A professional documentary film describing machining, inspection, assembly and testing of precision Ball-Race Turret Assemblies, produced in York for Sherman Tanks during WWII will be part of my presentation at York County History Center’s WWII Briefings. The program is scheduled at 11:00 am on Saturday May 9, 2026. Tickets are required, $10 for Members and $15 for Nonmembers, at this link.
The program “General Devers & the Sherman Tank” features Richard Robinson, Stephen Smith and Mike Siggins, and will focus on the Sherman Tank and its connections to York County.
Debut of the documentary film describing machining, inspection, assembly and testing of precision Ball-Race Turret Assemblies was held on July 15, 1943, for employees of Thomas Shipley, Inc. at their annual dinner at the Valencia ballroom. Samuel H. Shipley, president, was toastmaster. About 600 persons attended. At that event it was one of two motion pictures shown about the making of war products at the company’s plants. The two films were titled: “Rolling Out The Gudgeons” and “Rings Around The Axis.” The “Rings Around The Axis” film title is a play on the three large rings in the Sherman tank ball-race turret assembly, taking part in defeating The Axis powers.
At the left side of the introductory illustration, the location of Cross-Section A-A is pointed out. That cross-section is detailed in the following Sherman Tank turret race assembly detail…