The American Automobile Industry in World War Two
An American Auto Industry Heritage Tribute by David D Jackson

Overview      Lansing Michigan in World War Two   The U.S. Auto Industry at the Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944    The U.S. Auto Industry and the B-29 Bomber   U.S. Auto Industry Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   The Complete listing of All Army-Navy "E" Award Winners   Sherman Tanks of the American Auto Industry   Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry    M26 Pershing Tanks of the American Auto Industry   M36 Tank Destroyers of the American Auto Industry   Serial Numbers for WWII Tanks built by the American Auto Industry   Surviving LCVP Landing Craft    WWII Landing Craft Hull Numbers   Airborne Extra-Light Jeep Photos  The American Auto Industry vs. the German V-1 in WWII   American Auto Industry-Built Anti-Aircraft Guns in WWII   VT Proximity Manufacturers of WWII   World War One Era Motor Vehicles   National Museum of Military Vehicles  
Revisions   Links

 Automobile and Body Manufacturers:  American Bantam Car Company   Briggs Manufacturing Company   Checker Car Company   Chrysler Corporation   Crosley Corporation   Ford Motor Car Company   General Motors Corporation   Graham-Paige Motors Corporation   Hudson
Motor Car Company   Murray Corporation of America   Nash-Kelvinator   Packard Motor Car Company      Studebaker    Willys-Overland Motors

General Motors Divisions:  AC Spark Plug   Aeroproducts   Allison   Brown-Lipe-Chapin   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Cleveland Diesel   Delco Appliance   Delco Products   Delco Radio   Delco-Remy   Detroit Diesel   Detroit Transmission   Electro-Motive   Fisher Body   Frigidaire   GM Proving Grounds   GM of Canada   GMC   GMI   Guide Lamp   Harrison Radiator   Hyatt Bearings   Inland   Moraine Products   New Departure   Oldsmobile   Packard Electric   Pontiac   Saginaw Malleable Iron   Saginaw Steering Gear   Southern California Division   Rochester Products   Ternstedt Manufacturing Division   United Motors Service   Vauxhall Motors

 Indiana Companies:  Bailey Products Corporation   Chrysler Kokomo Plant   Continental Steel Corporation  Converto Manufacturing    Cummins Engine Company   Diamond Chain and Manufacturing Company   Delta Electric Company   Durham Manufacturing Company   Farnsworth Television and Radio Corporation   Haynes Stellite Company   Hercules Body Company   Horton Manufacturing Company   Howe Fire Apparatus   J.D. Adams Company   Kokomo Spring Company   Magnavox  
Muncie Gear Works   Pierce Governor Company   Portland Forge and Foundry   Reliance Manufacturing Company   Republic Aviation Corporation - Indiana Division   Ross Gear and Tool Company   S.F. Bowser & Co.   Sherrill Research Corporation   Tokheim Oil Tank and Pump Company   Warner Gear   Wayne Pump Company   Wayne Works

Commercial Truck and Fire Apparatus Manufacturers:  American LaFrance   Autocar  
Biederman Motors Corporation   Brockway Motor Company   Detroit General   Diamond T   Duplex Truck Company   Federal Motor Truck   Four Wheel Drive Auto Company(FWD)   International Harvester   John Bean   Mack Truck   Marmon-Herrington Company   Michigan Power Shovel Company   Oshkosh Motor Truck Corporation   Pacific Car and Foundry   "Quick-Way" Truck Shovel Company   Reo Motor Car Company  Seagrave Fire Apparatus   Sterling Motor Truck Company    Ward LaFrance Truck Corporation   White Motor Company

Aviation Companies:  Abrams Instrument Corporation   Hughes Aircraft Company   Kellett Aviation Corporation   Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation   Naval Aircraft Factory   P-V Engineering Forum, Inc.    Rudolf Wurlitzer Company-DeKalb Division  Schweizer Aircraft Corporation   Sikorsky Division of United Aircraft Corporation   St. Louis Aircraft Corporation   Timm Aircraft Corporation

Other World War Two Manufacturers: 
Air King Products   Allis-Chalmers   American Car and Foundry   American Locomotive   American Stove Company   Annapolis Yacht Yard  
Andover Motors Company   B.F. Goodrich   Baker War Industries   Baldwin Locomotive Works   Blood Brothers Machine Company   Boyertown Auto Body Works   Briggs & Stratton   Caterpillar   Cheney Bigelow Wire Works   Centrifugal Fusing   Chris-Craft   Clark Equipment Company   Cleaver-Brooks Company   Cleveland Tractor Company   Continental Motors   Cushman Motor Works   Crocker-Wheeler   Dail Steel Products   Detroit Wax Paper Company   Detrola   Engineering & Research Corporation   Farrand Optical Company   Federal Telephone and Radio Corp.   Firestone Tire and Rubber Company   Fruehauf Trailer Company   Fuller Manufacturing   Galvin Manufacturing   Gemmer Manufacturing Company   General Railway Signal Company   Gibson Guitar   Gibson Refrigerator Company   Goodyear   Hall-Scott   Hanson Clutch and Machinery Company   Harley-Davidson   Harris-Seybold-Potter   Herreshoff Manufacturing Company   Higgins Industries    Highway Trailer   Hill Diesel Company   Holland Hitch Company   Homelite Company   Horace E. Dodge Boat and Plane Corporation   Huffman Manufacturing   Indian Motorcycle   Ingersoll Steel and Disk   John Deere   Johnson Automatics Manufacturing Company   Kimberly-Clark   Kohler Company   Kold-Hold Company   Landers, Frary & Clark  Lima Locomotive Works   Lundberg Screw Products   MacKenzie Muffler Company   Massey-Harris   Matthews Company   McCord Radiator & Mfg. Company   Metal Mouldings Corporation   Miller Printing Machinery Company   Morse Instrument Company   Motor Products Corporation   Motor Wheel Corporation   National Cash Resgister Company   Novo Engine Company   O'Keefe & Merritt Company   Olofsson Tool and Die Company   Oneida Ltd   Otis Elevator   Owens Yacht   Pressed Steel Car Company   Queen City Manufacturing Company   R.G. LeTourneau   R.L. Drake Company   St. Clair Rubber Company   Samson United Corporation   Shakespeare Company   Sight Feed Generator Company   Simplex Manufacturing Company   Steel Products Engineering Company   St. Louis Car Company   Twin Disc Company   Victor Adding Machine Company   Vilter Manufacturing Company   Wells-Gardner   W.L. Maxson Corporation   W.W. Boes Company   Westfield Manufacturing Company   York-Hoover Body Company   Youngstown Steel Door Company  
   

Massey-Harris US Racine Tank Division in World War Two
Racine, WI
1942-1993
Rest in Peace

This page updated 10-17-2019.

Massey-Harris was a Canadian company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario.  The plant in Wisconsin was indentified by the parent company as the US Racine Tank Division during WWII.  

Massey-Harris US Racine, WI Tank Division World War Two Production Statistics:  (250) M5 tanks, (1,084) M5A1 tanks, (1,139) M24 tanks, (85) M41 155mm Motor Carriages, (500) conversions of M10A1s to M36, (14,000,000) tank track end connector links (As January1945.), (154) M10 37mm tank gunnery trainers

Spare Parts:  For each 100 M5/M5A1 tanks shipped there were 188,898 spare parts packed into 3,657 boxes that accompanied the new tanks.


Here it is! The first tank off the Massey-Harris assembly line almost three months ahead of schedule.  This is M5 serial number 3268 with USA registration number 3064984.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Massey-Harris won the won the Army-Navy "E" Award one time.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


M5 Serial Number 3373 was built by Massey-Harris in November 1942.  It is seen here on outside display at the 2018 MVPA Convention in Louisville, KY.  Author's photo added 10-17-2019.


Author's photo added 10-17-2019.


This is Massey-Harris built M5 serial number 3459 that was built in December 1942.  Today it is located at American Legion Post 83 in Sandusky, OH.  Author's photo.


Author's photo.


This M5A1 was built by Massy-Harris in June 1943.  It is Serial Number 9876 and is part of the U.S. Army Armor and Cavalry Collection, Fort Benning, GA.  Author's photo added 7-30-2019.


Author's photo added 7-30-2019.

The table below provides production information on the M5/M5A1 series tanks produced during WWII by Massey-Harris.  This information has been painstaking researched and gathered by Joe DeMarco.  We thank Joe for allowing this website to use this information.

The M5 and M5A1 Stuart tank information provided by Joe includes monthly production figures, serial and registration numbers, and the purchase order numbers.  This information is almost non-existent in the literature or on websites.

Massey-Harris M5/M5A1 Production Information
 Courtesy of Joe DeMarco

Model Date Monthly Production Serial numbers USA Registration Numbers Purchase Order
M5 7-1942 4 3268 - 3271 3064984 - 3064987  T-3347
  8-1942 7 3272 - 3278 3064988 - 3064994  
  9-1942 16 3279 - 3294 3064995 - 3065010  
  10-1942 50 3295 - 3344 3065011 - 3065060  
  11-1942 84 3345 - 3428 3065061 - 3065144  
  12-1942 89 3429 - 3517 3065145 - 3065233  
Total M5   250 3268 - 3517 3064984 - 3065233  
           
M5A1 12-1942 7 3518 - 3524 3065234 - 3065240 T-3347
  1-1943 61 3525 - 3585 3065241 - 3065301  
  2-1943 60 3586 - 3645 3065302 - 3065361  
  3-1943 62 3646 - 3707 3065362 - 3065423  
  4-1943 58 3708 - 3765 3065424 - 3065481  
  5-1943 2 3766 - 3767 3065482 - 3065483  
      3518 - 3767 3065234 - 3065240  
           
  5-1943 58 9768 - 9825 3059072 - 3059129 T-3886
  6-1943 60 9826 - 9885 3059130 - 3059189  
  7-1943 86 9886 - 9971 3059190 - 3059275  
  8-1943 66 9972 - 10037 3059276 - 3059341  
  9-1943 60 10038 - 10097 3059342 - 3059401  
  10-1943 60 10098 - 10157 3059402 - 3059461  
  11-1943 60 10158 - 10217 3059462 - 3059521  
  12-1943 50 10218 - 10267 3059522 - 3059571  
      9768 - 10267 3059072 - 3059571  
           
  12-1943 10 15501 - 15510 30102715 - 30102724 T-8089
  1-1944 60 15511 - 15570 30102725 - 30102784  
  2-1944 60 15571 - 15630 30102785 - 30102844  
  3-1944 60 15631 - 15690 30102845 - 30102904  
  4-1944 60 15691 - 15750 30102905 - 30102964  
  5-1944 60 15751 - 15810 30102965 - 30103024  
  6-1944 24 15811 - 15834 30103025 - 30103048 SN 15834 was the last of all M5A1s built by the four suppliers of the tank by calendar date. 
      15501 - 15834 30102715 - 30103048  
Total M5A1   1,084      


This Massey-Harris built M24 Chaffee is on display at the Memorial Park at Fort Polk, LA.  It is serial number 3494 and was built in February 1945.  Author's photo added 3-22-2018.


Author's photo added 3-22-2018.


Author's photo added 3-22-2018.


Author's photo added 3-22-2018.

The table below provides production information on the M24 tanks produced during WWII by Massey-Harris.  This information has been painstaking researched and gathered by Joe DeMarco.  We thank Joe for allowing this website to use this information.

The M24 Chaffee tank information provided by Joe includes monthly production figures, serial and registration numbers, and the purchase order numbers.  This information is almost non-existent in the literature or on websites.

Massey-Harris M24 Chaffee Production Information
 Courtesy of Joe DeMarco
Model Date Monthly Production Serial numbers USA Registration Numbers Purchase Order
M24 7-1944 10 1001 – 1010 30119020 – 30119029 T-12367
  8-1944 16 1011 – 1026 30112030 – 30119045  
  9-1944 34 1027 – 1060 30119046 – 30119079  
  10-1944 40 1061 – 1100 30119080 – 30119119  
  11-1944 40 1101 – 1140 30119120 – 30119159  
  12-1944 50 1141 – 1190 30119160 – 30119209  
  1-1945 60 1191 – 1250 30119210 – 30119269  
  1-1945 65 3349 – 3413 30121877 – 30121941 T-13781-1
  2-1945 155 3414 – 3568 30121942 – 30122096  
  3-1945 140 3569 – 3708 30122097 – 30122236  
  3-1945 52 5452 – 5503 30139011 – 30139062 T-13781-2
  4-1945 138 5504 – 5641 30139063 – 30139200  
  5-1945 190 5642 – 5831 30139201 – 30139390  
  6-1945 35 5832 – 5866 30139391 – 30139425  
  6-1945 44 5867 – 5910 30142464 – 30142507 T-13781-3
  7-1945 40 5911 – 5950 30142508 – 30142547  
  8-1945 30 5951 – 5980 30142548 – 30142577  
Total M24   1,139      


This M36 was rebuilt from the M10A1 configuration by Massey-Harris and is at the U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum in Huntsville, AL.  Author's photo added 3-22-2018.


It was the 94th M10A1 converted into an M36 by Massey-Harris, and is M36 Serial number 394.  Author's photo added 3-22-2018.


The tank destroyer was obtained from Yugoslavia and currently has a T-54 diesel engine.  The U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum will have a Ford GAA V-8 engine installed in the M36, taking it back to its original configuration.  Author's photo added 3-22-2018.


Author's photo added 3-22-2018.


The four square block plant that Massey-Harris had in Racine, WI was purchased from Nash-Kelvinator.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


An operator works on an M5 turret.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


An M5 turret is being installed into an M5 tank.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


This is the second M5 built by Massey-Harris and can be identified by the USA registration number 3064985.  This corresponds to serial number 3269.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


This is a size comparison photo at the Racine plant.  From left to right is an M10A! tank destroyer, M4A1 Sherman tank, and a Massey-Harris M5 Stuart tank.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


The tank tow truck.  An M32B1 tank retriever was located at the test track to tow in any tanks that broke down during testing.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Pictured here are two M24 Chaffees and two rebuilt M36 tank destroyers at the test track.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


An M24 on the test track at Massey-Harris.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


A train load of M10A1s has arrived for rebuilding into M36s.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Six M10A1s await their turn to be taken into the plant and converted to M36s.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Massey-Harris rebuilt 500 M10A1 tank destroyers in M36 tank destroyers in 1944.  Here the M10A1 hulls have been stripped down to the base hull.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


New engines are being installed at this work station.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


The engine is in, and the radiator fans are next installed at this station.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


A new M36 undergoes testing at the plant's track.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.
 

  Post WWII:  (250) M44 155mm Howitzer Motor Carriages, (300) M19 Multiple Gun Carriages


This Massey-Harris built M44 is on display at the AAF Tank Museum in Danville, VA.  Author's photo.


M44s on the production line.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


An M44 undergoes testing at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds.  Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


Photo courtesy of Massy Collectors Association.


This is an example of an M19 on display at the Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles.   Author's photo.
 

 

 

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