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-Kokomo Plant   Reliance Manufacturing Company-Washington Plant   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    Frankfort Sailplane Company   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  
   

 Briggs & Stratton in World War Two
Milwaukee, WI
1910-2020
2020-Present owned by KPS Capital Partners

This page added 5-30-2021.

Anyone in the United States who has owned a gasoline powered lawn mower has had it most likely powered by a Briggs & Stratton engine.  In 1953 the company introduced light-weight aluminum engines that were found on many mowers of the era.  The first gasoline powered mowers I used for mowing lawns were Briggs & Stratton.  To me, Briggs & Stratton was synonymous with lawn mower engines.  I did not realize there were other manufacturers of the same type engines.  For the early mowers, the pull rope was separate from the engine.  To start it, the rope had to be manually wrapped around the engine pulley.

With this sort of background, I expected to find examples of small gasoline engines used for various applications.  The one that is most prevalent in restored military equipment are Briggs & Stratton generators to power multiple gun mounts.


This is a Briggs & Stratton gasoline powered generator for an M45 Quad Mount anti-aircraft gun.  Author's photo.


Briggs & Stratton won the Army-Navy "E" Award in August 1942.

 

Briggs & Stratton World War Two Production:  P.E. 75 120vac at 22 amps 2400 watt engine model 223 generators, at least 2,160 Model 300 PC-1 12 VDC 300 watt generators, at least 13,070 Model 304 12 VDC 300 watt generators, 67,236 S18LG-P1 and S18RG-P1 General Electric Aircraft Magnetos

M33 and M45 Gun Mounts Accepted by Detroit Ordnance, US Army
The information below comes from "Summary Report of Acceptances, Tank-Automotive Material, 1940-1945."
Published by Army Services Forces, Office, Chief of Ordnance-Detroit, Production Division, Requirements and Progress Branch
January 21, 1946.
This table includes the type of Briggs & Stratton generator used in each type of gun mount.
Mount Type Briggs & Stratton Generator 1942 1943 1944 Total
 Multiple Caliber .50 Machine Gun Mount M33 Model 300 PC-1  12 VDC 300 Watt 428 1,732   2,160
Multiple Caliber .50 Machine Gun Mount M45 Model 304 PC-1 12 VDC 300 Watt   7,715 5,355 13,070
Total Combined M33 and M45   428 9,447 5,355 15,230


This is an exploded view of the Briggs & Stratton one-cylinder gas engine used in the PC-1 series.  Image is from TM_9-1223.


This is an exploded view of the Briggs & Stratton DC generator used in the PC-1 series.  Image is from TM_9-1223.


This M16 half-track was on display at the 2021 Findlay, OH Military Show.  This particular M16, named "The African Queen" by the owner, has been on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force since December 2020.  For the Findlay Military Show, the owner temporarily removed it from the museum for it to be part of the Findlay event.  This allowed me to obtain photos of the gun mount and Briggs & Stratton engine not afforded me at the National Museum of the USAF.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


Author's photo.


I was allowed to climb up into the rear of the vehicle that allowed a photo of the top of the engine.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


The data plate for the Briggs & Stratton engine on "The African Queen" shows that it is serial number 15519.  Author's photo.


There was a second M16 at the 2021 Findlay Military Show.  Author's photo. 


The M45 Quad Mount on this M16 is operational and has a battery installed which used the Briggs & Stratton engine and generator charged.  The battery then operates the traversing and elevation system on the gun mount.  Author's photo.


The pull rope can is stowed just at the bottom and rear of the engine.  There is no data plate on this unit.  Author's photo.


This Multiple Caliber .50 Machine Gun Mount M45 is mounted on a small trailer and was used for fixed anti-aircraft gun positions.  The small wheels on the trailer hindered the movement of the unit.  The Briggs & Stratton engine can be seen mounted in the rear of the gun mount.


The M17 trailer was another method of transporting the M45 during World War Two.  With the larger tires, it had good mobility.  The Briggs & Stratton engine is visible to the rear of the gun mount.  Author's photo.


While small motor generator units like the P-1 series used on M45 Quad Gun Mounts were adapted from Briggs & Stratton's pre-war commercial product line, the manufacture of General Electric aircraft magnetos were not.  This R-2800-59 built by Pratt & Whitney has two GE magnetos on it that were manufactured under license by Briggs & Stratton.  This engine and magnetos are on display at the Evansville Wartime Museum in Evansville, IN.  The P-47 in the background was one of 6,225 that was built during World War Two just a mile to the south of its current location.  Author's photo.


The GE-designed magnetos are called turtleback magnetos due their distinctive shape.  Author's photo. 


Author's photo.


This is the General Electric magneto on the right side of the engine.  Author's photo.


I was completely surprised to find that a company that is most well-known for its lawnmower engines had built aircraft magnetos to help win World War Two.  In 1947 General Electric published a book that told of its efforts in assisting the war effort.  The book, entitled "Men and Volts at War" is very comprehensive on all of the products that GE built during World War Two.  However, there is no mention of aircraft magnetos either being designed or manufactured by the company.  Obviously, GE designed aircraft magnetos because the data plates on the magnetos note they are of General Electric design.  Apparently, with all of the other products it needed to produce for the war effort, it did not have the manufacturing capacity to build the magnetos, and the work was given to Briggs & Stratton.  With no evidence that GE built any magnetos, this implies that Briggs & Stratton built all of them. 

On this particular magneto, the serial number and other information is not legible.  Author's photo. 


The left hand magneto is serial number 132724.  Both magnetos are Type s18LG-P1.  Author's photo. 


This is a cross sectional view of a GE aircraft magneto. 

Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Engines built with General Electric-Designed S18LG-P1 and S18RG-P1 Aircraft Magnetos
R-2800 Model Magneto Model Number of Engines Built Manufacturer Aircraft Type
R-2800-59 S18LG-P1 592 Pratt & Whitney East Hartford, CT P-47C, D, L
R-2800-59 S18LG-P1 10,799 Ford River Rouge, MI P-47C, D, L
R-2800-65 S18LG-P1 1,292 Pratt & Whitney East Hartford, CT P-61A,B
R-2800-65 S18LG-P1 517 Nash-Kelvinator Kenosha, WI P-61A,B
R-2800-71 S18LG-P1 1,726 Ford River Rouge, MI Douglas JD-1, A-26B, C
R-2800-73 S18RG-P1 2,665 Chevrolet Tonawanda, NY P-61C, P-47N
R-2800-75 S18LG-P1 8,042 Ford River Rouge, MI C-46
R-2800-79 S18LG-P1 6,617 Ford River Rouge, MI Douglas JD-1, A-26B
R-2800-81 S18RG-P1 362 Pratt & Whitney Kansas City P-47N
R-2800-83 S18RG-P1 855 Chevrolet Tonawanda, NY   Designed for the A-26D which was not produced.  The engine was later used in the Vought AU-1 in Korea.
R-2800-85 S18LG-P1 62 Chevrolet Tonawanda, NY Early C-82As
95 S18RG-P1 9 Pratt & Whitney East Hartford, CT C-118/DC-6 -President Truman's Independence
103 S18RG-P1 80 Pratt & Whitney East Hartford, CT C-131B
Total Engines   33,618    

Every engine had two magnetos implying that Briggs & Stratton built 67,236 magnetos for OEM engines plus spares and spare parts.


This Ford-built R-2800 is on display at the Yankee Air Museum.  The R-2800-7x is either an R-2800-71, 75, or 79 engine, as it is not possible to identify the last digit on the data plate. It is one of these three types as it has the GE magnetos on it.  Author's photo.  


Author's photo. 


Author's photo. 


The right magneto is type S18LG-P1 and serial number 212618.  Author's photo.


The left magneto on the engine is serial number 208823  Author's photo. 


This Chevrolet-built Pratt and Whitney R-2800 engine is on display at the National Museum of WWII Aviation in Colorado Springs, CO.  It is equipped with Briggs & Stratton magnetos.  Author's photo.


The engine is part of a larger display showing how the Republic P-47 super turbocharger system worked. Author's photo. 


This P-47N is located at the Peterson Air and Space Museum at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs, CO.  It has a Chevrolet Tonawanda, NY-built R-2800-73 engine in it.  Author's photo.


The left Briggs & Stratton-built magneto is visible at the top of the engine.  Author's photo.


This P-47D Razorback is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  It has either a Pratt & Whitney or Ford-built R-2800-59 engine installed in it.  Most likely it is a Ford-built R-2800-59, as there were 20 times more of them built than the Pratt & Whitney version.  Author's photo.


The distinctive turtle back magnetos built by Briggs & Stratton are visible at the top of the engine.  Author's photo.


This P-61B is undergoing restoration at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA.  Author's photo.


The R-2800-65 with the P-61 was built by either Nash-Kelvinator or Pratt & Whitney.  In either case, the engine has Briggs & Stratton-built magnetos on it.  Author's photo.


This P-61C is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force.  The P-61C featured the higher performance R-2800-73 that Chevrolet was assigned to build and equipped with Briggs & Stratton-built GE magnetos.  Author's photo.


Ford built 6,617 R-2800-79 engines with the Briggs & Stratton-built GE magnetos for the A-26B.  Author's photo.


The Curtiss C-46 Commando was the largest twin engine transport used by the US in World War Two.   8,042 R-2800-75 engines with Briggs & Stratton-built GE-designed magnetos were built by the Ford Motor Company for the C-46.  Author's Photo.
 

 

 

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