Random Article Summary #116

Detroit Arsenal (DTA), previously called the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (DATP), was the first U.S. factory built specifically for mass-producing tanks. It was established in 1940 under Chrysler and was later owned by the U.S. government until 1996. Architect Albert Kahn designed the facility. The plant was planned as a “dual production” site, meaning it could make weapons during war and switch to peaceful manufacturing after the war ended. Although it was called the “Detroit” Arsenal, the 113-acre site was actually located in Warren, Michigan, Detroit’s most populous suburb. In 1941, Chrysler built the Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant extremely quickly, producing tanks even before construction was fully finished. During World War II it helped make a large share of U.S. tanks, switching from M3 Lee to M4 Sherman tanks in 1942, and later ramped up again during the Korean War. Afterward, the plant stayed under Chrysler control until 1982, when General Dynamics took over and built M1 Abrams tanks until the site was closed for tank assembly in 1996; later, the property was partially transferred to the City of Warren for civilian use while the remaining portion continues as an active Army facility housing major research and logistics commands. The tenant units listed are parts of the U.S. Army, including the DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center and the TACOM Life Cycle Management Command. The base is also associated with broader Army leadership groups such as PEO CS&CSS and PEO GCS, which oversee combat support and ground combat systems programs. The Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan produced several major tank models over many years, including the M3 Lee (1941–1942) and the M4 Sherman (1941–1945). Later production included the M26 Pershing (1945), the M46 and M47 Patton series (1949 and 1951–1953), the M67 “Zippo” (1955–1956), the M60 tank (1960–1987), and finally the M1 Abrams (1980–1996).