Hall-Scott Motor Car Company in World War Two

Hall-Scott Motor Car Company in World War Two
Berkeley, CA
1910-1958
A Division of American Car and Foundry Motors Company during World War Two.

This page updated 11-8-2020.

The Hall-Scott Motor Car Company was formed in 1910 by Elbert John Hall and Bert Scott. The new company's location was at the corner of 5th Street and Snyder (Currently Heinz Street) in Berkeley, CA. When the company ceased operations in Berkeley in 1958 it owned 13 acres, and the plant ran all the way down to 7th Street. E.J. Hall was the technical genius of the company and had been designing gasoline powered engines ever since 1901, when he was 19 years old. It was his technical expertise that kept the small company in business with new engine designs to meet the changing business conditions of the early 20th century.

The original products of the Hall-Scott Motor Car Compay were gasoline powered motor cars for railway use. The company built 23 of these motor cars for the local rail companies on the west coast. The most interesting of these motor cars was a 62-foot long, 100-ton armored fighting vehicle for the U.S. military during World War One. The vehicle had 3/4-inch armored plates on the sides, and a roof with 1/2-inch armored plate. E.J. Hall took two four-cylinder engines and bolted them together to make straight eight engine of 7,736 cu. in. and 300 hp. The engine was connected to a three-speed transmission that could run 60mph in either direction.

The company diversified in 1911 and started building engines for the aviation industry. Before World War One, Hall-Scott was well respected in that industry. In 1917 E.J. Hall and Jesse Vincent, from the Packard Motor Car Company, got together and designed the Liberty Aviation Engine for the American military. While Packard would later garner the credit for the design of this engine, Elbert Hall's input has been overlooked by historians. While the small Hall-Scott Company could not compete with Packard in the media for proper credit for the development of the Liberty engine, it did publish a post-World War One 25 page pamphlet detailing its input into the engine.

After the war, Hall-Scott abandoned the aviation market and began to focus on the automotive, truck and boating market. E.J. Hall designed two engines for Ford Motor Company in 1919. He also designed several truck engines for International Harvester, and this series of engines had significant volume for the company over many years.

In 1925 American Car and Foundry purchased the Hall-Scott Motor Company to provide engines for the buses it was building. Prior to the purchase by American Car and Foundry, Hall-Scott had entered the marine market with several engines that were adapted from its truck and automobile engines. These were used in smaller boats, but the company needed an engine in the 250 hp range to effectively compete in the market. With the financial backing American Car and Foundry, E.J. Hall designed the 250 hp Invader marine engine. This was the last engine E.J. Hall would design for the company before he left it. This engine was the company's most important contribution to helping win World War Two. The Invader was a six-cylinder marine engine that was later modified by company engineers at the start of World War Two. One modification became the 440 that was used in M26 and M26A1 Tank Retriever. The other was the V-12 Defender Marine engine that became the engine of choice for many mid-size high-speed rescue boats.

E.J. Hall left the company in the late 1920s, probably because American Car and Foundry was providing leadership he did not agree with. Without his technical guidance and genius, all the engineers in the company could do was re-design the Invader engine for new applications long after engine technology had moved forward. The Invader engine in some form would be produced for another 31 years, with approximately 3,400 produced prior to the end of the Hall-Scott line of engines. E.J. Hall would work for several other companies, but never had the impact on cutting-edge engine technology that he had at the company with his name on it.

Bert Scott left the company in 1938, ten years after E.J. Hall. When Hall-Scott entered World War Two, neither of its founders were still with the company. During the war, Hall-Scott built 12,226 engines for various small boats and one tank retriever. After World War Two, the company would struggle as diesel engines started making deep cuts into the gasoline engine market for trucks and busses. Without E.J. Hall, the company did not have the technical depth to design a competitive diesel engine. After changes in ownership and failed attempts at diversification, Hall-Scott Motor Company was purchased in 1958 by Hercules Motors Corporation of Canton, OH. All of the necessary tools and documentation to build the engines were moved to Canton. Hercules would continue to build some of the Hall-Scott designs, and itself would be purchased by Hupp. Then White Motor Company would purchase Hercules from Hupp. Nine years later, the last Hall-Scott designed engine was produced in the Canton, OH factory, sixty years after Mr. Hall and Mr. Scott formed a company to make motorized rail cars.

World War Two: Hall-Scott engines were always known for their power, precision, and endurance. While the company did not make that many engines compared to other engine companies during World War Two, they did find several important niches during the war. The V-12 Defender engine powered over 600 63-foot rescue boats used by both the U.S. Army and Navy.

Hall-Scott Motor Company won the Army-Navy "E" Award five times during World War Two.
The original award was won in 1942.

Hall-Scott Motor Company World War Two Production Statistics: 12,226 total 440, 441, Invader and Defender engines. This number is from the historical record of total engines built by the company for the years 1941-1945. However, the same historical record gives the individual production numbers for the four types of engines Hall-Scott produced during the same period when added up in Table 1 as 9,909. Some of what may be missing are the production numbers of Invader engines built in 1941.

Hall-Scott Motor Company World War Two Engine Data - Table 1
Engine Type	Engine Data	Number Built	Applications	Comments
440	1091 cu. in. six-cylinder 240 hp @2100rpm	1,701	M26 and M26A1 "Dragon Wagon" Tank U.S. Army Tank Retriever	There was a total of 1,372 M26 and M26A1s built during World War Two. This allowed for 329 engines for spares. The 440 Engine differed from the 400 series engine it was derived from by having a power steering pump, a larger radiator, a stronger water pump shaft, a bypass valve to the oil filter and positive crankcase valve.
441	1091 cu. in. six-cylinder 240 hp @2100rpm	2	Mack T8 Tank Retriever	Mack only built one T8, which had a cab at each end of the trailer. The 440 and 441 were identical with the exception of the location of the power steering pump.
Defender	1996 cu. in. V-12 575hp @ 2100rpm	6,514	Various boats See Table 3.	This is original horsepower. See Table 5 for later upgraded versions. 482 were supercharged versions.
Invader	998 cu. in six-cylinder	1,692 in 1942	Various boats See Table 4.	Hall-Scott built 1,692 Invader engines in 1942. Due to lack of capacity at Hall-Scott Hudson Motor Company of Detroit, MI took over production of the Invader in early 1943. Hall-Scott Invaders were used before the 4,000 Hudson-built engines became available. The Hall-Scott Invaders were called out on several Higgins Industries engineering drawings as shown below.
Total		9,909

A New Old Stock Hall-Scott 440 Engine: The Hall-Scott 440 engine shown below was recently purchased by Vincent Torres for installation into an M26 tank retriever. As the photos show, the engine looks just like it did almost 80 years ago when it was built. What a fabulous find! The engine is serial number 441920.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Torres added 11-8-2020.

The double-ended Mack T8 with a Hall-Scott 441 engine powering each tractor.

This M26A1 was seen at the 2013 MVPA Rally at the former Ropkey Armor Museum in Crawfordsville, IN. Luckily, I was able to see and hear it drive around the grounds several times over the day I was there. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

The Hall-Scott 440 engine powered a chain-drive drive the rear wheels. The chains are driven by the rear axles. Author's photo.

On display at the Museum of American Armor in New Bethpage, Long Island, NY is this M25 tank transporter, which consists of a M26A1 tractor and a M15A2 semi-trailer. The tractor was built by Pacific Car and Foundry, and the trailer by Fruehauf Trailer Company. Author's photo.

Author's photo.

As the World War Two advertisement above shows, Hall-Scott Invader and Defender engines were used in a lot more applications than the 440. The different boat types are shown in the tables 2,3 and 4 below. The unidentified landing craft in the upper left-hand corner of the ad is a Landing Craft, Vehicle (LCV).

Defender Engine usage in small boats during World War Two - Table 2
Type	Number built	Engines per boat	Total engines	Comments
U.S. Army Aircraft Rescue boat				See Table Below.
British and Canadian Navy Fairmile Patrol Boat Series
Fairmile A M/L Patrol Boat (Motor Gun Boat) - UK	12	3	36	British built for RN
Fairmile B M/L Patrol Boat (Motor Gun Boat) - UK	593	2	1,186	British built for RN
Fairmile B M/L Patrol Boat (Motor Gun Boat) - Canada	62	2	124	Canadian built for RCN
Fairmile C M/L Patrol Boat (Motor Gun Boat) - UK	24	3	72	British built for RN
U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Boat	?		?	It is unknown which Coast Guard Patrol boat the Defender engine was used in.
U.S. and British Navy Rescue Boats				See Table Below.
U.S. Army Aircraft Rescue Boat				See Table Below.
U.S. Army Aircraft Rescue Boat 104 foot (P110-115 141-145)	11	3	33	There were 93 104-foot rescue boats built. The original series had Kermath Sea Raider engines. The next series, known as the 200 series, was powered by the Hall-Scott Defender. Only 11 of the 104-foot boats have been verified to have been built with the Defender. There were probably more in the 200 series but the historical record does not verify this.
British Naval Torpedo Boat - 70-foot Vosper MTB	22	3	66	These were replaced in 1942 with three Packard 4M2500 engines.
Totals	724		1,517

Hall-Scott Defender-Powered 63-foot Rescue Boats - Table 3 Below are all of applications for a Defender engine in this rescue boat
Model 63-Foot Rescue Boat	Number built	Number of Engines	Total Engines	Comments
152	8	2	16	For Great Britain.
293	76	2	152	Subchaser version of the boat. Some went to Russia.
314	352	2	704	U.S. Navy = 240 boats. Some boats went to the Netherlands and the U.K. The U.S.C.G. received 29 and U.S. Army Air Force received 54. Australia was given 20. The ones that went to the Coast Guard became its standard 63-foot rescue boat for World War Two and into the 1950s.
416 or Type 3	79	2	158	These were built to U.S. Army specifications.
Mark 2	16	2	32
Mark 3	69	2	138
Mark 4	9	2	18
Total	609		1,218

Invader Engine usage in small boats during World War Two -Table 4 Hall-Scott produced 1,692 Invader engines in 1942 before turning over the tooling to Hudson Motor Company. These 1,692 engines were used in the following applications. Hall-Scott Invader engines were specified for the LCP(L), LCV and LCVP. However, the U.S. Navy preferred diesel engines and the Gray Marine/Detroit Diesel 6-71 engine became the standard engine for these type landing craft. When there were not enough of the diesels to meet all of the needs of the military, because it was used in Sherman tanks and Wolverine tank destroyer, Invader and other gasoline powered engines were substituted. The LCP(P) and LCV were both built in 1941 and 1942, so some of the Hall-Scott-built Invader engines were probably installed in these boats. After 1942 the Hudson Motor Company version of the Invader were used in the landing craft. The LCVP and LCP(R) did not start production until 1942, so again a few Hall-Scott Invaders may have been used in these.
Type	Number built with Invaders	Engines per boat	Total Engines	Comments
LCV (U.S. Navy Ramp Boat) 36-Foot	?	1	?	The Hall-Scott was one of the original engines specified for the LCV. See engineering drawings below.
Coast Guard 38-foot and 45-foot Picket boats	?	1	?	There were 500 of these built in 1942 and 1943. They used a variety of engines including the Invader.
U.S. Navy-Army 63-Foot Rescue Boat	20	2	40	US army got 6 of these.
LCP(L) (U.S. Navy Landing Boat) 36-Foot	?	1	?	The Hall-Scott was one of the original engines specified for the LCP(L). See engineering drawings below.
U.S. Army 42-Foot Rescue Boat	?	2	?	The 42-foot rescue boats were built with either Kermath Sea Raider or Hall-Scott Invader engines.
LCP(R) (Landing Craft, Personnel, Ramp) 36-Foot	?	1	?	Production started on these in 1942. A few may have had Hall-Scott-built Invader engines installed.
LCVP (Landing Craft, Personnel, Ramp) 36-Foot	?	1	?	Production started on these in 1942. A few may have had Hall-Scott-built Invader engines installed.
	?		1,692	Based on 1942 production

The Hall-Scott Defender Engine.

The Hall-Scott Defender installed in a boat's engine room.

Defender Engine Models - Table 5
Model Number		Rotation	Supercharged	Comments
1268	1996 cu. in.,5.5 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 575hp @2100rpm	Right hand	No	Original Defender
1269	1996 cu. in.,5.5 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 575 hp @2100rpm	Left Hand	No	Original Defender
2268	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 630 hp @2100rpm	Direct Drive Right hand	No
2269	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 630 hp @2100rpm	Direct Drive, Left Hand	No
2286	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 630 hp @2100rpm	Reduction Gear Right Hand	No
2287	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 630 hp @2100rpm	Reduction Gear, Left	No
3368	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 900hp @2100rpm	Direct Drive Right hand	Yes	482 total supercharged Defenders were built during World War Two of all types.
3369	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 900hp @2100rpm	Direct Drive, Left Hand	Yes
3386	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 900hp @2100rpm	Reduction Gear Right Hand	Yes
3387	2181 cu. in., 5.75 inch bore with 7 inch stroke, 900hp @2100rpm	Reduction Gear, Left	Yes

This page of the operator's manual shows that the Hall-Scott Invader engine was used in the 42-foot rescue boat. Many of the engines were the Hudson-built version.

The 42-foot rescue boat was a Owens Yacht Company design.

P-619 is a 63-foot rescue boat built by the Miami Shipbuilding Company of Miami, FL in December 1943. It served in the Pacific and is now owned by a private owner in Vancouver in British Columbia.

An artist's rendering of a Herreschoff-built 63-foot rescue boat in action.

This 63-foot rescue boat built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company is undergoing sea trials off the coast of Rhode Island before delivery to the Army. U.S. Army can be read on the side of the bridge of the boat. It appears to be number 639, completed on September 21, 1944.

Four 63-foot rescue boats are being built on an outside production line at the Herreshoff South Yard. A crane is installing a Hall-Scott 630 hp V-12 "Defender" gasoline engine. Each 63-foot rescue boat was powered by two of the engines. Herreshoff delivered 36 of the 63-foot rescue boats between August 1, 1944 and January 8, 1945. This was a delivery rate of more than one a week.

The next three documents are records from the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company during World War Two. The documents below show that the company was installing the 630- hp version of the Defender engine in the 63-foot rescue boats it was building. It also shows the customer for each boat.

This 1944 Landing Craft, Personnel, Large (LCP(L)) was the first type of landing craft that Andrew Higgins designed. This particular boat was built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans in October 1944, and is currently on display at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. It has returned home for museum visitors to see. It is the only one on display left in the world. Hall-Scott Invader engines were one of several specified for this landing craft by Higgins Industries. Also specified were Gray/Detroit Diesel and Superior Diesel engines. Author's photo.

Note the location of the coxswain's steering station, the two gun tubs for mounting self-defense machine guns and the engine housing in the middle of the boat. Note also that the 25 armed troops carried in the craft were in two different sections of the LCP(L). Author's Photo.

This Higgins Industries engineering drawing shows the location of the engine in the 36-foot Landing Craft. Personal boat or LCP(L).

This Higgins Industries engineering drawing shows the plumbing in the 36-foot LCP(L) boat with a Hall-Scott Invader engine fresh-water cooling system.

The date on the drawing is 11-4-41, a month before Pearl Harbor, and the buildup of the American military forces to fight a two-front war. Hall-Scott Invader engines were being specified as one of the engines for the current landing craft being built by Higgins Industries. The Gray Marine diesel engine has a similar drawing. It is dated the day before this one, 11-3-41.

The LCP(L) was also known within Higgins Industries as an Eureka landing boat.

This Higgins Industries engineering drawing shows the plumbing in the 36-foot Landing Craft, Personal boat with a Hall-Scott Invader engine fresh-water or salt-water cooling system.

There were 2,633 LCVs built between 1941 and 1943 by Higgins Industries, Chris-Craft, Richardson, and Owens Yacht. While not built in the quantities of the LCVP, LCVs saw duty in early American invasions in World War Two. It continued to be utilized even after the LCVP became the dominant landing craft later in the war. Hall-Scott Invader engines were specified for this landing craft.

The name given to the LCV at the time of this drawing on 12-29-1941 was 36 Foot Ramp Type Eureka Surf Landing Boat. Engineering drawing courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor.

Engineering drawing courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor.

The Hall-Scott Invader engine is shown in this drawing. Engineering drawing courtesy of C. Robert Gillmor.

The name "Invader" can also be seen on this document.

Hall-Scott was specified for the LCV with either fresh or salt water cooling on 9-17-41.

The name "Invader" can also be seen on this document.

Hall-Scott was specified for the LCV for fresh water cooling on 9-17-41.

This Diamond T M20, 12-ton 6x4 truck is awaiting restoration at the Indiana Military Museum in Vincennes, IN. Author's photo added 3-2-2020.

Author's photo added 3-2-2020.

What is wrong with this photo? The M20 was originally powered by a Hercules DXFE diesel engine. A post-war owner has replaced the original Hercules diesel with a Hall-Scott 440 engine, which was only used in the M26 and M26A1 tank transporters of World War Two. Author's photo added 3-2-2020.

Author's photo added 3-2-2020.

This is serial number 441805. Assuming that the first two number designate the engine as the 440, then this was the 1,805 440 engine built. This conflicts with the historical record that indicates 1,701 of the 440s were built. Just one of the many mysteries of World War Two production. Author's photo added 3-2-2020.

Author's photo added 3-2-2020.

Post-World War Two: Also at the Indiana Military Museum is this M2A1 howitzer that was built in 1955 with a Hall-Scott recoil mechanism. There is no reference to Hall-Scott building these in the historical record. Most likely these were built by its industrial products division.

Author's photo added 3-2-2020.