Metal Production

Waterbury, Connecticut, also known as the “Brass City,” was home to numerous different manufacturing plants most notably brass manufacturers as its nickname suggests. Along with the Scovill Manufacturing Company, the Waterbury Manufacturing Company produced brass goods for the war effort. The Waterbury Manufacturing Company did not make ammunition like Scovill did, instead they produced more raw brass to be used by other factories for artillery shells. Along with raw sheets of brass they produced brass and copper tubes and small parts to be used on gas masks, knapsacks, and other such small personal equipment. Seen here is a photo of the brass foundry at the Waterbury Manufacturing Company when it was taken over by government work in April of 1918.

Not fair from Waterbury, the city of New Britain also churned out metal products for use in the war. At the Landers, Frary & Clark plant production of the Model 1913 Cavalry Saber, also known as the Patton Saber, was well under way in 1918 when these photos were taken at the plant. The top photo shows workers in the process of manufacturing the saber, which was straight with the intent to thrust at opponents instead of the traditional cavalry saber which was curved and used for slashing from atop horseback.

Also being produced at the Landers, Frary & Clark plant were melee weapons for infantry men such as trench knives. The bottom photo shows workers pouring aluminum into handle molds which would cool around the blade to make the finished product. Unlike previous wars, World War One was primarily a trench war where soldiers charged across the battlefield to engage in close combat in an attempt to capture enemy trenches. This also meant that cavalry tactics would become obsolete and the cavalry sabers made at Landers, Frary & Clark would have seen combat not atop horses but alongside other infantry men.