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   Burke Electric Company   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   Gerstenslager 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 Traile    Hill Diesel Company   Holland Hitch Company   Homelite Company   Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Huffman Manufacturing   Indian Motorcycle   Ingersoll Steel and Disk   Iron Fireman Manufacturing Company   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   Pressed Steel Tank Company   Queen City Manufacturing Company   R.G. LeTourneau   Richardson Boat Company   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   York-Shipley, Inc.   Youngstown Steel Door Company  
   

 American Stove Company During World War Two
St. Louis, MO
1901-1951 as American Stove Company
1951-1958 as Magic Chef
1958 - Current under various owners

This page updated 5-26-2024.


I like walking around military, naval, and aviation museums to find a World War Two military product on display from an unexpected American company.  Such was the case in August 2023 when I visited National Museum of Military Aviation in Colorado Springs, CO.  While photographing the SBD-4 that is on display at the museum, I noticed a drop tank underneath the aircraft.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


Unlike many drop tanks I have seen, this one was not in museum restored pristine condition as I normally find them.  It looked sort of beat up.  Author's photo.


This drop tank looked like an original World War Two artifact that the museum was able to obtain.  Author's photo.


A closer examination showed that this is an original 58-gallon drop tank produced by the American Stove Company in St. Louis, MO.  The tank was produced under Navy contract 288S29259.  Table 1 shows that this particular tank was produced between February 1945 and November 1945 as part of a $541,000 order.  The U.S. Navy inspector's stamp can be seen in the upper left of the photo.  Somehow this drop tank survived 83 years to be found and then put on display.  Author's photo. 

In 1902, the American Stove Company was started by Mr. Charles A. Strockstrom in St. Louis, MO for the manufacture of household stoves.  Many readers are more likely to recognize the company's trade name of Magic Chef.  In 1951, the company changed its name to Magic Chef for better customer recognition.  In 1958, the company merged with Food Giants Markets of CA.  This was the first of many mergers and purchases of the company up to the current era.  Magic Chef stoves can still be purchased today.    


This page from T.O. No. 03-1-46 shows that the American Stove Company was the only supplier of the 58-gallon droppable fuel tank for the U.S. Navy. 


TBM-3E Avenger Bu. No. 83828 was on display at the 2024 TBM Reunion at Peru, IL.  It has two 100-gallon American Stove Company-built drop tanks under the wings.  Author's photo added 5-26-2024. 


Author's photo added 5-26-2024. 


Author's photo added 5-26-2024. 


Author's photo added 5-26-2024. 


Author's photo added 5-26-2024. 

 
This page from T.O. No. 03-1-46 shows that the American Stove Company was one of two suppliers of the 100-gallon droppable fuel tank for the U.S. Navy. 


The FM-1 was another type of World War Two naval aircraft that used the American Stove Company's 58 gallon drop tank.  Author's photo. 


The Curtiss SB2C was also a user of the 58 and 100-gallon drop tanks.  Author's photo.


The American Stove Company won the Army-Navy "E" award three times during World War Two.
The first award to the company was made on May 9, 1944.

The American Stove Company's World War Two Products:  Table 1 shows that the company had $32,030,000 in major contracts during World War Two.  Its products included parachute flares, bombs, 40mm shells, and droppable fuel tanks.  Both the USAAF and the Navy ordered drop tanks from American Stove Company.  Table 2 shows that Army Ordnance was the company's largest customer during World War Two.

Table 1 - American Stove Company's Major World War Two Contracts - St. Louis, MO Plant
The information below comes from the "Alphabetical Listing of Major War Supply Contracts, June 1940 through September 1945."  This was published by the Civilian Production Administration, Industrial Statistics Division, Requirements and Progress Branch January 21, 1946. 
Product - Customer Contract Number* Contract Amount Contract Awarded Completion Date
Flares - Army Ordnance   $1,022,000 1-1942 7-1942
Shells - Army Ordnance   $355,000 4-1942 10-1943
Bombs - Army Ordnance   $6,422,000 6-1942 12-1944
Flares Aircraft - Army Ordnance   $429,000 6-1942 9-1943
Tanks Fuel - USAAF   $629,000 8-1942 12-1942
Tanks Fuel - USAAF   $629,000 11-1942 12-1942
Tanks Fuel - USAAF   $51,000 11-1942 12-1942
 Ordnance Material - Army Ordnance   $77,000 12-1942 10-1943
Tanks Fuel - USAAF   $360,000 2-1943 6-1943
Airplane Equipment - USAAF   $158,000 3-1943 5-1943
Flares - Army Ordnance   $370,000 4-1943 12-1943
Shells 40mm HE - Army Ordnance   $114,000 7-1943 12-1943
Droppable Fuel Tanks - Navy   $825,000 8-1943 11-1944
Fragmentation Bombs - Army Ordnance   $788,000 8-1943 6-1944
Parachute Flares - Army Ordnance   $92,000 8-1943 3-1944
Droppable Steel Tanks - USAAF   $610,000 9-1943 9-1944
Shells 40mm HE - Army Ordnance   $196,000 11-1943 6-1944
Fuel Tanks - USAAF   $4,138,000 12-1943 8-1945
Drop Fuel Tanks - USAAF   $3,145,000 12-1943 1-1945
Droppable Fuel Tanks - Navy   $124,000 12-1943 11-1944
Fragmentation Bombs - Army Ordnance   $617,000 3-1944 10-1944
Fragmentation Bombs - Army Ordnance   $1,588,000 4-1944 12-1944
Droppable Fuel Tanks - Navy   $533,000 5-1944 6-1945
Bombs GP 500LB M64A1 - Army Ordnance   $2,950,000 7-1944 6-1945
Frag Bombs M41A1 - Army Ordnance   $705,000 8-1944 6-1945
Drop Tank Assys - Navy   $725,000 12-1944 7-1945
Bombs GP M64A1 - Army Ordnance   $1,030,000 1-1945 8-1945
Drop Tanks - Navy 288-XSA-29529 $541,000 2-1945 11-1945
Droppable Fuel Tanks - USAAF   $1,000,000 3-1945 10-1945
Dropbl Tank Parts - Navy   $64,000 5-1945 10-1945
Drop Tanks - Navy   $919,000 6-1945 5-1946
Drop Tank Assys - Navy   $824,000 6-1945 12-1945
Total   $32,030,000    

 

Table 2 - American Stove Company's Major World War Two Contracts by Customer -St. Louis, MO Plant
Customer Contract Value Percentage
Army Ordnance $16,755,000 52.3%
USAAF $10,720,000 33.4%
Navy $4,555,000 14.2%
Total $32,030,000 99.9%




The USAAF was a larger customer of drop tanks from the American Stove Company than the U.S. Navy.  American Stove Company made 110 gallon drop tanks for the USAAF.


This photo article from the 2-4-1945 edition of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat shows a worker holding either a 100 or 110 gallon drop tank with one hand over her head.


The Republic P-47 is known for its prowess as a low-level fighter bomber.  One of the weapons it used was the 500 lb. bomb.  Author's photo.


The American Stove Company was a supplier of 500 lb. bombs to Army Ordnance during World War Two.  Author's photo.


The company also made fragmentation bombs.  Author's photo.


This photo article from the 12-26-1943 edition of the St. Louis Post Dispatch shows all of the components that went into an American Stove Company-built parachute flare. 


This image shows two AN-M26 parachute flares that were photographed on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  Author's photo.


The 40mm shell consisted of a brass shell casing, a projectile, and a fuze.  In this example, the shell like that which the American Stove Company produced is painted black.  Different companies produced the three main components for the shell.  They were all sent to an Army ordnance plant that assembled them into the final product as seen here.  Author's photo.

The American Stove Company Factory:


This post-World War Two advertisement for the sale of surplus equipment shows that the company was located at 2001 S. Kingshighway Blvd. in St. Louis, MO.  


This Google Maps satellite view shows that the factory is still there. 


After World War Two, a bridge was built in front of the plant to go over the railroad tracks to the south of the factory.  Image courtesy of Google Maps. 


This view from Daggett Avenue shows the north side of the former American Stove Company plant.  It also shows how close the bridge came to the front door on the east side of the building.  Image courtesy of Google Maps. 


This image is another view of the north side of the building along Daggett Avenue and the west side of the factory.  The area directly west of this building may also have been part of the factory complex.  However, whatever was there was razed and apartment buildings are being built in its place.  Image courtesy of Google Maps. 


This Google Earth image shows another view of the former American Stove Company factory.  Image added 5-26-2024.


This image shows the apartment complex that is west of the former American Stove Company plant.  This area most likely was part of the factory complex along with the empty field in the lower right of the photo.  Google Earth image added 5-26-2024.

 

 

 

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