A.S.P.C. No. 2 at Romoratin

[todd_tifft]

PLANE NEWS - January 25, 1919
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Brief story of a big work in France

A.S.P.C. No. 2 Romoratin the biggest plant of its kind over here

MODEL FACTORY CITY

The enormous aviation manufacturing plant at Romoratin is another story
of mushroom growth. It sprang from nothing in the middle of January to
a marvelous plant for assembling and reconstruction of all planes used in the A.E.F. both at the front and in the training schools here.
The story could be best told in figures, but as they would be staggering
it is almost beyond comprehension. It is in fact a model factory town with a rural setting. The site was selected due to central location both for distribution to the Z. of A. and the S.O.S. Its immense machine shops and fabricating plants, storage warehouses, hangars, ballon workshops, are all marvels of construction and convenience, covering acre after acre. In conjunction with this there was a stupendous task in clearing and arranging the broad expanse of flying fields, building railroads, roads and ditches.
Actual production work began in the latter part of July, but several months previous to this assembly work was carried on, including work on the D.H.4 with Liberty motor, since which time hundreds of planes have been assembled, reconstructed, and many others salvaged the spare parts being used to the greatest advantage.
Experimental work was carried on here and numerous innovations were made in rigging of planes and changes in motors. Spare parts have been manufactured right on the spot to meet emergency needs.
No lost motion has ever been evident, for the plane production has always kept up with the shipments from the States. While everything has been done under pressure this production has only been possible by working two 9 1/2 hour shifts in the shop.
Installation of armament has been only one of many important phases of work carried on, as well as radio and camera installations.
As proof of the thoroughness in which assembly work has been necessarily carried on, the percentage of crashes in delivery, even though it has been necessary to ferry the planes over long distances, has been practically nil, none of these being fatal. Those that did occur were due to causes over which there was no control, mainly being from fog, wind and rain. Rigidity of the testing and inspection conducted before delivery has no doubt been responsible for this.
One explanation of the great amount of work accomplished by the personnel that has been available may be attributed to the perfect sanitary conditions and proper military discipline which has resulted in an unusually low percentage of venereal and other cases and necessary enforced disciplinary actions which have taken place.
To properly summarize the accomplishments of the Air Service Production Park No. 2 it is felt that the words of Lt. Col. E.V. Sumner, A.S.A., the C.O., of this vast establishment and who has ever been an inspiration to the men in his command, cover the situation very thoroughly:
"We have grown from nothing in ten short months to something of which we are all proud. We feel that silence is the watch word upon which success depends. Our main objective has been to obtain results as quickly as possible and with least friction. We feel that we have gained that objective and that our record speaks for itself."
Considering that all of the work accomplished was under war conditions on foreign soil with labor and material shortages, multiplies everything double.

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