Exploded view of Sherman Tank Turret & Turret Basket, along with the Turret Race Assembly, which is key component allowing Turret & Turret Basket full 360 degrees of rotation. (S.H.Smith mark-up for "General Devers & the Sherman Tank")
Film shows key Sherman Tank component being made in York
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.
As with most ball-race turrets, the individual component size usually references the diameter of the ball-race; in this case it is a 72-inch ball-race turret assembly, which has a 80.8-inch outside diameter and 69.2-inch inside diameter. This ball-race turret assembly allows a nominal 69-inch diameter turret basket, and thus the reason the Sherman Tank is often referenced as having a 69-inch diameter turret.
In this assembly, the OUTSIDE RING bolts to the Tank body. The RETAINER RING holds 1-1/4″ dia. BALL BEARINGS and the ball bearing spacers. The Turret bolts to the top of the INSIDE RING, and the Turret Basket bolts to the inside diameter of the INSIDE RING. A Drive Gear on a hydraulic pump in the 69-inch diameter Turret Basket meshes with the GEAR TEETH machined into the OUTSIDE RING to quickly rotate the turret.
About the Film Maker
In June 1943, Joseph F. De Frenes, of Philadelphia, produced two documentary 16mm films, with RCA sound, for Samuel H. Shipley. Each 15-minute film featured War materials production in Thomas Shipley, Inc. factories. Samuel H. Shipley renamed the company York-Shipley, Inc.; effective September 23, 1943.
Joseph F. De Frenes was born in Italy during 1884. According to a Kodak article, in which De Frenes is shown in 1947, he mixed his own sensitizing dyes for color motion pictures as early as 1910. Which he used to document the 1911 coronation of King George V of England. That became the first color movie shown on Broadway in New York City.
De Frenes is also credited as producing the world’s first industrial film, made for London and Northwestern Railway Company in about 1906. After coming to the United States in 1916, he primarily produced advertising films, instructional films, and documentaries. These were filmed across the United States, including the territories Hawaii and Panama Canal. In 1934, he settled in Philadelphia, where he operated De Frenes Company, producing films until retiring in 1963. Joseph De Frenes passed away in 1969.
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Links to related posts:
Home Front gudgeons during WWII
Reading the Headlines: A Quick Index to All YorksPast Posts
