AC&F Stuart Tanks

Bill Hartzel in M3A1 tank at the AC&F

Stuart Tank History

In 1820 Jackson and Woodin Foundry was established in Berwick to fabricate mine cars for the nearby anthracite coal mines. Business expanded to railroad cars. Eventually fifteen companies merged to form American Car & Foundry with Jackson and Woodin being the largest component.

In 1939 the American Car & Foundry competed for the right to be the first private contractor to produce military tanks for the United States. Previously the Army Arsenals, namely Rock Island Arsenal, fabricated all tanks for the Army. Foreseeing the onset of World War II it was clear larger production capacity was required. ACF Berwick competed with Baldwin Locomotive to produce a few M2A4 Light Tanks. ACF Berwick won the competition on both price and schedule.

When ACF Berwick received the first purchase order for 3000 tanks they called their suppliers of hardened steel armor plate and no one could support that quantity. ACF Berwick then built their own furnaces and produced their own armor plate. By the end of World War II ACF Berwick had become the largest producer of armor plate in the US. US Ordnance Department records indicate every armored vehicle produced in the US during World War II utilized some ACF Berwick produced armor plate. From 1940 through April 17, 1944, the American Car & Foundry produced 15,224 Stuart Light Tanks for the United States Army, the Marines, and the Lend-Lease Program for the Allies.

M2A4	1940 - 1941	365 tanks in Berwick
M3	March 1941 - Oct 1942	4526 tanks in Berwick
	June 1941 - January 1943	1285 tanks in St. Charles, MO
M3A1	May 1942 - Feb 1943	4410 tanks in Berwick
	August 1942 – Oct 1942	211 tanks in St. Charles, MO
M3A3	Sept 1942 - Sept 1943	3427 tanks in Berwick
M5A1	October 1943 - April 1944	1000 tanks in Berwick

Historical Significance

The Stuart Tank is not only a significant part of the History of Berwick, but it also played a significant role in United States and World History.

The Stuart Tank was the first US Tank designed to function independently, with a top speed of 35 mph. Previous tanks were designed specifically for infantry support with a top speed of only 10 mph.
The M2A4 was the first US Military Tank to be built on an assembly line. Previous US-built tanks were individually fabricated at the various US Arsenals, particularly the Rock Island Arsenal.
The M3 was the first Tank included in the Lend-Lease Program as part of the Arsenal of Democracy.
The Stuart Tank was utilized by all Allied armies in all War Theatres: North Africa, Europe, Asia, Pacific, including Alaska and Antarctica.
ACF - Berwick was the largest producer of armor plate at the time, producing at least 10% of all armor plate for the US Military at the time.
Every armored vehicle produced in the US for World War II utilized at least some Berwick armor plate.
1 in every 8 armored vehicles produced in the US for World War II was built at ACF Berwick.
ACF Berwick was the only manufacturer at the time with its own ballistics testing range. Other manufacturers were required to ship their products to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland for testing.
ACF, Berwick, PA was selected by Hitler as one of 19 targets for his“Amerika Bomber” Program.

At its peak ACF – Berwick employed 9135 workers from 177 municipalities in northeastern Pennsylvania. At peak production Stuart Light Tanks were being produced by ACF at a rate of 40 per day. This was in addition to the millions of artillery shells, hundreds of rail cars and other miscellaneous items produced at the plant. Following completion of the 15,224th Stuart Tank, ACF – Berwick was contracted to produce 10,000 D7 bulldozers for the US Army.

Prior to Pearl Harbor and the US officially entering WWII, most tanks were supplied to Allied Forces as part of the Lend Lease Program. Eventually 10,000 of the 15,224 tanks produced by ACF Berwick were supplied to Allied Forces, including nearly 1700 to Russia, 1000 to China and over 6000 to British Commonwealth Forces. British Commonwealth Forces included Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, South Africa and East Africa. Additional tanks were supplied through the British to the Free French, Free Poles, Free Yugoslavs and other displaced forces.

Berwick, AC&F Employees and Soldiers