The sun., 1918-12-08
DODGE BROTHERS
DID A VERY Big JOB
The Army Needed a Quick Gun
Order and Got 1t.

After war was declared the United
| States Government started to manufac-
| ture the type of heavy artillery used by
the French These guns were called the
! SIS milllmeter howitzer and the 1856 mill
llmeter Filloux rife. They had never
before been manufactured in America. A
certain recoil or recuperating apparatus
was required for these guns but this
ma chanism had never been built here.
, The problem involved the gigantic task
Of constructing special plant and the
designing and making OF special machin-
cry and tools, with the greatest possible
speed. Pershing badly needed guns as
well as men. The seemingly impossible
must be accomplished.
The Government Investigated every
large munitions plant In the East and
West. but the manufacturers could not
guarantee the required speed.
Dodge Brothers advised the War De-
rartment that their resources were at
the Governments disposal whenever
needed The Government officials came
TO them with their problem. After
hurried trip for the purpose of inspect
! ing the French apparatus in operation
Messrs John f, and Horace +. Dodge
advised Washington that they would I'M
dertake the project provided the Govern
ment had sufficient confidence In their
1
the mechanism In their own way.
on Saturday, October 81. 1917 official
word was received that their proposal
had been accepted In it's entirety.
The machinery of Dodge Brothers
great organization was set in notion
and by Monday night representatives. of
| the CITY Water Board. the Department
OF Public Works and the Street Railway
| Company were on the proposed building
car lines. Before daybreak spur track
from the Detroit Terminal Railway was
laid. and carloads OF building material
were already on the way TO the vacant
property. In few hours II had been
transformed from az unploushed he,d to
veritable Babelfof iaborers, concrete
mixers steam shdvels. cranes switch
building. 600NS0o feet, covering an area
Of eleven acres, began TO take form
The Monday after the Govern nent
contract was approved Dodge Brothers
rad the bethlehem steel Compary OF
the long distance TELEPHONE. Thu~yday
nose sreat shops began to ron steel far-
this new ordnance plant. Conservation
went on like magic. Within thirty days
FL excavations we're Completed and
concrete flooring covered the entire
eleven acres
Machinery was being gathered from
every availahl. source. Some had 70 be
built. II yas impossible to buy any on
the market. Dodge Brothers automobile
works were utilized One hundred and
twenty-ninc special machines were de-
signed by Dodge Brothers and built In
their motor car plants. A train OF spe-
cial machinery consigned TO the Russian
Government was caught at the docks
and turned back to Detroit.
Ia
example Of careful manufacturing 1t is
known as the hydraulic pneumatic type
and its function Ia to prevent the gun
from tearing itself to pieces as II fires.
Asthe barrel OF the gun recoils. this ap-
paratus checks the backward movement
gradually. and automatically returns the
barrel OF the gun 70 It's original posi-
ton. with the gun placed at an angle
OF 45 degrees. this apparatus returns
the barrel to It's original position In
thirteen seconds. This is a vital part,
because accuracy and rapid firing are
the tess OF heavy artillery efficiency.
Each reco'l "a made 1rOulaa solid billet
Of steel The rife billet received from
the rolling mills weighs 1900 pounds
aud is feet inches long by % inches
wide by 80 inches high. Finished and
assembled this weighs 1850 pounds
The howitzer billet weights 1878 pounds
lnNSe nl0tSlNc IicN'o VI H''N'''h'"''' 'ilNSN
he made with great care. Each cylin-
der is bored. ground and Tapped TO the
degree OF hneness customary only In the
most delicate Instruments
MANY OF these guns have Numbered
away on the western front. Dodge
Brothers feel ErstIhed that thev we're
able to place their resources, which were
Of great aid In bringing this conflict to
p successful close, at the Government