Frankford Arsenal, Pennsylvania
The Frankford Arsenal was 1816 to 1977 one of the key state-owned ammunition factories in the United States of America . It was near Bridgesburg, northeast of Philadelphia in the state of Pennsylvania .
history
The Frankford Arsenal was built in 1816 on a piece of land of 81,000 m² acquired by the then President of the USA James Madison and opened in 1816. Thanks to the Frankford Creek flowing past its premises, it was able to use its hydropower. From its opening until its closure in 1977, it was the development center for infantry ammunition for the US Army , and in peacetime most of this ammunition was also manufactured there. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the commandant of the arsenal, Josiah Gorgas, resigned from his post and went to Richmond, Virginia , the future capital of the Confederation . As head of Confederate war material procurement, he organized the arms industry in the southern states and was promoted to brigadier general of the southern states for his services before the end of the civil war.
In addition to the manufacture and development of powder and ammunition, the Frankford Arsenal served as a depot for the storage and maintenance of artillery material including cannons during the Civil War. In addition there was the maintenance of equipment for the cavalry and infantry. Another task was the maintenance and repair of handguns. Tens of thousands of muskets were provided for the Gettysburg campaign. At the end of the civil war, the Arsenal employed over a thousand people.
Already towards the end of the American Civil War and during the time of the Indian Wars , Frankford began to develop and test new types of ammunition and weapons to replace rimfire cartridges . The cartridge was developed under Col. Stephen V. Benét, the commander of the arsenal, center fire cartridges with internal ignition (Benét Inside Primer). The first of these cartridges, the .50-70 Government rim cartridge with a cylindrical copper case for the Springfield Model 1866 rifle, was used in Sharp's military carbines for years during the Indian Wars . The cartridge for the Springfield 1873 carbine in .45-70 Government caliber and the revolver cartridge for the Colt Single Action Army in caliber .45 Colt were based on Benét's development. Benét later became Brigadier General Chief of Ordnance of the USA from 1874 to 1891. After problems with the old cartridge, the company switched to the production of the boxer ignition cartridge that is still used today.
In addition to the development and manufacture of infantry and artillery ammunition, heavy weapons were also tested and further developed in the Frankford Arsenal. The Gatling revolver cannon Model 1862 was tested and modified by the inventor to use cartridges according to the specifications of the arsenal, which led to its success with the Model 1865 .
During the two world wars, the Frankford Arsenal was one of the main suppliers of ammunition and other war material for the American armed forces. It was also an important employer in the region, at times employing up to 22,000 people. As a borough of Philadelphia, it was a proper city within the city with its own police force , fire department , canteens, and medical facilities.
In addition to the improvement and manufacture of traditional ammunition, time fuses, fire control devices, telemeters and other military equipment, the arsenal quickly became an important research station with the task of developing unconventional weapons and devices. In cooperation with the Pitman-Dunn Laboratories located in the arsenal, laser distance measuring devices, computers for the field artillery and radar systems were developed in the USA . The development of optical devices for artillery, infantry and reconnaissance was also promoted.
The end
With the ever increasing prosperity of the privately owned arms industry, it became increasingly difficult to maintain a profitable operation and the campaign for the presidential elections of 1976 marked the end of the arsenal. While the candidate as Vice President Walter Mondale stood for the continuation, the elected US President Carter made a different decision and ceased operations. The remaining functions of the Frankford Arsenal were transferred to the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey .
literature
- Farley, James J. Making Arms in the Machine Age: Philadelphia's Frankford Arsenal, 1816–1870. University Park, Penn .: Pennsylvania State University Press, 1994. ISBN 0271010002 .
- George M. Chinn, The Machine Gun, 1951 Bureau of Ordnance, Dept. of the US Navy