QUALITY ARMOUR PLATE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 22 May 1941, Page 8

QUALITY ARMOUR PLATE

CANADIAN PRODUCTION NEW MODEL TANKS Ottawa. Mar.. 8. High quality armour plate is being made for the first time in Canada in preparation for the large scale production of tanks in the Dominion. Hon. C. D. Howe, Minister of Munitions and Supply, revealed. While tooling-up is progressing rapidly in the shops where the tanks are being assembled, Ontario steel mills are busily engaged in producing the required armour plate and armour plate castings. Construction of a tank involves the assembly of some 200 separate pieces of armour plate, all shaped and machined, which range in thickness from an -eighth of an inch to i several inches, and in weight from six ! pounds to more than a ton. The steel is of a special alloy which demands unusual care in heat treati ment and processing. Because of its | toughness, it is not easy to machine, and about 15,000 man-hours are requirj ed to machine and assemble the armour I plate for a single tank. Orders have been placed in Canada j for two types of tanks, and at least ten ; companies will participate in the ! armour plate operations. All major ! parts except the engines and transj mission will be made in this country, I including the guns. i Several tanks have been built in : Canada so far for test purposes. These j include a new model which i_~ distinctj ively Canadian in every respect, and j which has’ a Canadian-built engine. This tank was designed by engineers l of the Department of Munitions and j Supply and the Department of National Defence, and is now under test.