It is worth while pausing a moment to examine the thirteen ordnance districts and to note their headquarters cities, their extent, the characteristic sorts of ordnance supplies produced in each, and the chief production officer of each.
Toronto. Embraced the whole of Canada. Produced principally shell machined and ready for loading, particularly 75-millimeter shell. As noted in the preceding chapter, all industrial demobilization in Canada was carried out by the Imperial Munitions Board, two of the members of which were special representatives of the War Department Claims Board, sent to Canada after the armistice for this purpose.
Bridgeport. Included Connecticut and four Massachusetts counties. Primarily the small-arms district, producing all the pistols and revolvers, all the bayonets, all the automatic rifles, more than a million of the service rifles, most of the heavy machine guns, and almost all the small-arms ammunition delivered under war contracts. Mr. Waldo C. Bryant of Bridgeport was chief of the district.
Boston. Included the rest of New England. The chief producer of soldiers’ belts, haversacks, mess kits, and other personal ordnance equipment; produced small-arms ammunition heavily, and produced also boosters and adapters (for shell) and carriages for 155-millimeter howitzers. Mr. Levi H. Greenwood, chief of district.
New York. Included New York City, Long Island, and nine other New York and twelve New Jersey counties. The prime producer of trench-warfare ordnance. Produced much toluol and was a finisher of shell, fuses, and cartridge cases. Loaded more than one-third of all artillery ammunition shipped abroad. Chief, Mr. George J. Roberts, vice-president of the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey.
Philadelphia. Included eastern Pennsylvania, part of New Jersey, and all of Delaware. The chief service-rifle producer and a chief producer of high explosives. Immense shell-loading activities. Chief, Mr. John C. Jones, president of the Harrison Safety Boiler Works.
Baltimore. Included all of Maryland but two western counties, and all of the District of Columbia and the states of Virginia and North and South Carolina. The leading shrapnel-loading district and a great shell-loading area. Contained the largest of the ammonium nitrate plants. Produced all the 37-millimeter guns. Chief, Lieutenant Colonel A. V. Barnes, formerly president of the American Book Company.
Rochester. Embraced all the state of New York not in the New York City district. Chief production was in Lewis machine guns, Enfield rifles, 75-millimeter field guns, shrapnel, picric acid, and optical glass. Chief, Mr. Frank S. Noble, executive officer of the Eastman Kodak Company.
Cleveland. Northern Ohio and three northwestern counties of Pennsylvania. Produced completed big guns, shell fuses, 75-millimeter gun carriages, mounts for railway artillery, and 6-ton tanks. Chief, Mr. Samuel Scovil, former president of the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company.
Detroit. Included the state of Michigan. Produced gun recoil recuperators, artillery vehicles, large-caliber shell, and trench-mortar shell. Chief, Mr. Fred J. Robinson, president of the Lowery-Robinson Lumber Company.