The total number of tanks produced is staggering as 18,413 Tanks and Tank Destroyers were built between 19 ( Jackson, n.d.). As an example of the massive tank production that occurred, a contract was given to Fisher Body for 1800 M10 Tank Destroyers which was fulfilled with the total production of 5,668 M10 Tanks in December 1943 (Hyde, n.d.). Many different components of wartime necessity were produced including: M4 Series Tanks, T-26 and M-26 series Pershing tanks, M-10 Tank Destroyers, and M-36 Tank Destroyers ( Jackson, n.d.). Fisher Body in Grand Blanc was responsible for a large portion of these tanks. Once built the 452,000 square foot facility would contribute a large portion of the 38,000 total tanks produced by General Motors. Figure 1, shows an aerial view of the grounds in 1941, on which the plant would be built (Fisher Body). Fisher Body a division of General Motors helped contribute to the effort through the construction of a new plant dedicated to building tanks. General Motors, one of the biggest automobile companies at the time, became heavily involved and contributed $12 billion of materials related to the war effort (Reinhart).
With the onset of WWII much of the country had been preparing for a world war in which the dedication of American industry would be needed to win. Wartime Production Fisher Body Tank Assembly Line (From: ) This 452,000 square feet was dedicated solely to the production of Tanks which began in 1942 ( Allen, 2013). However one plant stood out as a major producer of tanks and that was the Fisher Body Grand Blanc Division.The construction of Fisher Body in Grand Blanc produced a massive facility at the time ,measuring 452,000 square feet ( Jackson, n.d.). This major component was the fact that Fisher as a whole was the third largest producer of tank components during the war (Hyde, n.d.). What would come to be known as the Fisher Tank Arsenal was on major component of this Wartime production. The American war effort during WWII saw many factories converted to wartime production.
Grounds on which the Fisher Body Tank Plant would be built in1941 (From the Flint Journal Archives) The production of multiple tank types using employees of broad backgrounds within the facility demonstrates how American industry overwhelmingly supported the Allied efforts during WWII. Built From the ground up to accommodate the growing need for tank production in the United states during World War II, it became one of the most important but understated production facilities in the United States. In Grand Blanc Michigan the Former Fisher Body Tank Plant sits abandoned after operating as a major American tank plant from 1942-1945. Final Tank Produced at the Fisher Body Grand Blanc division (From the Genessee County Historical Society)
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