Sherman Tank Turret Trivia

From: Ian Wallace (iwallace@uswest.net)
Date: Sat Sep 16 2000 - 17:51:33 PDT


While at a car show today with my Ferret, I had a visit with a man who told
me about making turrets for the Sherman tank. He was 23 years old in 1942,
and and a trained machinist. For two years he worked 10 hour shifts at Ford
Motor Co. in Dearborn, using a 102" vertical lathe. He told me the turrets
would arrive on rail cars, and a huge crane would move the casting to his
work space. The turret would be "turned turtle", and he would then secure
the turret and begin machining the ring area where the bearings supported
the turret. He said he could do two turrets in a shift, and that there were
ten machinists at his plant, all making Sherman turrets. Then there were
enough tanks, so he was diverted to making airplane engines!

Now if I had been leaving my Ferret in the garage instead of going to car
and Mil-Veh shows this year, I would never have met all there interesting
people who are anxious to share their memories about the war! All the more
reason to get the "big green things" out and show them. I now have almost
1,400 miles on the Ferret in 8-1/2 months.

Ian Wallace, Seattle
1960 Ferret Mk 2/3, racking up mileage!



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