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Old 01-11-2009, 11:45 AM
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Thumbs up I DIDNT KNOW PONTIAC MADE THIS

Guys i took a trip with a buddy into MASSACHUSETTS. We went to the springfield armory museum. WOW was i impressed & recommend it to anyone who can make it there & see all thens & how they were made. Truely an incredible museum. BUT DID YOU KNOW.........
there was a section of machine guns. there was a gun ive never seen before & IT WAS BIG from a jet fighter or bomber im not sure but you werent carrying this puppy. It was a 20mm machine gun MADE BY PONTIAC..... incredible!!!!!!!!!!!
now if i could only pick 1 up & mount to roof of my judge...... & will see how the weapon ban goes.....
I recommend this trip to any & all into guns........

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Old 01-11-2009, 12:07 PM
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I've been to the Springfield Armory a few times, as it's right in my backyard. Great place, very interesting. I however havent seen that machine gun you're talking about. Does anyone have know anything about this?

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Old 01-11-2009, 12:09 PM
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Was it like this?



During WWII, all US factories converted to production of war related items, as commanded by the military. For example, Pontiac made guns, Chrysler made ammunition, Ford made B-24s, . Goodyear made Corsairs, Ford made Jeeps (although not of the Ford design, Willys designed it).

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Old 01-11-2009, 12:16 PM
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Like all the other auto manufacturers, Pontiac had contracts to built equipment for the war effort in 1942-1945. Among other things they built the 20mm Oerlikin antiaircraft cannon, the 40mm Bofors field gun (the one in the picture above) and axles for M-5 tanks.

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Old 01-11-2009, 05:51 PM
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Thumbs up Almost all US manufacturers played a roll...

I don't think it would have been good buisness not to.

Some of these old wartime Ads are hard to find.

Did you take any pic of the gun?

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Old 01-11-2009, 07:15 PM
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PMD also made a cannon that is on Battleship Massachusetts. Our local chapter made a donation toward it's restoration after the 1998 Convention in Sturbridge on the request of John Sawruk.

There are also several other pieces made by auto manufacturers on board.

Don't forget that all American car companies stopped building cars fron 1942-1945.

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Old 01-11-2009, 07:21 PM
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I heard the GM Turbo Hydramatic Division made Torpedos.

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Old 01-11-2009, 07:38 PM
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...and Mitsubishi's bombed Pearl Harbor!

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Old 01-11-2009, 09:47 PM
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Default GMnext.com posting on WWII production

I went to GMnext.com and grabbed this list from their history section that I posted in the first place. There is also a scan of a photo album honoring the Milford Proving Ground efforts in WWII which I will leave as an exercize for the digitally skilled.
The story at the end is true and I was the one to take the call. Pontiac did make artillery shells but had no HE

Look closely for the joke at the end of the list
And if you have anything to contribute to the WIKI, please do
Thanks
================================================== ======


Here is a list of the WWII General Motors War Material Production 1940-45: (This is the best list I could assemble from the contemporary sources at war's end)

198,000 Diesel engines for tanks & landing craft
206,000 Airplane engines
13,000 Complete bombers and fighter planes
97,000 Aircraft propellors
301,000 Aircraft gyroscopes
38,000 Tanks, tank destroyers and armored vehicles
854,000 Trucks, including amhibious DUKWs
190,000 Cannons
1,900,000 Machine guns and submachine guns
3,142,000 Carbines
3,826,000 Electric motors
11,111,000 Fuses
360,000,000 Ball and roller bearings
119,562,000 Shells
39,181,000 Cartridge cases
540,619,000 Grand Total

To this day, the government has not forgotten GM's contribution.

EPA call recently to inquire if there was any leftover High Explosive (HE) on the Pontiac site, After we posed some logical questions: Why ship HE from the Coast to Pontiac, load the artillery shells, then ship these things back to the Coast. Loading the HE into the shells should properly be done at the port just prior to loading the transport ship.

EPA was satisfied with our logic and had no further questions.

Ralph Reinhart

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Old 01-12-2009, 12:46 AM
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I don't recall ever seeing that in the Armory, and I've been at least 10 times (I live right down the street) so now I'm going to have to go again. Thanks for pointing it out though, I will definitely look for it.

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Old 01-12-2009, 05:53 AM
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What would happen if we ever needed that production capabilities again? Would we be able to convert Toyota's plants from building cars to miltary equipment?

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Old 01-12-2009, 09:15 AM
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the gun is in the viewing room with all the chairs on the right hand side when you enter i guess its a video room . enclosed in glass are multiple machine guns & at the very end to the right, the biggest gun in there is the PONTIAC 20mm VERY IMPRESSIVE. i had my iphone & took a shot but that camera has no flash & isnt the best.. i will review & post if good enough. I LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERYDAY!!!!!! but what a place!!!!!!!

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1969 Early 01D JUDGE #s MATCH RA III 4 Spd (Concours Restored)
1969 PRO STREET GTO 2500 lbs. ALL ALUMINUM 505
1969 RARE All Glass GTO (FOR SALE) YOU NEED THIS
AC Cobra Kit Car 521 670 HP/715 Trq
LOOKING FOR V PARTS !!!!!!!!!!!!
  #13  
Old 01-12-2009, 09:22 AM
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Talking PONTIAC 20mm

How about a decal for cars.... insured by PONTIAC 20MM!!!!
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1969 Early 01D JUDGE #s MATCH RA III 4 Spd (Concours Restored)
1969 PRO STREET GTO 2500 lbs. ALL ALUMINUM 505
1969 RARE All Glass GTO (FOR SALE) YOU NEED THIS
AC Cobra Kit Car 521 670 HP/715 Trq
LOOKING FOR V PARTS !!!!!!!!!!!!
  #14  
Old 01-12-2009, 09:50 AM
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Soon after the 20mm, PMD "productized" the Central Foundary to make Nodular Iron parts.

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Old 01-12-2009, 01:11 PM
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Pontiac, Kicking Japanese ass since 1942
Next mission, 24 hrs of Daytona.

Not meant to be politically correct

  #16  
Old 01-12-2009, 01:16 PM
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ho428, that's STILL better looking than an Aztec!

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Old 01-12-2009, 11:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeff Hamlin View Post
I don't think it would have been good buisness not to.....
They didn't have a choice. The government was able to order GM (and everyone else) to stop civilian production and only produce wartime products. They also told the various companies what to build.

As the story goes, the government wanted GM to participate in the B-29 consortium. GM really didn't want to, arguing that they were already at 100% capacity with the other stuff they were making. GM got the bright idea that if they had a project that was just as important to the war effort as the B-29 maybe they could convince the government they shouldn't be in the B-29 program.

Enter the Fisher P-75 Eagle. (Body by Fisher)

After searching around a bit, they decided to build a fighter plane. Since GM didn't have a lot of experience building fighters, they decided that using existing parts would help. They took 2 Allison V-12s and mated them together, placed the engine behind the pilot (much like a P-39), and added counter-rotating propellers. They used the P-40 wings, F4U landing gear and an A-24 tail.

The resulting plane was a miserable failure and the program was canceled late 1944.

http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/fac...et.asp?id=2221

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Old 01-13-2009, 12:30 AM
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Default post victory obligations at GM

When I started at GM in the 70's, I met a millwright who had started his apprenticeship in 45, just in time to enjoy the transition to peace time manufacturing.

His first job at the plant was to destroy, torch and bury more than half the Starrett, Browne & Sharpe, and Lufkin precision tools in the entire plant with special emphasis for the stuff new in the box. I was stunned at this cause I knew how much precision tools cost. "Why?" I asked.

It was because the precision tool manufacturers had surged their production at the War Department's request and since no one could predict how long WWII would last, the manufacturers made about a 50 year supply in 3 years with the stipulation that when Peace came the excess would be destroyed and not stockpiled otherwise the companies would go bankrupt for lack of a market and their highly skilled workers would be cast adrift.

The lesson from this is that the above listed production was the result of a large population of skilled workers, and general purpose machines and lines at the plants.

Once the plants acquired more specialized equipment and became more economic in their production facilities, they lost the ability to surge by converting to other products.

And the lack of skilledtrades of all kinds impedes the ability to convert from cars to tanks.

GM is short on the skills that are necessary. China prolly has plenty so watch out.

Regards
Citydesk175

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Old 01-13-2009, 12:35 AM
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Default One of many links to info about the pontiac canon

http://www.hill.af.mil/library/facts...et.asp?id=5700

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  #20  
Old 01-13-2009, 01:02 AM
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Interesting story CityDesk, thanks for sharing.

I recall reading that manufacturers thought the GIs returning home would associate their name on (whatever piece of equipment) and fondly remember "it" saved their life, made it easier or whatever...then they would go out and buy one (car)

Kind of a "delayed" marketing theory to the troops overseas. This was forward thinking, imo, and may be why they DID make the posters and ads illustrating the equipment they made.

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