Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-11-19

or factory or machine shop. More prop
Ordnance experts design, produce,
thing pertaining to war that shoots, tt
soldier of ordnance materiel and sup
niles and the worst he could do would
he to kick the enemy on the shlns.
To arm America for total war re-
ouired a prodigious industrial effort.
For America was destined to become
the arsenal of democracy. Upon the
Ordnance Department fell major por-
ton of this job and the need for per-
forming it in the shortest time possible.
Germany and Japan, years before, had
been preparing for total war.
Has Done the Impossible
The Ordnance Department applied
itself in a way that is now being trans
lated in terms of victory on global
fronts. Since Pearl Harbor it has done
what our enemies believed was the i'm
possible.
More small arms and small arms am
munition are now produced in two
months than We're manufactured during
all OF World War l. Production OF the
famous Garand rife, for instance, has
Jumped from $4,000 to 100000 month.
Under lease-lend, we have shipped to
90 nations billions of dollars worth OF
military equipment. President RooSe-
welt reported on June 80 that of our
total munitions production of $28,OO0,-
100000, We have kept 81 per cent for
ourselves, while the other lS per cent
has gone to our Allies. Nearly 100000
military vehicles alone have been sent
to Allied armies When the Russians
entered Romania, most of their rolling
eouipn,ent was American made.
Praise From the Enemy
When Marshal Kesselring made one
of his strategic retreats in Italy he
left behind this report: The American
offensive was launched and conducted
with absolute coordination. The enemy
was prepared and equipped to the small
est detail. The initial artillery barrage
was of unprecedented intensity. The
performance of enemy tanks and motor
vehicles was astoundingly good
High praise. indeed, coming from the
enemy Maj. Gen. Levin H. Campbell,
IT., chief of ordnance. was happy to
have it. So far AS quality is concerned
events give evidence of proved value.
As to quantity:
Allied landings on Normandy beaches
was accompanied by more equipment
and supplies than for any previous mil
itary operation. There were enough
noncombat trucks alone to make line,
If spaced so yards apart for safety
from strahng, that would reach from
New York to San Francisco, back to
New York and westward again as far
as Omaha
Take for example the firepower for
a single armored division of II 900 men.
Each man carries an individual weapon
The division has 900 machine guns of
all types and 100 pieces of artillery of
various caliber, in addition to the weap-
ons carried by its 800 tanks and ar
mored cars. There are 600 rocket ba-
zookas and almost 100 mortars.
Better Weapons
While the Ordnance Department
provided this firepower it also i'm
proved its quality in comparison to
weapons Of the last war. Tanks have
a greater maneuvera biltv and instead
Of rumbling along at miles an hour
their speed has been increased TOO per
cent. Our MIA tank is outstanding in
performances. Individual frepower of
rho s0l6ter tho hot aft
cides the final issue, is $50 per cent
greater.
Ordnance provides all these things
and more for the Ground Forces and
Air Forces, many of them for the Navy
and the Marine Corps. For obvious SEE
curity reasons the whole story of the
accomplishments in this war cannot
be told now Some of it may never be
told, for the mission of ordnance con-
tinues through peacetime, knowing. as
Gen Campbell has said, that unless
our fghting men have ordnance for
offense and defense the price of victory
will be paid in human lives, the most
valued asset of any country. -. Once
he Is trained the American soldier is
superior to any enemy he has to face
but he must have ready to shoot, the
best weapons we can give him"
Bombs for the Air Forces
Into shells and into cartridges or pow
der bags used to speed projectiles to
enemy targets the Ordnance Depart
ment puts explosives that represent the
combined knowledge of many scientists.
Some, still in the category of secret
weapons are vastly superior to anything
the enemy has to offer. Bombs for the
Air Forces-bombs of small and block
buster" size In such quantities that
thousands Of tons may be dropped daily
on enemy nstallations-these, too, are
ordnance products.
All the mobile weapons of war, each
having necessary auxiliares, add their
heavy totals to the list of ordnance
products. The list of parts alone for
ordnance items runs to total of $780,
900. They range from precision instru-
ments and the final l,0O0-pound drive
Tor tank, to springs 50 tiny that dozens
OF them are kept in a small phial. Re-
placement parts for each item are
needed at every conceivable point of
future demand. Ordnance troops are
needed to keep EN- rolling at all times.
The tools used in fitting new parts
into disabled equipment total more than
2s,00o About $4,000 of these items are
OF the kinds we all know, but the other
10000 are specials. They are as essen
tial As the Meapnns themsaluas