The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-09-07

Detroit, Mich, Sept. THE most
intricate, difficult, and unfamiliar job
of war work that we have had to un-
dertake is successfully under way.
1t is the production of the hydro
pneumatic recoil mechanism for the
new 155 millimetre howitzer and gun
which we are copying from French
models.
This mechanism is being built by
Dodge Brothers of Detroit, in plant
especially constructed since last No.
vember The story of the building OF
this mechanism, and OF much OF the
machinery with which to do 1T is an
inspiring example of how American
manufacturing genius has been ap-
piled to war problems.
Before the United States entered the
war there had never been built in
America hydro-pneumatic recoil
mechanism. A gun is only as good as
it's recoil mechanism. 1t is easy to
build heavy gun barrels But the use
of modern high-pOwered propelling
charges has made the construction OF
a proper recoil a vital factor in all
heavy artillery. During the first part
of the war, whe inspiring recoils were
used, guns were constantly out OF COM
mission because of broken springs.
When our ordnance department
adopted the 155 nm. howitzer (the
Schneider) and the 155 nm. gun
the French FillouX) it faced new
problem. Two unsuccessful attempts
were made to induce American II -
facturers to undertake the work.
Then on October 70 Dodge Brothers
were called in. French blueprints OF
the mechanism were furnished them,
and they were asked to undertake
the work. In nine days Dodge Broth
ers designed the building in which
the new mechanism was to be made,
containing IL acres under one root.
BY the end of November complete
concrete floor had been placed over
the whole IL acres; on December IL
steel was going up; on January the
first section of the plant, 14S feet by
SIS feet, was up and ready for oper-
alton. in the meantime many types
of special machinery had been design
ed and built This machinery began
to move into the building, while con-
struction Of the other sections was
under way Street car tracks, sewer
connections and railroad siding
were built.
The Spirit OF "Must BE, Donc.'
In the meantime in the Dodge auto
mobile plant, a million dollars worth
of machinery was running day and
night, turning out tools for the new
plant. By the end of December the
tool room of the new factory had
$4,000 worth of machinery in it..
The first completed, tested mechan-
ism was shipped to the ordnance de-
partment in July. The curve OF ship
ments is rising now at a. sharp an
gle .... 1872 .... ..
AS stepped from the executive Of
fees in front Of the plant into the
great glass rooted building, it was al
most impossible to believe that nine
months ago nothing OF all this vast
humming factory was in existence,
and that in its. place stood a cornfield
in the country. 1t typified the spirit
of America at war-the spirit that
says 1T MUST BE DONE!
Dodge Brothers built 81 special ma
chimes for drilling and roaming the
borings in the great steel forging
from which the mechanism is made.
The machines were a new departure
in ordnance work. The ordnance
practice in making a boring is to re-
volve the gun barrel, while the cut
ting tool is held stationary. Dodge
Brothers could see no reason why they
couldn't revolve the tool, and use six
drills at one time Nobody had ever
heard of boring more shan one hole
at time. But Dodge Brothers start
ed work on 81 huge machines without
waiting for the first one to be tried
out. =
1t works! I saw six of these drills,
each revolving at is proper speed
four drills, two from each end. des-
tined to meet in the middle; two to
drill the upper chambers half way
through the forgings. Under the old
method of drilling ordnance, it would