Bullets By the Billion From Evansville with Love

[Emerson Dambiggins]

I hope this works since I am terminally computer challenged but I thought this old book put out by Chrysler about the Evansville Ordnance Plant was an interesting piece of Indiana history.
Just 1 more way Hoosiers supported the warfighter!

 

[Bugzilla]

Never realized. Wish they were doing that today! Liked the picture of the guy test firing-safety glasses but no ear protection.

 

[jbombelli]

A billion? Mark me down for 1000 cases each of 9mm and 2 3/4" 00 buckshot.

 

[Slapstick]

Interesting bit of Indiana history. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Emerson Dambiggins]

Interesting bit of Indiana history. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks! I think my favorite part was the quote attributed to Chrysler President K.T. Keller: " Charley in war you can't say no. If they want 12,500,000 rounds a day we'll have to give it to them somehow." Where are men like that today?

 

[snorko]

I used to have several of the shot rounds pictured on pp. 36-37. The same plant rebuilt tanks. Powder was stored in large magazines where the 4-H grounds are now. It was staged near Hwy 41 & diamond and there was a large conveyor system which brought it into the plant.

I appraised the factory building a couple times some years ago. It was really neat to walk through.

 

[blue2golf]

Still reading but this is great! My grandmother worked here during the war. I've also walked the ground at the Ammunition Holding Area, now the Vanderburgh County 4H grounds.

Thanks for the upload.

 

[blue2golf]

I used to have several of the shot rounds pictured on pp. 36-37. The same plant rebuilt tanks. Powder was stored in large magazines where the 4-H grounds are now. It was staged near Hwy 41 & diamond and there was a large conveyor system which brought it into the plant.

I appraised the factory building a couple times some years ago. It was really neat to walk through.

A couple of months ago, a friend and I checked out the area on Maxwell Ave, trying to find remnants of that conveyor belt. We couldn't find any trace of the conveyor itself but we did find a blast wall by the powder/primer building near Diamond.

 

[Chippp1961]

Very interesting.... Thanks

 

[MrSmitty]

I work in a plant that is built on the land that used to be the Indiana Army ammunition Plant, Charlestown, In. When I was younger we used to go up to Friendship for the muzzleloading shoots, we would drive by the remnants of the plant, and the Jefferson Proving grounds near Madison...

 

[snorko]

A couple of months ago, a friend and I checked out the area on Maxwell Ave, trying to find remnants of that conveyor belt. We couldn't find any trace of the conveyor itself but we did find a blast wall by the powder/primer building near Diamond.

Anyone interested in how it was Evansville that won WWII should read the Book Evansville in World War 2 by Dr. James Macleod. There are also a whole series of coffee table books by Harold Morgan as well on the various plants and development.

 

[DadSmith]

Thank you all for a great thread of our Hoosier history. I enjoyed the read and downloaded the pdf file to share.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

My grandmother worked there for a couple of years while grandpa was overseas.

She wasn't "Rosie the Riveter", but maybe "Beatrice the Bullet"?

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[chevyguy]

I used to have several of the shot rounds pictured on pp. 36-37. The same plant rebuilt tanks. Powder was stored in large magazines where the 4-H grounds are now. It was staged near Hwy 41 & diamond and there was a large conveyor system which brought it into the plant.

I appraised the factory building a couple times some years ago. It was really neat to walk through.

Now when you say 41 and Diamond, you mean Old 41 across from the southbound offramp, correct?

 

[chevyguy]

My grandma worked at Republic and the ship yard.

 

[snorko]

Now when you say 41 and Diamond, you mean Old 41 across from the southbound offramp, correct?

Train track & Diamond roughly, inside the tank test track I believe.

 

[actaeon277]

Kingsbury in Porter County was an artillery test range.
Lots of areas closed off due to shells.

Outside my steel mill is a big concrete building that they tested tank barrels in.
Gary, IN

 

[Lee11b]

Thank you so much for sharing!!! Huge history buff here. They are remodeling part of the GE Factory grounds to be a mall and shopping. The neat thing is they aren't tearing the buildings down. GE produced almost all our communication equipment for WW2. International had a huge factory producing engines and transmissions for tanks and other vehicles.

 

[Brian Keith]

Love learning more about Indiana Military History! Thanks!
First found a copy of that book when I was in high school (late '70's) Fascinating! Steel cased ammo, "repack", great stuff! And, it was done in about five years!
Indiana did it's fair share to beat the Axis! Norden bomb sights assembled in Indianapolis, Tanks built up north, compasses built by a music instrument maker-Conn in Elkhart, HBT uniforms made in Portland and Richmond. Don't forget Jeffersonville Depot (JQMD)!
BKW