MANUFACTURING 3-INCH ANTI-AIRCRAFT SHELLS WORLD WAR II ORDNANCE FILM FRANKFORD ARSENAL 10414

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This black & white promotional/educational film is about making shells in populated areas of the USA. The date of the production is 1939 based on the title credits.
Credits: Produced by The Signal Corps in collaboration with the Chief of Ordnance 1939 - Manufacturing Shell For 3 inch Anti-Aircraft Guns (:07-:27). This film will show how make the shell our narrator tells us at the Frankford Arsenal factory in Philadelphia, PA. Exterior shots of the factory are shown. This was made to show that there are no hazards with building shells in populated areas (:28-1:07). Steel bars are shown whole and then being cut. Size is discussed. Men in the factory are at work. How to make the shell is explained and shown. The bar is shown before heating and then in succession based on what station, first, second, third, and fourth and final station. The forging is shown. A crank press shears them. The outer shell is seen going into the air outside for cooling (1:08-4:31). Our workers continue to make them. The rotating bands are cut. Walls of the shell are used as a test specimen (4:32-7:05). Forgings are placed into a machine to smooth since the explosives are to be loaded into this cavity. They are then sent to the shell machining shop. The shell is centered. All of the procedure is shown and explained. Process inspection follows. The shell is played with and made sure to be of use (7:06-10:47). The shell is placed into a drilling and tap machine. Watch as the process continues. More of the procedure is shown. Lots of closeups of the machines at work. Slow and thorough. The shell is almost done. Base is finished (10:48-13:16). The shell is notched next. Stamping machine is next. The process continues as it continues on its way. A band is going to be placed onto the shell. It is time to have it be ready for its finished size, this is shown. A steel disc is welded to the base of the shell (13:17-17:01). Washed in a hot bath is next for the shell. Final inspection table is next. Size and specs it should be are listed. Dimensional and weight tolerances have been given to the shell and must be abided by. Workers work on and weigh the shell casings (17:02-19:00). Men lift the casings. A protective coating grease is placed on the approved ones. Final steps performed on the shells. Shells then packed to be shipped to the assembly plant (19:01-20:24). End credit (20:25-20:31).
The Frankford Arsenal is a former United States Army ammunition plant located adjacent to the Bridesburg neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, north of the original course of Frankford Creek. The Frankford Arsenal was an entity unto itself, a virtual city within a city, and contained everything from its own police and fire departments, dining halls, motor pool, and a complete medical facility. The Arsenal was part of the U.S. Arsenal System-dedicated military establishments spread throughout the country to perform specific military missions for the Government.
From the beginning, the Frankford Arsenal was involved in the design and manufacture of munitions. As military weapons became more complex, the Center's role expanded to cover the development of a whole range of the Army's more advanced weapon systems. The Arsenal contained the world-famous Pitman-Dunn Laboratories along with a number of other R&D departments. Arsenal scientists and engineers designed and developed everything from basic materials to LASER guided ballistics, all produced entirely in-house from the concept phase to the fielding of the equipment. New portable and imbedded computer applications saw the development of the LASER rangefinder, fielded artillery computational machines (FADAC) and radar systems. During the Vietnam War, experiments in caseless ammunition, far-infrared low-light-level technologies, and advanced LASER applications were under development.
As the U.S. military-industrial complex grew, the Arsenal could no longer compete as a manufacturing entity. More and more of its programs were farmed out to industry. The Arsenal's functions were eventually transferred to the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey.
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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit www.PeriscopeFilm.com

[@tylerc7336]

Knowing how many of these shells were used, it's crazy how much labor goes into making just one

[@dickJohnsonpeter]

Yea, for something that just instantly becomes garbage as soon as it's used. Of course that's, just how bullet casings work but it seems they could have found a more efficient way to make them. I thought they would be made by constantly cutting shell size lengths off long pieces of pipe then fitting the end piece on. All tje machining could probably be avoided by tossing a whole bunch of the cylindrical cut-offs in one of those big tumblers filled with a medium soft enough to smooth them all out. Then the end part just welded or pressed on. I suppose they needed to each be perfect though so had to pretty much be hand made one at a time like this.

[@additudeobx]

I did a stop and time on the operation they guy said, 1000 shells in 8 hours..... That works out to one shell every 29-ish seconds and sure enough, that operator was right on that schedule.

[@jfan4reva]

@@additudeobx The M3 3 inch anti-aircraft gun could fire 25 rounds per minute, so on a 'bad day' the gun might shoot an entire 8-hour day's worth in 40 minutes. One gun. It's no wonder they went to the time and expense to create all of these specialized machines.

[@dingdong2103]

@19:08 the worker made a mistake, he skipped the greasing of one shell.

[@phillhuddleston9445]

@@jfan4reva They are not constantly shooting, that would melt the gun.

[@dave131]

Imagine all the engineering that went into designing the machines used to make those shells. With pencil, ruler and paper.

[@marbleman52]

Dave....Yes, my thoughts too; I was as fascinated with the different machines as I was with the work being done. I was a manual metal working Lathe operator for almost 20 years and then spent a few years running an EDM machine and a CNC machine and a few other machine shop tools, so I am always interested in the machines that someone...someones...had to think up and manufacture...amazing..!!

[@flybyairplane3528]

Dave that’s how KELLY JOHNSTON, of LOCKHEED SKUNK WORKS DID IT , no computers , or personnel calculators, only slide rules & pencils, speaking of which, we spent a fortune developing them SPACR BALL POINT PEN, you can buy then now, but the RUSSIANS QUICKLY solved the problem by using lead pencils , OH WELL, Cheers From NJ 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@dave131]

@@flybyairplane3528 He's the one that designed the SR-71 right ? Blows my mind what they were able to do without computers. Some say he had a little help ? #aliens lmao

[@TheTeehee11111]

@@dave131 They had early computers, but for sure most of the work was done by brain power.

[@BELCAN57]

Those machines were manufactured in the United States.

[@jonathanrabbitt]

The sheer scale of wartime production just blows my mind.

[@jimbienkowski7857]

There is a good video of casting , boring and rifling 12 inch naval guns from WW1

[@flybyairplane3528]

Jim Bienkowski hello, have you eve been able to visit any of those surging WARSHIPS ? I was able to visit the USS TEXAS IN 1994 while there on a convention , 2 busloads, man Those 18 ‘ guns are DAMNED IMPRESSIVE ! Make you stand back & THINK, here it is I live in NJ, but never been to visit the USS NEW JERSEY, which last was used in VIETNAM, Miley off shore , Cheers From NJ 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@jimbienkowski7857]

@@flybyairplane3528 I've visited the USS New Jersey 2 times. And the USS Olympia in Philly and Camden.

[@michaelmace924]

@@jimbienkowski7857 the most decorated war ship ever

[@joefish6091]

societies exist and run for war production. all about the money, making profit from prep and war spoils after.

[@j.dragon651]

My mother made 40mm tracer ammo. My father ran the shop floor. If it weren't for WW11 I wouldn't be here. I was a machinist for over 50 years, I can relate to this video and saw all the change that went down in the industry with CNC machining. I wound up a CNC programmer. All thanks to my father teaching me basic blueprint reading and how to read precision measuring instruments when I was a teenager. The trade did me well.

[@j.dragon651]

@Colin Mor They are dying to find machinists, young people are not entering the field. It is one of the few jobs where if you have the aptitude you can get in on the ground floor and earn while you learn. If you live out in the middle of nowhere it is a bit more difficult, I always lived within an hours drive to my jobs. I could have moved closer but I didn't want to live in a built up area. Just about anyone can be a CNC machine operator, to be a machinist is a bit more difficult. I saw many a smart man wash out.

[@phillamoore157]

@@j.dragon651 Until the hiring practices of those places changes, they will NEVER fill those positions. I guarantee you that if a 40-50yr old white guy (with a proven work-ethic, and references) showed up to "earn while he learned", because he's sick of left-wing politics in garden-variety corporations....they wouldn't want any part of him. *As a matter of fact he probably wouldn't even be interviewed.* They're looking for cheap labor, in their late teens, and early 20's that are minorities, women (or, minority women) that speak English, has a good work-ethic, an appreciative attitude, that won't sue them for racism/sexual harassment because they get written up for habitually coming into work with a bullsh*t attitude, and sense of entitlement. *And, that virtually doesn't exist.* THAT's why these place can't fill these positions. NOT because people don't want to work in the "trades".

[@j.dragon651]

@@phillamoore157 How long have you worked in the manufacturing field? Do you think machinists become machinists by going to school? It doesn't hurt, but when you come out, like any other trade, you have a long way to go and a lot to learn. The machine operator jobs you are talking about can be filled by just about anyone. I used to joke they would get monkeys to do the job if they could find ones stupid enough to take the job. And what does left-wing politics in garden-variety corporations have to do with anything? What the hell are you talking about?

[@phillamoore157]

@@j.dragon651 Jfc....What does left-wing politics have to do with anything???? Either you're living under a rock, are apart of the very left-wing politics I'm referring to (and somehow benefitting from it), or you work at a company that somehow isn't effected by it (which is virtually impossible). If you're that detached from the world, then nothing I say can help you. Go watch a few Mike Rowe videos....that will tell you fundamentally just about everything you need to know. Better yet, you write down a list of all the reasons there's a shortage in your industry (i.e...pay, training, work-environment, education, culture, competitive industry, industry appeal to workers, government regulations, etc, etc..) And, I'll point it STRAIGHT back to left-wing politics (and a couple that are right wing for that matter) WITH proof.

[@j.dragon651]

​@@phillamoore157 When you reach my age an some more experience in life get back to me.

[@justsittinhere72]

The same guy narrates every recording that ever came out during war times.

[@svtirefire]

Except in this video it seems he had a few less cups of coffee than normal before recording.

[@rocksnot952]

Now you know what Ronald Reagan was doing.

[@hubbsllc]

It's called the "mid-Atlantic accent" - the "mid-Atlantic" jokingly meaning halfway between the US and England. It's an affected way of talking that was taught in some circles during the early 20th century; it's by no means the way any actual people talked normally. You hear it a lot in film and radio of the era. It's "FDR-speak." :)

[@normfreilinger5655]

Lowe Thomas ?

[@philbell7952]

Sounds like the same one when I joined the navy (6-6-61

[@madmanmapper]

I like how the air quench is literally just dropping them on the ground in front of a fan.

[@jbrock8596]

Just rubbing a little dirt on them and leaving them alone for a while in a gentle breeze is what makes them really deadly.

[@ichabodon]

A lot of work required for a 3” shell and yet millions were made. An incredible time.

[@BoomerKeith1]

I was just thinking the same thing. And there were more than one manufacturer.

[@blue03r6]

yeah we need lazers lol

[@gordon4385]

We should be making ventilators with that speed.

[@demizer1968]

The 3 inch was used only out of necessity and was gone by fall of 42. Replaced by 20mm and 40mm

[@HeaanLasai]

@Colorado Cyber It's not impossible today. Modern shells are infinitely more complex to make. Usually requiring multiple X-ray exams to verify the position of prefragmented tungsten carbide, fluorescent die & borescopes to search for microfractures... ...all manual.

[@mikhailkimbel91]

Im an engineer in a forging plant, we still use these exact same 3" upsetters every day in the same manner to make parts for the automotive industry crazy to see not much has changed!

[@EitriBrokkr]

Where do you think the factory got them from?

[@kevinbean3679]

Guns or butter, or guns and auto parts, same machining

[@82accs]

I worked in a small machine shop in the late '70s to mid '80s, making parts for the M60 Tank. Our biggest product was the Turret Hand Traverse Assembly. It's interesting to see much older versions of the machines we ran, even though our equipment was nothing like the high tech machines of today. I used to do some of the inspecting and adjustments for the other guys work, and I remember the random visits by Govt inspectors running tests on the finished assemblies. While our parts weren't going directly into any wars (that we knew of), the guys in this video must have felt immense pride that the pieces they were making were just a few hands away from going into guns to protect us and others around the World!

[@stefanspett7790]

I think the film is pre war. Old gun, no women, no black people, many men of military age.

[@mnoble2288]

You can’t really say your parts didn’t go to war.Not in the sense of WW2,but the M-60 was our main battle tank back in the 70’s and early 80’s and on the frontlines of the cold war in Europe,just a tick away from turning hot. I was there.Thank you

[@formisfunction1861]

Those parts you made did go to war. I saw MANY American M-60 tanks and tank variants slugging away in the short Persian Gulf War. Also many M-60's were transferred to allies who put them to combat use. I suspect some of those variants and parts were used in the endless wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. From What I have seen and heard, you and your colleagues made excellent machinery.

[@82accs]

@@formisfunction1861 Thank you for that info! I always wondered where our products would wind up after they were shipped out. I have recently seen photos of our some of our assemblies inside of the tanks, and even though it's been over forty years since I made them, I can still point out every feature of each component and picture the different setups for each cut and the different machines we had to use!

[@robertfogarty3253]

We're these machines built just for this or a existing tool used

[@JustAPatriot23]

As a machinist in the defense manufacturing industry I enjoy seeing videos like these

[@dave29123]

I'm curious whether there is as much human labor involved now or are more of the steps automated? Several of the steps involve measuring or spraying which I can easily imagine a machine completing.

[@Luzt.]

Defense? Really? War Dept.

[@fredflintstone6315]

No safety glasses or hard hat in sight....

[@eddiedemartini9961]

I have an old 5-inch naval AA shell(dummy) with a Mk 18 fuze and it's crazy how complicated and intricate the thing is. Bulletpicker is a great site that has lots of info about shells, fuzes, explosives, and other stuff.

[@JustAPatriot23]

@Eddie DeMartini that's awesome I'd love to find an old piece like that. Thanks for the information

[@hootinouts]

I like the air quench: a floor fan. High tech stuff like that high speed cut off machine (power hacksaw)

[@arabcadabra8863]

I thought that was hilarious. They all just fall into a pile!

[@Tj-556]

Simple yet effective

[@Quagigitymire]

lol... right? im sure the sales brochure reads a whole lot better using "air quench" as apposed to " dropped off rollers onto a concrete floor in front of a fan"...

[@7pines77]

I’m surprised they didn’t use a horizontal band saw

[@make0urday66]

Presentation is everything bud

[@StonesAndSand]

I always make sure that I remember these men and women every Veterans Day. They are truly the heroes behind the heroes.

[@raydunakin]

Two thoughts: 1. A staggering amount of work goes into making each shell! 2. All the machines used to make them are amazing, and fascinating!

[@mikeburch2998]

They sure are. Even now the engineering that went into those machines is just amazing. Lot's of steps but it worked great. It was nice to watch.

[@Not-TheOne]

yes, and they probably ran 24/7

[@blipblip88]

Yes. My reaction as well! A bundle of work, effort, and attention went into a single shell fire. Crazy, but amazing!

[@thakurboys5962]

All the machines are special purpose machines.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

I worked at a machine shop making high grade bolts and we had at least 1 hand fed threader from ww2 era.

[@7pines77]

The machines they made back then to manufacture these parts are what amazes me

[@davelowets]

Have you seen close-ups of TODAY'S machines?

[@pouncepounce7417]

@@davelowets todays machines feel like cheating with computers doing a lot of the adjustusting and process, they did it all with springs cogs and such!

[@robertvierra9917]

And don't forget that it was all done without a calculator either, those people sure were good with a sliderule. Now think about going to the moon, your watch has more computational power than they ever had for the Apollo missions.

[@chrisbammer4946]

@@robertvierra9917 Yeah but everyone knows that they faked those moon missions to demoralize the russians

[@andreasroth1123]

"How it's made" 1939 edition

[@davidepperson2376]

lol

[@patrickwalker2509]

1939....and the usa not at war yet ! exports for the uk?

[@jameshall3747]

@@patrickwalker2509 Likely standard production for replacing target practice shots, although i'm sure some of these made it to the Uk and perhaps Russia, though we'd have to send guns for them to use with it too.

[@svtirefire]

@ArmchairWarrior Your username is quite fitting lol

[@BigDaddy-yp4mi]

But better!

[@schaumburgerwaffen]

I love to watch this old footage. The amount of handcraft put into each single shell is incredible by todays standards. Thank you for uploading!

[@TheRenegade2.]

My grandparents met at the Frankford arsenal during the war. Thank god for this place because I wouldn’t be here and neither would a lot of us if it weren’t for all the people that worked there during the war. I drive by there every day on my way to work and wish I could have seen it ins heyday.

[@danielebrparish4271]

1816 - 1977

[@joelspringman7748]

You're right, Renegade, my brothers and I wouldn't be here either.

[@MrJoeGarner]

Being a machinist I find this process interesting.

[@StonesAndSand]

Same here. Ironically, I ran similar equipment well into the early 80s as an apprentice.

[@TralfazConstruction]

Hear, hear.

[@kirschkern8260]

For all this Workers and Owners of this Production ,there must be paid alot money. (They become depended on selling murderer Products) They earn their money by producing a Destruction Thing. Its useless no its even make only Demage to all sides of any war or Confluct area. But still they will sell it to both sides of Conflict. And thats how they earn money. By murderer. This shows how they manufacture it. But they not show that, the owner of this "business" also owns NewsPaper, Radiostation, TV stations , and other Media. The owner of this murderer-products-Shop also suport Conflicts, so then they can sell weapons(murderer Products) to both sides of the conflict. TO EARN MONEY BY MURDER OTHER PEOPLE. that are monsters and terrorists by all meaning.

[@phillhuddleston9445]

@@kirschkern8260 Nope, each side made their own munitions, aircraft and other weaponry.

[@1cncguy]

@TheSpecialistGamerX2 To your question, it depends where you work and the type of work your doing, I started machining 30 years ago because I enjoyed the type of work I was doing and I heard the pay was good. That's not true today as everything is outsourced to China. I've made alot of interesting stuff over the years, but wouldn't recommend a manufacturing profession even at engineer level.

[@GaudiaCertaminisGaming]

Insane amount of effort. I’d always assumed that she’ll casings were just stamped out of sheet metal. An eye opener.

[@Dave-in-MD]

Those aren't shell casings but the projectile itself.

[@pwnmeisterage]

Imagine what might be accomplished if nations spent all this time, energy, material, and effort in the construction of things other than weapons.

[@Skinflaps_Meatslapper]

@@pwnmeisterageoppycock. Who's going to buy or pay for all that stuff you're suggesting? Taxes and bonds paid for all of those shells, the average citizen gave far more of their personal money to the government than we are now because they didn't want to lose the war. The stuff you're suggesting nations make, what would they use all that surplus stuff for? If 20 billion screws were suddenly made, the world wouldn't start constructing decks and patios. After WWII there was a surplus of thousands upon thousands of the most expensive cutting edge aircraft that the world had ever seen. They could've been repurposed for all sorts of useful and essential jobs in a peaceful world, but instead virtually all of them were crushed and melted down for raw aluminum to make Aunt Pam's cheap aluminum cookie sheet. The Packard Merlin engines that gave our fighter pilots the edge over our enemies ended up living out the rest of their short lives pumping wellwater to farms, a job they were ill-suited for. That's how the world treats surplus, and that's how your stuff would be treated too.

[@gumecindogarcia1070]

@@pwnmeisterage east of the Mississippi would speak German and the west Japanese, but I know what you mean

[@tomstiel7576]

@@gumecindogarcia1070 you got that right

[@rollinmckim4719]

MAN ALIVE....... I'm a reloader, and thought precision reloading of 6.5 Creedmoors was demanding. Man, I'm just a powderpuff. These guys in the plants helped win the war for us in the biggest way. Giving us the stuff to fight with!!! Kudos, you heroes, whether with us or gone on......Kudos. God Bless!

[@bloqk16]

It was such manpower needed with manufacturing that the US military services were getting hard-pressed in 1945 to have available manpower for combat soldiers.

[@davelowets]

@Dave Smith BOTH...

[@joekurtz8303]

I was a material handler at a similar factory in the 80's. The shell has to be correct to survive the launch, and become at its terminus. You wouldn't want the crew harmed firing the gun by a premature explosion. Shoddy workmanship is treated as sabotage, with a heavy penalty in this industry.

[@kirschkern8260]

For all this Workers and Owners of this Production ,there must be paid alot money. (They become depended on selling murderer Products) They earn their money by producing a Destruction Thing. Its useless no its even make only Demage to all sides of any war or Confluct area. But still they will sell it to both sides of Conflict. And thats how they earn money. By murderer. This shows how they manufacture it. But they not show that, the owner of this "business" also owns NewsPaper, Radiostation, TV stations , and other Media. The owner of this murderer-products-Shop also suport Conflicts, so then they can sell weapons(murderer Products) to both sides of the conflict. TO EARN MONEY BY MURDER OTHER PEOPLE. that are monsters and terrorists by all meaning.

[@boedhaspeaks]

@@kirschkern8260 Get used to it, snowflake. People always kill, have sex and will earn money.

[@kirschkern8260]

@@boedhaspeaks thank you for calling me Snowflake :)

[@rj4590]

@TheSpecialistGamerX2 Don't waste your time reasoning with an ignorant idiot...

[@Mercmad]

@TheSpecialistGamerX2 Looking At the vehicles passing by at the beginning I'd say closer to `1936 or 37. The USA was building up arms manufacture back then just as the British and her commonwealth were. It was no secret that by 1933 that Hitler was openly flouting the Versailes treaty conditions and Churchill,having read mien Kamph knew what was going to happen. .Many people think that USA suddenly changed over to full war production after Pearl Harbour,but the truth was ,it was the congress which was refusing to allow the US to help Britain. People like Averil Harriman had millions tied up in Germany and were afraid to lose their investments.

[@trischarchuleta9865]

My god can you imagine the engineering that went into making this shell from start to finish, back when America had engineers they could figure anything out without computers at that this is amazing I still love the watch these old videos it just blows my mind

[@wellshutch]

The Germans could afford to spend more time on engineering because all the labor was done by starving slaves

[@davelowets]

@@wellshutch We're not talking about Germany here. This is America. Don't try and start shit here...

[@eddiedemartini9961]

I have an old 5-inch naval AA shell(dummy) with a Mk 18 fuze and it's crazy how complicated and intricate the thing is. Bulletpicker is a great site that has lots of info about shells, fuzes, explosives, and other stuff.

[@Rubbernecker]

Every person in that video helped win the war.

[@johncastanon7577]

After reading all these comments I realized I had little to add, but it does explain why I pay so much for artillery shells.

[@ralphralpherson9441]

It is straight up crazy to watch this knowing how much faster, more efficiently, more automated, and more precisely this can be done today, and with a fraction of the material waste... It's just nuts that they had to do ALL THAT WORK for every shell as half the world's armies were out lobbing this things at one another. Really gives some perspective to how big of a war this was.... before we even START to look at casualties and loss in infrastructure.

[@patrickroeill8746]

I was lucky enough to work and learn from this generation.Most had a very good work ethic

[@michaelmace924]

I drive past the Frankford Arsenal everyday. It was cool to see it back in the day. I bet those machines are still in there.

[@86FxBdyCpe]

No kidding, is it still being used for current day munitions?

[@milesobrien2694]

I'm kind of saddened that there are so many comments that display a complete lack of knowledge of anything more than 10 years old. You sit around watching 10 second tik-tok videos, 5 minute films trailers and KZbin videos showing how you can be an "expert" videographer in half an hour. That was the reality back then. You don't make the connection between what labor was back then and now. All those men supported families, lived good lives and felt their work was valued. They actually made something. Almost no one I know under 40 has a direct connection to someone who makes anything in a factory. I applaud you taking the time to do a little history research but your questions make me cry.

[@miguelcastaneda7236]

well i have 45 years plus everthing screw machines ..nc prototype ..and also back in day when you had to be bonded to work on jobs and also goverment jobs..back then a 60..70 hr week was normal..even worked in shop where everthing ran off a single overhead shaft..had to be fast

[@Redmenace96]

@@miguelcastaneda7236 Single overhead shaft? Try to explain how that worked to the young people.....

[@adamsmith5151]

Most younglings nowadays will quit a job if they sweat one bead. lol

[@whydahell3816]

Damn well said Mr.!!! I'm a 45 yr old machinist. 27 yrs of it.!!!

[@milesobrien2694]

@Jangus Roundstone I had friends who worked in factories during the war. The vast majority felt great pride to be working to help their country win the war. Many men were disappointed to not be allowed to enter the military. What you're expressing is the opinion of someone who has no idea of what a war is. You've never felt privation and your patriotism is Tweeting some BS. You want to project your own disaffection for how your life is working out? Go ahead.

[@evensteven8719]

Love everyone's PPE.I would say the guy with the manual sprayer lived a short life breathing those fumes.My grandmother and 2 of her sisters loaded shells outside of Newark Ohio during WW2,The rounds were only moved at night to be put on rail to help keep the location from possibly getting into enemy hands.those buildings still stand today hidden in some hills across from a campground on drycreek road.it has been turned into a Chevy only junkyard.Hats off to the many ladies who kept "our boys" in the fight.THANK YOU TO THE GREATEST GENERATION!!!!!!

[@davelowets]

I agree... EVERYONE back then did their part to help support mankind and their country. Today, there are WAY too many snowflakes, that would totally melt when the hard work hit the fan, if our country would end up in that same situation again. It's SURELY a sad state of affairs that we currently live in.

[@colinmiles1052]

I had no idea shells were produced to such fine tolerances! (My dad worked at the Woolwich Arsenal at the start of WW2 but never spoke of the work there).

[@clark9992]

Spike Milligan did too, before being drafted.

[@BA-gn3qb]

Now, I want to see how they made all the machines that are used to make the shells.

[@isaiahsspontaneouscontent9111]

Same question I asked myself about machines creating machines

[@Crashed131963]

@@isaiahsspontaneouscontent9111 They need a lathe to make a lathe but how did they make the first lathe?

[@adamsmith5151]

John Smith I’ll get back to you after I figure out the chicken or the egg.

[@Broken_Yugo]

@@Crashed131963 You start by making a flat reference surface with the "three plate method" and go from there.

[@mrb692]

Adam Smith Eggs were a thing long before chickens came around :)

[@williesnyder2899]

Fascinating!! And hopefully no fingers, toes, eyes or heads were harmed in the making of his highly informative film!! “Measure twice - Cut once - “

[@m9ovich785]

I wonder how many Guys were killed by these in the War...

[@TakashiAmanoOriginal]

Engineering from this time was something special for sure

[@joelspringman7748]

"Necessity it the mother of invention."

[@maestrovso]

When an enemy plane got hit by one of those, the pilot can appreciate how much care we put into the greeting present for their visits.

[@robertcretu4363]

That kind of precision and dedication made America great

[@BillKinsman]

I never imagined that there were so many steps in manufacturing these kinds of things.

[@davidsike734]

My ex brother in law owner a machine shop and I saw the work he did for the petroleum industry. The engineering here (because of the limited technology) is amazing; also the tenacity of the workers who do that repetitive work day in and day out for 4-5 years of war.

[@danceswithstone]

Tenaciousness is a trait more easily found in men with four or five, seven, nine, twelve, children! 😂🤣

[@originaljcs]

In 1939 those guys were grateful to have a steady job.

[@davidsike734]

@@karlwithak1835 You can still be tenacious with fear as a motivator.

[@davidsike734]

@@karlwithak1835 Wow Carl your insight to my life history is amazing, it's borderline....moronic. Just because I never worked in a machine shop during war time doesn't enable you to conclude someone has never worked or "been a worker", quite the contrary, I worked in construction as a carpenter outdoors in the Texas heat (95-100 degrees ) and we had quota's and time constraints to finish the job or you would be either replaced or not awarded another job. I /we worked on residential and commercial buildings from 1978-1985 and I'm 66 now and still cut my own grass(push mower) and maintain my own yard.

[@JR-bj3uf]

My dad and my grandfather worked at Murry Gin company in Dallas Texas making shells for the war. The shells they made were bigger. We had a lamp made from a reject shell and my grandfather had several floor ash trays made from the base of these shells.

[@davelowets]

@Dave Smith Why? Because they made bigger shells? The only "super gay" thing about this whole comment section is that the O.P. just HAD to throw the "My dad's dong is bigger than you dad's" comment in his post.

[@markharlock6474]

@@davelowets ??

[@user-njyzcip]

1:19 "The bars are cut off using a high speed cutoff machine" *Shows a reciprocating hacksaw*

[@droceretik]

Go back 80 years and kick his arse. The lying bastard.

[@svtirefire]

That WAS a high speed cutoff machine at the time lol

[@Wingman4l7]

Lol yeah I thought it'd be some sort of bandsaw.

[@Sicktrickintuner]

Wingman4l7 That technology didn’t exist back then, it was a simpler time.

[@hootinouts]

I laughed out loud when the narrator said that.

[@collectorguy4379]

Unbelievable the amount of processes for this AND it's not even finished yet!

[@GrandmasFolly]

Their work attire is nicer than 99% of everyone’s daily modern wear.

[@chuckboyle8456]

Outstanding video, thanks. The Frankford Arsenal & Philadelphia Naval Shipyard were the arsenals of democracy that built the ordnance and ships that won WWII. This film captures a mere overview of the skill, capabilities & commitment of a generation that forged freedom for the warfighters every day. Philadelphia today is more concerned with transgender bathrooms and “safe injection sites” for drug addicts than producing goods to defend against America against our foreign enemies!

[@marosenmd1664]

Thanks So Much for uploading films like these. I can't gett enough of these old films re: manufacturing and testing of WWII ordnance of all kinds. Its amazing that shop aprons is all the PPE these guys wore! Thanks again! Mike R.

[@WhatIsYourMalfunction]

Can;t believe they were smoking and just using bare hands.

[@maxhammontree3169]

I love old films like this!

[@MrBlue-ib7oi]

18:01 Can you imagine this guy's back after an 8 hour shift?

[@DxBlack]

He worked 16 Tons And what did he get Another day older But at least he was free (From Tyranny and debt).

[@BrassLock]

Just like the posture of an Aussie/Kiwi sheep shearer. They used a spring support fitted to a harness to protect their back, but still allowed flexibility.

[@MrBlue-ib7oi]

@@BrassLock now that seems prretty cool.

[@owenauer3406]

That's amazing, all those steps to got thru, not to mention the machines that have to be made.

[@christiandampf8327]

Bei so vielen Schritten in der Produktion muss dieses Projektil wertvoll sein und man muss direkt danke sagen für so ein Geschenk!💞💋

[@AngeliqueKaga]

All that work for a few seconds of shooting, this is amazing.

[@incognitotorpedo42]

Think of the work that goes into a precision weapon like a Javelin.

[@adamsmith5151]

ME: “OSHA!” Anyone in that factory: “Gesundheit.”

[@kurdaitcha5806]

Why would they wish good health to you?

[@adamsmith5151]

Bongfinger Man OSHA is a USA government agency for safety at the workplace. There wasn’t OSHA Back then so they would mistake my saying OSHA as a sneeze instead.

[@mntmn4228]

Don’t think they would speak German while building arms to fight them

[@rickprice6312]

@@mntmn4228 Largest ethnicity in the USA is German. Many last names were Anglicized last century. I was taken aback by the lack of safety glasses in particular -- especially the guy final lathing the band.

[@aevangel1]

As a modern machinist, I was cringing and biting my nails this whole video.

[@dev_echo]

Man!!! I thought making these were relatively easy!! Completely blew my mind! Soo much engineering goes into these things!..

[@darrellh1840]

Amazing what each shell went thru! Thanks for sharing this video!

[@marinkhan3066]

When u see how much work goes to make a shell and how easy is to fire it wastefuly , is mind boggling

[@newjerseybt]

War itself is waste.

[@T3hderk87]

Well maybe not wastefully, but certainly overkill was the 5 in AA coming off of every ship in the Pacific theater when bandits were called! Don't know what round this exactly was for, might be 75mm high explosive for the m4.

[@TheTeehee11111]

@@T3hderk87 It was written ''AAHE'' on the wooden crate so for anti air cannnons.

[@GR46404]

The US armed forces had 3 different 3-inch AA guns at the time this film was made (AFAIK). The US Army had one, and the Navy had two. The Army 3-inch AA gun was obsolescent at the time of Pearl Harbor. It saw action in the Philippines and maybe a few other places, but it was already being replaced by a 90mm gun. The Navy had both a 3 inch 23 caliber AA gun and a 3 inch 50 caliber. The 23 caliber was obsolescent at the time of Pearl Harbor, but saw some action in 1942. The 3-inch 50 caliber served throughout the war, but as you say, had been replaced by the 5 inch gun as the Navy's main heavy AA weapon. It was used on ships that were too small for a a 5 inch, or which were not felt worth a 5 incher. Since this film was made by the Signal Corps, I would guess these shells are for the Army gun. More than you wanted to know, right? :)

[@geofflewis4815]

Excellent film, I never realised how machining went into a shell. Geoff Lewis Wales UK 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

[@mattmaxon7783]

I worked maintenance in a factory making 155, 105 and hellfire missile warheads among several others. The process is essentially the same with some safety improvements. But in the 18 months I worked there 3 people were seriously maimed and 1 death. We also maintained large buildings full of production lines that were never used but ready for war production

[@dhcrouchmarineltd3049]

Wow, that is insightful. Thanks and sorry to hear about the injury and loss of life.

[@justgivemethetruth]

What do you think happened to all these workers with no masks poor ventilation and no eye ear protection?

[@BeeHiverson]

@@justgivemethetruth they likely lived happily ever after

[@dodgeplow]

@@BeeHiverson No they didn't. Most suffered hearing at least some hearing loss, many a significant amount. The guys working in the plating section would get liver and kidney toxicity from the cadmium. The guys at the barrel factories or anything involving chrome would get nasal/sinus/lung cancer (look up "chrome holes" for an interesting read). Plus, any of these places that had forges and furnaces had a heavy load of asbestos that would've created problems for them 30-40 years later (asbestos lung, mesothelioma, and other lung cancers). They weren't as aware of it in the 30s, but in the following decades they figured out these guys had a significant hit to their health.

[@BeeHiverson]

@@dodgeplow facetiousnesses

[@theenglishman9596]

Bloody nora, I have now been educated in what I thought would be a very simple and quick procedure. So many machining operations for what I thought is a simple shell head, well i am impressed, especially with the different machines.

[@mattjohnson9743]

I agree with mr. Joe Kurtz. I worked at the aircraft carrier Assembly factory. As a pipe fitter I take great care with all systems.

[@roughneck6103]

I'm a "practicing" reloader. I have some Frankfurt Arsenal reloading equipment. I generally stray away from their stuff for anything that requires precision because of a lack of quality IMO. I didn't realize they played a part in ww2. I now have a little more respect for the company as a whole.

[@capriracer351]

1:21 We had one of those mechanical hack saws where I work back when I started there almost 30 years ago. That shop in the War was repurposed to make much larger artillery shells than what is in this video. About 20 years ago it went in an auction of old equipment they offered to the employees. I got a 500 amp Lincoln stick welder, a Browning surface grinder from the 1930's, a tool grinder that still has the official "War Finish" tag on it and a belt drive drill press from the 1920's.

[@jjmurff]

capriracer351: Yeah buddy! TRUMP 2020 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸💪🏻💪🏿💪🐘🐘🐘

[@Richard-pe4cx]

we have one where i work we call it the donkey saw .

[@traktorworks3200]

@@jjmurff trump fot 1500

[@fw1421]

capriracer351 Cool! Keep them for posterity! Artifacts like those may be minor but are still important. At some time you might consider donating them to the Smithsonian.

[@kbanghart]

@@jjmurff Trump for jail

[@ziggyr9746]

This is awesome... unbelievable how much work it is to make one shell... this video surprised the hell out of me

[@bobchronister3429]

The quality of the worker and the the number of shells produced is a source of amazement. I also noticed most of them either had a pipe or cigarette in their mouth. Couldn't do that today! Such an incredible generation of workers>.

[@originaljcs]

I can imagine a bunch of today's 'diversity' 'associates' shuffling about, checking their phones...

[@johnp139]

What a LABORIOUS process!

[@alextallen8019]

That's what I thought!

[@golf-n-guns]

The USA was such a powerhouse! This was back in the 30's when half the world was still living in mud huts. God Bless America!

[@markchapman2585]

Awesome video. Love these old ammo videos.

[@whiteclifffl]

Simply amazing. Each shell was hand made.

[@barackmycat9448]

A long process for just a shell. It is amazing.

[@jaye1967]

100% inspection. That's pretty intense, though I would imagine you would want that.

[@62Cristoforo]

I live in Toronto, Canada in an old brass shell manufacturing plant, built and used expressly for the war effort. I think it was a US company, Monarch Brass, which won the contract from the Canadian government. They were known originally for their fine plumbing fixtures when they re-tooled for the war and moved an office up here.

[@kennethgilbertdds7249]

Well that was amazing. A lot of dedicated, hard working people. Excellent.

[@davelowets]

It sure was... 👍 It's TOO BAD the large majority of the younger people in this country aren't built like this anymore. The dumb lazy ones seem to reproduce at a much faster rate than the good ones do. It's sad.

[@user-ge2qn6gp4o]

For some reason I never thought of shells as being nicely machined pieces from solid metal rods. I figured they would start with a hollow rod. Cool video and interesting process.

[@jfan4reva]

High precision products. Anything out of tolerance (length, diameter, wall thickness, concentricity, weight) means the gun won't even come close. Anti-aircraft gunnery was a science pushed to the point to where it was an art.

[@stefanspett7790]

Hollow castings is crimean war technology.

[@matthewsykes4814]

Little to no ppe, seriously fascinating machining processes..... would love to see those machines in person

[@fredflintstone6315]

I thought the same thing myself

[@phillippatterson9484]

My Grandfather was too old for WWII but since he had a 4 year degree in Mathematics he was hired as quality control in a munitions factory in Saint Louis. Taught High School till he died in 1971. He said the munitions job was the best paying job he ever had..

[@vikitheviki]

All that work and then boom! Mind boggling..

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

1000 shells a day. A naval battle could put that up into the air in half an hour. The magnitude of overall output is astounding.

[@davidjones-vx9ju]

yea but they were made around the clock for long time

[@DavidFMayerPhD]

Sure, actual combat is intense, but seldom lasts 24*7.

[@SnowingNapalm]

better to die free of cancer then enslaved by well I'll let you fill in the blank for the opposite option but yeah saftey standards upgrades to protect our own

[@HeaanLasai]

Now THIS is interesting!

[@bensmith6051]

I could watch videos like this all day long. Oddly, I wish that I could’ve worked there. Very interesting. The craftsmanship and pride working there are both long lost.

[@davelowets]

@Dave Smith Because the new generation of "NOBODY but ME" snowflakes don't have anything but greed, laziness, and arguments in them.. 🤷🏻

[@thevacdude]

Very cool, enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing.

[@SBry94]

I’d love to go back in time and just smell that place

[@MrEh5]

Rancid lard oil

[@alextallen8019]

Go to almost any machine shop and I bet it'll smell pretty similar!

[@SBry94]

@@MrEh5 you know it’s good for you

[@gvet47]

Amazing the number of steps to make these shells. I guess a video on how they loaded these would answer more questions like why the welded on disc. Think of the thousands of these needed in the war and how slow it took to manufacture.

[@stefanspett7790]

I agree! The welded disc confused me.

[@sran5947]

@@stefanspett7790 , just an idea because like you I did not work in this kind of manufacturing. Anyway, the bottom portion is hot, very hot due to the explosion of propellant. The welded disc slowed the heat transfer to prevent spontaneous burning of the gunpowder.

[@sran5947]

@Karl with a K , thank you for the info, now we know.

[@Querencias7]

The technology of the time, mechanical engineering at its best ... but the same could be said of previous eras, much, much earlier when armament was made of wood and stone. Fascinating. Thank you for the interesting video.

[@Chris-wp3ew]

Amazing amount of work!

[@QuantumMechanic_88]

It's amazing what was accomplished long before modern CNC machines , programmers , digital calipers , micrometers and quality control . They didn't have calculators and used a slide rule ... pencil and paper .

[@johnmurrell3175]

Don't forget log tables for calculations that needed more accuracy as well as Sines & Cosines. Do they still sell them or do mine have rarity value ?

[@tomservo5347]

Back when we produced some of the highest quality steel in the world relatively cheaply. I weld pipe sometimes at my job-the stuff USA made lasts but is rare and expensive so most of it comes from India, Pakistan, Thailand, or China and we end up replacing it after 10 years. The cast stuff is atrocious-yet still costs the same as the stuff that used to be made here.

[@marosenmd1664]

Excellent point...... Mr. Servo (mystery science 3000).

[@pat36a]

First you sell lower then your competitors. Once you run them out of business, you start degrading your Quilty.

[@fringeelements]

Don't worry. We're a "service economy" now. We have lots of smart people who can think their way to riches.

[@oblivionguard2286]

@@fringeelements Didn't know you watch these vids, Alt Hype. Good to see you here.

[@marcelgaddis9319]

@Sir Scrotus capitalism is necessary so that socialism/communism has someone to take their money from.

[@Critter145]

These videos are so cool. Thank you for posting them. My grandfather worked in the armament industry during WWII developing armor piercing shells at a factory in Indiana and this makes me wonder what it must’ve been like for him to do that work.

[@hicksminingcompany]

Loved finding and disarming some old 75mm, and 105mm shells from back then!

[@mikeburch2998]

Hopefully they rotated those guys around a bit. I really wanted to see them pack the TNT into the shells. .

[@VoteScientist]

Surprising how many men still have ten fingers.

[@VoteScientist]

@AKUJIRULE machine stampers, grinders, cutters, crushers, ...

[@donjansen6568]

TNT is melted and poured.

[@kirschkern8260]

For all this Workers and Owners of this Production ,there must be paid alot money. (They become depended on selling murderer Products) They earn their money by producing a Destruction Thing. Its useless no its even make only Demage to all sides of any war or Confluct area. But still they will sell it to both sides of Conflict. And thats how they earn money. By murderer. This shows how they manufacture it. But they not show that, the owner of this "business" also owns NewsPaper, Radiostation, TV stations , and other Media. The owner of this murderer-products-Shop also suport Conflicts, so then they can sell weapons(murderer Products) to both sides of the conflict. TO EARN MONEY BY MURDER OTHER PEOPLE. that are monsters and terrorists by all meaning.

[@fryzvova]

@@kirschkern8260 You, stupid piece of crap. That's american film about WWII-era shells production. You are stupid enough to think that those guys was selling munitions to Nazi Germany?

[@adamthethird4753]

This reminds me that I have to finish my OSHA training.

[@agustinvenegas5238]

as enjoyable as machining is i kept thinking about all the chips flying off the machines and zero safety glasses, a couple of straps that looked way too loose, and the handling of still spinning machinery, not even mentioning how probably no one had steel capped shoes seeing as it was before safety was a thing lol

[@withapulse2000]

I WAS struggling to sleep tonight.....but thanks to this video esp from 18 mins onwards and that soporific voice over. I slept like a baby..

[@colin-qp4zr]

Each one a gem of precision engineering

[@oceanhome2023]

This is the way things were done before everything was done in China

[@mk84ldb]

Men actually went to work then. Today, if a kid works 2 weeks straight, he considers it a career goal.

[@ThatGuy-ot9uv]

OSHA would have a field day at this factory nowadays. No respirators when painting, no protective gear around all the chemicals, etc.. I wonder how many of these guys died of cancer.

[@MrEh5]

And the radium girls.

[@twilightroach4274]

Don’t forget it was probably lead based paint as well, and I saw at least one guy was smoking on the job!

[@joelspringman7748]

@ThatGuy: I was wondering that myself. They must have been breathing and handling some horrific stuff! It helps me realize that these guys had a crucial part in winning the war, along with "Rosie the Riveter" ladies, and everyone who worked in manufacturing munitions, tanks, combat aircraft, and vessels, large and small.

[@johnfallis7793]

The ones who smoked died of cancer.

[@stuartkorte1642]

The ones that smoked.

[@ghost307]

I like how the foot pedal requires 2 steps in quick succession to work. It avoids accidents that would be caused by the press closing if someone inadvertently steps on it.

[@MarceloCunha2011]

what perfection , what machining . Amazing

[@robertansley6331]

Watching slivers of metal ribbons peeling off the lathe in front of a workman who has neither eye protection nor gloves makes me wonder how many minutes that factory went without an injury! The guys at the black lacquer paint booths had glasses but no air masks. But where I got a chill was watching the guy checking for rough spots around the mouth of the shell with his bare finger! At the end of a hard day he stopped off for a few beers, had one _for the road_ , drove home without a seatbelt smoking all the way. And yet, here we all are, successfully birthed!

[@awatt]

It's called swarf.

[@robertansley6331]

@@awatt Aha! I just learned something. My previous strange new word was _Dross_ , I thought that wasn’t a real word.

[@awatt]

@@robertansley6331 We'll make a machinist of you yet!

[@robertansley6331]

One time, when I was a police officer, I got in my Crown Vic patrol car and when I went to grab the transmission lever on the steering column there was a long thin _swarf_ of chrome plating that had peeled off in the hot sun. That little sliver went under the fingernail of my right index finger, curved, and burrowed all the way to the bone. Xray showed it slightly into the bone. Doc couldn’t get a grip on it so he deadened my finger and had to pull off my fingernail to be able to grab the object.

[@awatt]

@@robertansley6331 I once got a bad paper cut. Unboxing something and ended up with a cylinder of corrugated paper sticking out of my finger that pumped blood in time with my heartbeat. Freaked everyone out. Had to pull it out with a pair of pliers.

[@bratticuss]

Imagine how most of that process is automated now.

[@jclark2019]

I ran Acme screw machines from '92 til '98 that had war certifacate stamps on them from WW2. We were running first operation blanks for ZF transmission parts that were going into various military vehicles. Those machines were totally mechanical, and always ran 24/7. I learned A LOT at 18 from the old dudes that taught me!

[@ivanfletcher4671]

More complex operations than I would have expected, very interesting watch.

[@stevekerr1386]

Very interesting. Also noticed no safety glasses, gloves and smoking while working...my how times have changed.

[@Redmenace96]

Yes! I would think some safety glasses would be easy and not cause an argument. But, cheap plastic emerged after WW2, not before. Today I saw a boat builder pounding wood with ear protection! wtf. In Britain, of course.

[@marknewman3712]

Wow--look at 18:56--his long apron is just a few inches from that belt-driven pulley.

[@laserbeam002]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@squatchhammer7215]

The spot welder alone would have a dual button to initiate cycle with an arm to keep the disc in place.

[@stevekerr1386]

@@marknewman3712 ,that generation truly was amazing. Survived the depression, won the war and if you got hurt you just "walked it off" and went back to work.

[@dennisjones2124]

i used to run centerless grinders to make carbide tips for armour piercing bullets, about 1000 per 8 hour shift

[@johnwheet7037]

I use to rebuild the grinders

[@markrainford1219]

@@johnwheet7037 I used to mine the coal to power the steel mills that made the metal to make the grinders.

[@johnstudd4245]

@@markrainford1219 I dug the holes for mining coal with nothing but a sharpened stick.

[@NathanTarantlawriter]

@@johnstudd4245 I sharpened sticks. All day long. With another stick.

[@dodgeplow]

I treated all the guys that suffered occupational illness from the carbide, coal, asbestos, etc used early in the defense industry

[@Dirk80241]

Imagine all the material, time, energy (and even paint!) that went into the production of these shells! You would expect this for a piece of art - but they were only artillery shells.

[@BrianDHoefs]

Interesting film. It’s quite a process. Good old American craftsmanship!🇺🇸