS Slater in Albany, NY.  Author's photo added 12-17-2019.


The USS Slater has four Pontiac-built dual 20mm Oerlikon gun mounts on it.  These two are on the starboard side of the ship.  Author's photo added 4-10-2020.


These two are on the port side of the ship.  These are four of 5,760 dual mounts built by Pontiac.  Author's photo added 4-10-2020.


This is of the Pontiac-built 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft gun dual mounts on the starboard side of the USS Slater.  The weapon closest to the camera was also built by Pontiac.  Author's photo added 11-14-2017.


The serial number is 4919x.  Author's photo added 11-14-2017.


This is the USS Massachusetts at Fall River, MA.  The Oerlikon 20mm cannon in the foreground was built by Pontiac.  Author's photo added 12-17-2019.


Author's photo added 12-17-2019.


This is Serial Number 43469.  Author's photo added 12-17-2019.

Pontiac 40mm Bofors Anti-Aircraft Cannon:


Pontiac began work on the 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun mechanisms and gun tubes in January 1942.  Pontiac cleared 217,000 square feet of the sheet metal plant space to manufacture the weapon.  The Bofors could fire 130 rounds per minute, and the two pound projectiles had a range of 5,420 yards. 

The information for the two tables below comes from " The History of the Americanization of the Bofors 40mm Automatic Antiaircraft Gun" written by the Historical Section of the Ordnance Department in May 1944.

Pontiac produced 16.5% of the gun mechanisms and 20.8% of the gun tubes for the US Army 40mm Bofors like the one shown above.  Note that the information came from an article written in May 1944.  Over a year of war still remained, and the need for gun tubes continued.

Production of 40mm Gun Mechanisms for the US Army as of March 1944

Company Date Quantity Percentage Comments
Chrysler 3-31-1944 24,802 83.5%  
Pontiac After 12-1943 4,900 16.5% This was the scheduled amount that was completed some time in 1944.
Total   29,702    

 

Production of 40mm Gun Tubes for the US Army as of March 1944

Company Date Quantity Percentage
Chrysler 3-31-1944 51,684 60.2%
Pontiac 3-31-1944 17,892 20.8%
Otis Fensom 3-31-1944 16,258 18.9%
War Supplies 10-42 40 0.1%
Total   85,874  

Pontiac sent complete 40mm guns consisting of the mechanisms and tubes to Firestone, Koppers and J.I. Case for installation on the carriage.

Production of 40mm Gun Carriages for the US Army as of March 1944 (M1, M2, M2A1)

Company Date Quantity Percentage
Firestone 3-31-1944 20,021 84.5%
Koppers 4-1944 2,270 9.6%
J.I. Case 12-1943 1,414 5.9%
Total   23,705  


Pontiac Mark XIII Aircraft Torpedo:  Pontiac built (4,526) Mark XIII aerial torpedoes during World War Two.  This was 26% of the Mark XIIIs built.


On March 12, 1942 Pontiac began work on the Mark XIII aircraft torpedo.  The thirteen-foot long weapon consisted of 1,225 assemblies of 5,222 individual parts.  The gyro, which guided the weapon to its target, turned at 9,000 rpms.  It had a diameter of 22.5 inches and weighed 2,216 pounds, of which 600 pounds was the Torpex explosive. The internal steam turbine propelled the Mark XIII at 33 knots for a maximum range of 6,300 yards.  The Naval Torpedo Section, Amertorp Corporation, and International Harvester also produced the Mark XIII during World War Two.  The four companies built 17,000 torpedoes.  1,500 were used in combat.  Author's photo from the Liberty Aviation Museum in Port Clinton, OH.


This Mark XIII is on display at the National Aviation Museum of the US Air Force.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


This is the warhead section of the torpedo that would contain the detonator and 600 pounds of Torpex explosive.  This compound is 1.5 times more powerful than TNT.  Author's photo from the USS Silversides Museum in Muskegon, MI. 


This area would contain the alcohol fuel and compressed air to power the steam turbine.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


 The steam turbine is at the rear of the Mark XIII.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


The primary aircraft that carried the Pontiac Mark XIII torpedo was the TBM Avenger.  It was built by the Eastern Aircraft Division of GM in Trenton, NJ.  Author's photo taken at the Liberty Aviation Museum.


The Mark 13 was also carried by US PT boats.  One of 21,147 DUKW amphibious trucks built by GMC and Chevrolet during WWII is next to the PT boat. Pontiac supplied the engine blocks for the GMC 270 cubic inch engine used in the DUKW.  Author's photo taken at the Liberty Aviation Museum.


Pontiac built the front differential and axle for the Cadillac-built M5 light tank.  Cadillac built 1,824 M5 and 3,530 M5A1 Stewart tanks in Detroit.  Author's photo.


  Pontiac also manufactured the front differential and axle for the Cadillac-built M
8 75mm Howitzer Gun Carriage.  Cadillac built 1,778 M8s which had a 75mm howitzer rather than the 37mm cannon.  This M8 is on display at the American Heritage Museum in Hudson, MA.  Author's photo added 4-10-2020.


 After Cadillac ceased production of the M3, it produced the M24 Chaffee light tank.  Pontiac supplied the front drive axles for it.   Author's photo taken at the now closed Ropkey Armor Museum.


Pontiac cast all of the engine blocks for 528,829 GMC 6x8 and 24,910 6x4 trucks.  This was the 270 cubic inch, six-cylinder engine.  Pontiac also disassembled and crated GMC trucks for overseas shipment.  This saved valuable shipping space on transport ships.  Author's photo.


Pontiac supplied the Detroit Diesel Engine Division of GM with fly-wheel housings, connecting rods, and cylinder liners for its 6-71 diesel engines.   Author's photo.


The Detroit Diesel engine was used in 19,353 LCVPs or Higgins boats.  Detroit Diesels were also used in many other types of landing craft for the US Navy.  Author's photo added 4-10-2020.


The Detroit Diesel 6-71 with Pontiac-manufactured components also powered many LCP(L) landing craft.  Author's photo added 4-10-2020.


Two Detroit Diesel 6046 engines powered 10,968 M4A2 Sherman tanks.  Author's photo.

Pontiac at War
 
A Special Report to Employees of Pontiac Motor Division
November 1943
This booklet has a wealth of information about Pontiac's contribution to the war effort, starting in March 1941 through its publication in 1943.  The three main war products; the 20mm Oerlikon, the 40mm Bofors, and the Mark XIII aerial torpedo all have several pages dedicated to them.  It includes an excellent history of Pontiac until the start of World War Two.  This rare booklet is a primary source document, allowing a look back at Pontiac from its inception through 1943.


There is no date on the booklet.  However, presumed original owner wrote the date on the cover when he or she received it.  The date November 3, 1943 is documented on the page discussing the suggestion program.  The booklet must have been published, then, by the end of that month.



The history of Pontiac Motor Division from 1893 until WWII, as written by Pontiac, is included in the next three pages. 



In the next two pages, Pontiac gives more information on its manufacture of the 20mm Oerlikon anti-aircraft cannon for the US Navy.

In the next three pages, Pontiac gives details on its manufacture of the 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft cannon for the US Army.

Below are five pages on Pontiac's manufacture of Mark XIII aerial torpedoes and their use by the US Navy.



Below is information on Pontiac's manufacture of tank axles for the M5 Stuart light tank.



 Pontiac's manufacture of diesel engine parts, as described below, was an important contribution to the war effort.  These engines were used in a variety of landing craft and tanks.



Pontiac's casting of engine blocks for GMC trucks and DUKWs is described below.


Pontiac and GMC were both located in Pontiac, MI.  Pontiac was able to assist in the war effort by crating for overseas shipment the 2-1/2 ton 6x6 GMC trucks.  This allowed GMC to focus on the important assembly of trucks for the war effort.


The above page gives more details on the continued awarding of Navy "E" award, and the four stars added by November 1943.  These would be for manufacture of the 20mm Oelikon anti-aircraft cannon.  This would imply that the awards for the Torpedo Plant and Plant 14 came later.  These would have been the combined Army-Navy "E" awards.

Pontiac Post WWII Military Products


Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors built 35,000 M39 20mm aircraft cannon from 1951 to 1975.  This type cannon was used in the F86H, F-101A, F-101C, and the F-5.  Author's photo added 5-5-2019.

 

 

 

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