From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Letter to Captain Slater regarding the urgent need for machine tools for gun production during the war.
| Identifier | ExFiles\Box 176\3\ img146 | |
| Date | 5th August 1940 | |
| COPY. 26 Rm.{William Robotham - Chief Engineer}3/ML. 5.8.40. Capt. Slater, Spa Hotel, BATH. Dear Captain Slater, I am afraid that we all felt depressed when we heard that, although the urgency of the Rolls-Royce gun was considered to be on a par with that of the Oerliken, the latter would be al-located 600 machines whilst the former could expect no assistance in this direction. We are hoping to locate, with sub-contractors, half the total number of machine tools necessary to ensure a produc-tion of 25 guns per week. We enclose a list which represents the other half of the necessary machine tool capacity, and this half we do not think we can find at the present moment, though we hope to locate at least some additional sources of supply as time goes on. Were you able to provide even 50% of this equipment it could at once be put to work in the plant of one of the Firms whom we have ear-marked to make pieces. Though I am satisfied that we can obtain satisfactory pieces from America, my experience of this particular source of supply, since the outbreak of war, indicates that it takes at least six months to get started on any difficult piece, and the difficult pieces will be the limiting factor. A favourable reply will, of course, save considerable time in the completion of the brochure. Yours sincerely, R'R' 6011 (CL) (11210 21-11-39) SY 49213 | ||