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  
   

The Gemmer Manufacturing Company in World War Two
Detroit, MI
1907-1956
1956-1961 as part of Ross Gear and Tool Company

This page added 11-29-2021.

The Gemmer Manufacturing Company is named after George Gemmer, an 1899 Purdue University graduate from Williamsport, IN.  During his business career, he started several companies and obtained thirteen patents.  In 1901, he started the Gemmer Gas Engine Company in Marion, IN, which manufactured stationary engines for home and farm use.  After the plant burned down 1906, he moved his operation to Wabash, IN. 


This early advertisement shows a Gemmer gasoline engine manufactured by the company.  Image courtesy of Warren Richardson.

In 1906 George Gemmer applied for a patent for a method of steering the automobiles of the period.  Patent number 82906 for "Steering Gear" was issued August 21, 1906.  He received a second patent number 861104 for "Steering Gear for Motor Vehicle" on June 23, 1907.  These were George Gemmer's fourth and fifth patents.  His first three patents, the first of which was issued in 1903, were related to combustion engines.  He had one more patent for a steering gear that was not issued until 1935.  His last patent issued in 1938 was for Gear Shifting Mechanism.  He only had three patents issued for steering gears.


The Gemmer Engine Company was the first to manufacture steering gears with George Gemmer's patented steering gear.  Image courtesy of Warren Richardson.

The Gemmer Manufacturing Company was organized in Michigan on April 13, 1907, by Edward Skae, E.P. Hammond, and George Gemmer.  Mr. Skae and Mr. Hammond each had 500 shares in the new company, and Mr. Gemmer had one share.  The new company began manufacturing steering gears in Detroit, MI using the patents recently issued to George Gemmer.  In1926, the Gemmer Manufacturing Company began producing worm-and-roller-tooth steering gears.  In 1928, the company re-engineered its worm and tooth gear with a two-tooth version which lowered the effort needed to turn the vehicle.

After World War Two, Chrysler was the Gemmer Manufacturing Company's largest customer.  In 1951, Chrysler introduced Gemmer-produced Hydraguide power steering as standard equipment on its Imperial car line.  This was the first use of power steering in an automobile since its invention by Francis Davis in 1928.  However, it was Gemmer that produced the first power steering units used in an automobile.  This may be Gemmer's biggest legacy as, for the most part, all automobiles and trucks today are equipped with power steering as standard equipment.

 In 1954, Chrysler notified Gemmer Manufacturing that it was going to produce its own power steering units.  Due to the loss of this business, in May 1956, the Ross Gear and Tool Company of Lafayette, IN purchased the Gemmer Manufacturing Company.  This gave Ross Gear added manufacturing capacity and in 1958 the Gemmer Division of Ross Gear and Tool Company began manufacturing Ross-developed manual and power steering gear units for International Harvester farm tractors.  In October 1961, Ross closed the Gemmer plant on Mt. Elliott Street in Detroit and moved its operations to a new plant in Lebanon, Tennessee.  This ended the history of Gemmer Manufacturing. 


This is the Gemmer Manufacturing complex in 1952, with Mt. Elliot Street out in front of the facility.  This is a view to the south east with the huge Packard Motor Car factory complex in the background.  Today I-94 separates the former Gemmer plant and what is left of the Packard complex.  The neighborhood west of the Gemmer plant no longer exists.  The houses were all razed in a very controversial project to make way for the General Motors Detroit/Hamtramck assembly plant which opened in 1985 and then closed in 2019.  It is currently being retooled for production of the all new electric Silverado pickup truck.


The former Gemmer Manufacturing Company plant is on the east side of Mt. Elliott Street.  Author's photo. 


This photo was taken from across I-94 and shows the south side of the former Gemmer Manufacturing plant.  Author's photo.


The Gemmer name is still on the powerhouse smokestack.  Author's photo. 


During World War One, the Gemmer Manufacturing Company was contracted to produce 5,000 steering gears for the Standard B truck.  Document courtesy of Warren Richardson.


This World War One Class B Liberty Truck has been restored to operating condition by the First Division Museum in Wheaton, IL.  Author's photo.

The Gemmer Manufacturing Company in World War Two:  Steering gears for 395,233 military trucks and armored cars, 40mm armor piecing shells, 60mm mortar smoke shells, B-24 aileron controls, turret gun forms, and worm gears for turrets.

The descriptions for turret gun forms and worm gears for turrets are vague.  It is unknown whether these were for aircraft or armored vehicle turrets.

Dodge was its biggest customer of steering gears during World War Two.

Gemmer Steering Gear Applications in World War Two
Gemmer Gear Model Vehicle Manufacturer Vehicle Application Number of Vehicles Built Comments
         
140 Dodge Canada T212  1/2 ton 4x4 3,002 Dodge WWII Army Portfolio
         
1/2-Ton Trucks   WC-1 1/2-ton 4x4 Express Body 2,573  
14443 Dodge WC-3 1/2-ton 4x4 Express Body 7,808  
14443 Dodge WC-4 1/2-ton 4x4Express Body 5,570  
14443 Dodge WC-5 1/2-ton 4x4Express Body 60  
14443 Dodge WC-6 1/2-ton 4x4 Command Reconnaissance and Radio Car 9,365  
14443 Dodge WC-7 1/2-ton 4x4 Command Reconnaissance and Radio Car 1,438  
14443 Dodge WC-8 1/2-ton 4x4Radio 648  
14443 Dodge  WC-9 1/2-ton 4x4Ambulance 2,288  
14443 Dodge WC-10 1/2-ton 4x4 Carryall 1,643  
14443 Dodge WC-11 1/2-ton 4x4 Panel 353  
14443 Dodge WC-12 1/2-ton 4x4 Pickup 6,047  
14443 Dodge WC-13 1/2-ton 4x4 Pickup 3,019  
14443 Dodge WC-14 1/2-ton 4x4 Pickup 268  
14443 Dodge  WC-15 1/2-ton 4x4 Command Reconnaissance and Radio Car 3,980  
14443 Dodge WC-16 1/2-ton 4x4 Radio 1,284  
14443 Dodge WC-17 1/2-ton 4x4 Carryall 274  
14443 Dodge WC-18 1/2-ton 4x4 Ambulance 1,555  
14443 Dodge WC-19 1/2-ton 4x4 Panel 103  
14443 Dodge WC-20 1/2-ton 4x4 Chassis only 30  
14443 Dodge WC-21 1/2-ton 4x4 Pickup, Express and Weapons Carrier 14,287  
14443 Dodge WC-22 1/2-ton 4x4 Pickup 1,900  
14443 Dodge WC-23 1/2-ton 4x4 Command Reconnaissance and Radio Car 2,637  
14443 Dodge WC-24 1/2-ton 4x4 Command Reconnaissance and Radio Car 1,412  
14443 Dodge WC-25 1/2-ton 4x4 1/2-ton 4x4 Radio 1,630  
14443 Dodge WC-26 1/2-ton 4x4 Carryall 2,900  
14443 Dodge WC-27 1/2-ton 4x4 Ambulance 2,579  
14443 Dodge WC-40 1/2-ton 4x4 Pickup 275  
14443 Dodge WC-41 1/2-ton 4x4 No Body 306  
Total 1/2-ton Trucks     78,794  
         
3/4-Ton Trucks        
 17093 Dodge WC-51 3/4-ton 4x4 Cargo Truck w/o winch 123,541  
17093 Dodge WC-52 3/4-ton 4x4 Cargo Truck w winch 59,114  
17093 Dodge WC-53 3/4-ton 4x4 Carryall 8,400  
17093 Dodge WC-54 3/4-ton 4x4 Ambulance 26,002  
17093 Dodge WC-55 3/4-ton 4x4 Gun Motor Carriage M6 Gun Carriage w/o winch 5,380  
17093 Dodge WC-56 3/4-ton 4x4 Command and Reconnaissance Car 21,156  
17093 Dodge WC-57 3/4-ton 4x4 Command and Reconnaissance Car w winch 6,010  
17093 Dodge WC-58 3/4-ton 4x4 Radio Truck 2,344  
17093 Dodge WC-59 3/4-ton 4x4 Telephone Maintenance 607  
17093 Dodge WC-60 3/4-ton 4x4 Emergency Repair Chassis, M2 300  
17093 Dodge WC-60 3/4-ton 4x4 Light Maintenance Truck 58  
17093 Dodge WC-64 3/4-ton 4x4 Knock Down Ambulance 3,500  
Total 3/4 ton 4x4 Trucks     256,412  
         
1-1/2-Ton 6x6 Trucks        
17093 Dodge WC-61 1-1/2-ton 6x6 Cargo Truck w/o winch 23,092 Dodge WWII Army Portfolio
17093 Dodge WC-62 1-1/2-ton 6x6 Cargo Truck w winch  20,132  
Total 1-1/2-ton 6x6 Trucks     43,224  
         
7-1/2-Ton 6x6 Trucks        
50281 Federal  Model 605 7-1/2- ton F-1 Aviation Fuel Tractor 200 From Jeff and parts manual  12-21-2020 email
50281 Reo  Model 29XS 7-1/2-ton Aviation F-1 Fuel Tractor 1,470 Jeff wonders whether these would also have them like the Federals 12-21-2020 email
50281 Federal  Model 606 7-1/2-ton 6x6 C-2 Aircraft Wrecker 2,307 From Jeff and parts manual 12-21-2020 email
50281 Biederman  7-1/2- ton F-1 Aviation Fuel Tractor 1,013  Jeff wonders whether these would also have them like the Federals 12-21-2020 email
50281 Biederman  7-1/2-ton 6x6 C-2 Wrecker 12  
50281 Biederman 7-1/2-ton 6x6 P-1 Crane Truck 613  
Total 7-1/2-ton 6x6 Trucks     4,602  
         
Armored Cars        
40126 Ford M8 Armored Car 8,410  
40126 Ford M20 Command Car 3,791  
Total Armored Cars     12,201  
Grand Total     395,233  

1/2-Ton 4x4 Dodge Trucks: 


This WC-12 1/2-Ton 4x4 Dodge Truck was on display at the 2021 MVP National Convention in South Bend, IN.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


The Gemmer Manufacturing Company-built steering gear model 14443 was visible in the engine bay.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


This Dodge WC-21 1/2-Ton 4x4 Dodge Truck was also on display at the 2021 MVP National Convention in South Bend, IN.  Author's photo.


Its Gemmer Model 14443 steering gear was also visible for inspection.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.

3/4-Ton 4x4 Dodge Trucks:  Shown below are several examples of 3/4-ton trucks that utilized the Gemmer Manufacturing Company model 17093 steering gear.


The Dodge 3/4 ton 4 x4 WC-51 had a Gemmer Model 17093 steering gear.  Author's photo.


This WC-52 is identical to the WC-51 above except it came with the winch.  59,114 of these were built by Dodge from 1942 until 1945 with Gemmer Model 17093 steering gears.  Author's photo.


The WC-54 ambulance was another example of the Dodge 3/4-ton series that was equipped with Gemmer steering gears.  Author's photo.


This WC-55 was designated as an M6 Gun Motor Carriage (GMC) by the US Army. With its 37mm cannon, it was an interim solution for a mobile anti-tank weapon until the more well-armed half-tracks and M10s were available.  It went into combat in North Africa with a Gemmer model 17093 steering gear.  Author's photo. 


This is one of 21,156 WC-56 Command and Reconnaissance Cars built by Dodge between 1942 and 1944.  Author's photo.


This is the steering gear assembly for the Dodge 3/4-ton 4x4 series with a Gemmer Manufacturing Company model 17093 steering gear.


7-1/2-ton 6x6 Trucks:


Federal Motor Truck Company built 2,307 C-2 7-1/2-ton 6x6 wreckers for the Army Air Force with Gemmer model 50281 steering gears .  Photo courtesy of Jeff Lakaszcyck.


This former Army Air Force Federal C-2 7-1/2-ton 6x6 wrecker is part of Jeff Lakaszcyck's truck collection.  The vehicle is in running condition.  Author's photo. 


This photo shows the Gemmer model 50281 steering gear.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


Also included in the Jeff Lakaszcyck truck collection is a second Federal C-2 wrecker.  Author's photo. 


This photo shows the Gemmer model 50281 steering gear in the second of Jeff's C-2 wreckers.  Author's photo.   

M8 and M20 Armored Cars:  The Ford Motor Company-built M8 and M20 armored cars came equipped with Gemmer 40126 steering gears.  There was a total of 12,201 armored cars built. 


The M8 armored car.  Author's photo. 


The M20 armored car.  Author's photo.


 The Gemmer 40126 steering gear and assembly as used on the M8 and M20 armored cars.

Other Gemmer Manufacturing Company World War Two Products:


Gemmer made an unknown amount of 40mm armor piercing projectiles during World War Two.  Both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army utilized this weapon during the conflict, so Gemmer could have had a contract with either or both.


Members of the 466th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion (Colored) are depicted in this full scale diorama of loading a 40mm Bofors gun in readiness for an enemy attack on Dreger Airfield in northeast New Guinea during World War Two.  The diorama shows how the gun was loaded and the size of the shell casings that Motor Wheel made during World War Two.  This and other dioramas are on display at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, VA.  The 466th AAA Automatic Weapons Battalion was one of two segregated all African-American anti-aircraft units that served at Dreger Airfield in 1944.  Author's photo.


U.S. Army acquisition of 12,062,000 rounds of armor-piercing 40mm ammunition started September 1942 and ceased production in June 1945.  If Gemmer Manufacturing Company had an Army contract, it would have produced a portion of this volume of ammunition.  Each 40mm round weighed 4.75 pounds.  Each four round clip weighed over nineteen pounds.  This diorama depicts the size of the clip in relation to the soldier holding it.  Author's photo.

 
This remotely aimed quad-mount 40mm anti-aircraft gun on the U.S.S. Hornet CV-12 is expending 40mm ammunition at an impressive rate in fighting off attacks by Japanese aircraft in 1945.  Ammunition loaders are feeding in four-round clips as fast as they can be handed to them.  Empty shell casings litter the deck.  Each barrel for short bursts could fire at a rate of 120 rounds per minute.  This scene played out on every 40mm on every U.S. Navy ship in the Pacific Ocean when under attack.  The U.S. Navy needed every one of the 11,727,000 40mm armor piercing projectiles that Gemmer and other suppliers manufactured during World War Two!

Production of the Navy's 40mm armor piercing program ran between April 1943 and August 1945. 


Gemmer manufactured an unknown amount of the 645,000 60mm mortar smoke rounds produced for the U.S. Army between July 1944 and July 1945.  Author's photo.


 Author's photo.


Ford in nearby Willow Run, MI built 6,792 B-24s during World War Two including this B-24J on display at the Barksdale Global Power Museum at Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, LA.  The Gemmer Manufacturing Company built aileron controls for the Ford-built B-24s.  On this aircraft, the starboard side aileron is the control surface that is in the down position at the end of the wing.  Author's photo.


On the port side of the wing, the aileron is in the up position.  The ailerons move in the opposite direction as they control the bank of the aircraft.  Author's photo.

 
 

 

 

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