jrcar
Posts: 3613
Joined: 4/19/2002
From: Seymour, Australia
Status: offline
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Reading the book further has the following interesting in formation:
By 1939 Australia had a significant capability to produce small arms, small arms ammunition (Rifles, Brens, Vickers), Mortars and ammunition, 18 pdr ammunition and began tooling for 25pdr production and ammunition, Naval gun ammo to 8". About 50% of machine tools were made in Australia, and 50% imported, with the later number droping.
Early 1940 Australia begins supplying munitions to the Indian Army (who lacked production capabilities?) and to British forces in the SEASIA/Middle east.
By Dec 1941 Austraia had 7 Small Arms Ammunition Factories, 10 Small Arms Factories, 6 Explosive making factories, 5 cartridge case factories, 2 ordonance factories.
In March 1940 they had the capacity to make (but NOT the orders):
400 3.7" AA guns a year
121 40mm Bofors a year
840 Field guns (25 pdr)
1900 AT guns (2 pdr)
24 Naval guns (4-6" by the looks of it)
2000 Mortars
6000 Bren
2500 Vickers
200,000 Rifles
50,000 pistols
10,500,000 "Gun ammo" all natures.
1,950,000 Mortar ammo
240,000 aircraft bombs
730,000,000 small arms ammo.
2,000 carriers
1,000 light tanks
10,000 depth charges
3,000 Naval mines
260,000 AT mines
1,000,000 grenades
In Feb 1942 torpedoes where added to the list at 520 a year.
Note that above is production CAPACITY not what was used. There were limits mainly due to funding of orders, and tradespeople.
Some interesting "cost of production" Jun 1942 Pounds:
Carrier, MG LP2.....1500
2 pdr at gun........1750
3.7 AA..............6000
25 pdr..............4500
Vickers MMG.........109
Bren................150
Rifle...............13
1000 rounds303 ammo.9.9
Bomb 250lb anti sub.24
3.7 shell fille.....7.5
25pdr shell filled..3.9
4.5" shell filled...4.7
4" shell filled.....10
6" shell filled.....27
Australian manufactured items were cheaper than UK for small arms and SA ammo but more expensive for AA/arty/Naval shells (largely due to the lack of orders and therefore inability to effectively mass produce).
Actual production figures for period Jun 1940 til March 1942 then Jun 1940-June 1942 (I.e. the second figure INCLUDES the first figure)
25pdr Field Gun...267.......459
25pdr HE..........238,448...608,942
3.7 AA Gun........216.......264
3.7 ammo..........110,439...178975
3" mortar.........1261......1541
3"ammo............514,426....810,389
No Bofors produced until Dec 1942
Vickers...........4,411......5,213
Bren..............2,047......3,267
SMG...............280........1,909
Carriers..........2,264......2,830
Scout Car.........8..........70
Navy Stuff
Mines.............3,105......4,689
depth charges.....10,496.....11,896
4" ammo...........34,808.....39,720
Air
20lb frag.........6514.......24,072
100lb asw.........7,883......7,883 (production run completed a few months prior)
250lb ASW.........3,364......3,364 (production run completed a few months prior)
250lb GP..........22,613.....29,243
250lb SAP.........299........467 (production really ramped up in the next 6 months)
In general the production capacity in Australia far outstripped the requirements of the Armed services. That more wasn't produced earlier was due to the services not recognising their requirements and placing orders early enough. Earlier the Treasury also slowed production by around 3 months as orders had to go from the armed services to them to vet... this was stopped when war broke out. Finally Australia was suffering financial problems, and until war was declared was hesitant to order more (even though Defence spending in 1939 was already multiple times higher than earlier years). Even orders to Britain were slow, but not due to a lack of manufacturing capacity.
A strategic deceision had been made as early as the 1920's that Japan was a threat, that their was a chance Australia would be isolated and that she needed her own capability. In the 30's the opportunity was identified that as war looked more likely Austtralia might be able to supply the Commonwelath forces, the way Canada had in WW1. Hence the knowledge, skills, tools, and capacity was created.
Cheers
Rob
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Australian Munitions Production June 1942 - 
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