We don't seem to have a thread about bearings to drop this nice page from Tiger1Info into. Bit odd, given they crop up quite a lot in terms of bombing targets, supply etc. Turret bearings
A bearing thread ! War Department Nortons were fitted with Hoffmann self-aligning main bearings, in contrast to pre-war civilian production which had a ball race alongside a roller bearing to provide both support and lateral location. Self-aligning bearings are more tolerant of shaft deflection but with a lower load capacity. The damage to the casting webs here shows what happens when they fail.
Luftwaffe targeting from IWM Collections: Luton Kugellagerfabrik The Skefco Ball Bearing Co Ltd : [Luftwaffe Target Folder]. © IWM (LBY LUFT 564) IWM Non Commercial License Luton Kugellagerfabrik The Skefco Ball Bearing Co Ltd : [Luftwaffe Target Folder]. © IWM (LBY LUFT 564) IWM Non Commercial License Luton Kugellagerfabrik The Skefco Ball Bearing Co Ltd : [Luftwaffe Target Folder]. © IWM (LBY LUFT 564) IWM Non Commercial License Forgot how good Grace's can be: Skefko Ball Bearing Co - Graces Guide
When I dismantled my Belgian barn-find 16H, not only did it have the original 1939-dated tyres and tubes, but also hubs well-packed with 1939 grease. The bearings were cleaned, spun, listened to and then replaced. Eighty-year old bearings. Far more sustainable than buying an electric scooter !
I confess I love bearings. From that magic moment you realise just replacing one for a few quid can keep all sorts of things running and rolling the world becomes a slightly different place. Now attempting to look at their history properly. As mr Dury used to sing: There ain't half been some clever bastards. The people behind that invention should have statues erected to them.
..but best of all, spin ball races up on an airline and let go of them. All you needed to know about random flight but were afraid to ask !
"Did Swedish ball bearings keep the Second World War going? - Re-evaluating neutral Sweden's role." https://t.co/QMxSzz1fBR Opens to .pdf Not so sure we've had much chat about 'neutrality' here in the last few years. Interesting subject. Might have to have a newer thread.
Swedish factories of course were not being bombed nightly. Their bearings were not being made by inexperienced staff who had spent a night in a shelter.
One of the more unusual operations involving merchant crews during the war was the transport of ball bearings through enemy controlled waters from neutral Sweden to the UK. The scheme was the brainchild of Frederick George Binney, who in 1939 had been recruited by Iron and Steel Control, Ministry of Supply. As their representative in Sweden his job was to purchase steel, machine tools and ball-bearings essential to the British armament industries. Sir George Binney DSO, as he became, was something of a gentleman adventurer. He was educated at Summer Fields, Eton and Merton College, Oxford. He had organised various Arctic expeditions and had worked for the Hudson Bay Company and United Steel Companies. With the occupation of Denmark and Norway the British found it nigh impossible to ship sufficient amounts of the materials that Binney had bought,i so he conceived a series of daring runs to carry the badly needed cargoes to Britain. The first of these, Operation RUBBLE, took place in January 1941, using five of the Norwegian ships that were detained in Sweden. Binney had contacted the Masters of the British steamers Romanby, Blythmoor, Mersington Court and Riverton, who were interned north of Stockholm, asking for volunteers to man the Norwegian ships Elisabeth Bakke, John Bakke, Tai Shan, Taurus and Ranja. Some of their crews were, understandably, not keen to make the trip. None of the British Masters were willing to go either, but their Chief Officers and various crew members were. The British officers were put in command of the vessels, though the Norwegian Masters remained aboard as representatives of the owners, Nortraship. Many of the crew also remained. The crews were supplemented by Britons from the four ships that had been sunk at Narvik and seamen of other nationalities, including some Swedes. The news of the breakout leaked when the Master of one of the Norwegian ships asked his owners in Norway for instructions. The message fell into the hands of the Gestapo and as a result the Ranja was substituted for the Dicto. Once the fleet was at sea the battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau passed them, but neither party became aware of the other. The Ranja was attacked by aircraft and her Swedish 1st Mate, Nils Ryderg, who was shot and later died, was awarded the OBE. The ships arrived safely in Kirkwall. A total of 146 men and one woman (the wife of John Bakke's Chief Engineer Hans Hansen) reached Orkney: fifty eight were British, fifty seven Norwegian, thirty one Swedish and one a Latvianii. Buoyed up by the success of Operation RUBBLE, Binney set to organising a much bigger project that was to become Operation PERFORMANCE. This time the British chartered ten of the Norwegian ships that remained in Sweden and loaded them with more valuable material. The British Masters who had declined to join the first breakout volunteered this time. It was decided that they would take charge of the vessels until the limits of Swedish territorial waters were reached, when their regular masters would resume command. Strangely the Norwegian masters were excluded from the pre-sailing conference. The ships, in the order that they sailed from the still partly frozen Gothenburg harbour were: Charente with twenty three British, five Norwegian, one Polish and two Dutch crew; Buccaneer - five British and forty one Norwegian crew; Lionel - forty one Norwegian and one British crew; Storsten - forty eight Norwegian and one British crew; Dicto (Flag Ship, with Binney on board) - thirty one British and twelve Norwegian crew; Gudvang - twelve British and thirteen Norwegian crew; Rigmor - four British, one Swedish and thirty five Norwegian crew; Skytteren - fifteen British, ninety six Norwegian crew; Lind - two British and eleven Norwegian crew and B P Newton - five British and sixty six Norwegian crew. This time the Germans were waiting. Only two ships, together with the crew of a third, reached the UK, and two made it back to Sweden. The others were sunk or scuttled by their crews to prevent the ships and cargoes falling into German hands. Mrs Lawson has calculated that of the 471 people involved, 234 were taken prisoner, including eight women and children.iii Of those taken prisoner forty three died: most of those were executed. At sea nineteen people died, including seventeen missing in a lifeboat from the Storsten. The ships that returned to Gothenburg, with their cargoes, were the Dicto and Lionel. An effort was made to get them out during the winter darkness on 17 January 1943, but again the Germans were waiting and the ships turned back. Another attempt in February was abandoned for the same reason. The British continued to fly small cargoes out, but it was obvious to Binney that the only way to obtain enough ball bearings was to transport them by sea. His new plan involved using modified fast Motor Launches. After some deliberation the Admiralty made five diesel powered gun boats available for the work. These had been part of an order of eight destined for the Turkish Navy. Three were handed over to Camper and Nicholson for conversion and the other two went to the yard of Amos and Smith in Hull. Everything forward of the engine room was stripped out to make a hold in which forty tons of ball bearings could be stowed, and the bridge structure and accommodation were substantially altered. The boats had a maximum cruise speed of twenty knots, with a range of 1,200 miles at seventeen knots. The Hull based liner company, Ellerman Wilson, managed the boats, which they manned with volunteers from among their crews and with trawler men.iv In accordance with usual Merchant Service practice the Radio Officers were supplied by Marconi or IMR (International Marine Radio?). All five vessels first sailed on 26 October 1943, but four were forced to turn back because of a combination of engine problems and bad weather. The fifth was the Gay Viking, who reached the UK with forty tons of ball bearings. Over the next five months another eight successful trips were completed and cargoes totalled 347.5 tons out of a planned 400 tons. The Germans captured the Master Standfast in November. The Nonsuch only completed one trip, because of engine problems, which plagued all of the vessels. Hopewell completed two trips and Gay Viking and Gay Corsair did three. Later they were used to carry supplies for the Danish resistance, but that was a failure. i Churchill Archives Centre, The Papers of Sir George Binney, BINN ii Much of the material about Operations Rubble and Performance is from Siri Lawson's site Warsailors.com, which contains a great deal more information on this and many other actions at sea, particularly involving Norwegians. iii Mrs Siri Lawson Warsailors. iv These ships could not be under the White Ensign of the Royal Navy, as warships are only permitted to remain in a neutral port for 24 hours.
Some of the awards made to those involved are listed below: GAY CORSAIR - (Ellerman’s Wilson Line Ltd.) – Operation BRIDFORD – blockade running voyages from Sweden to the UK between October 1943 and March 1944 17 December 1943 Gazette Issue 36292, Supplement 5523, published 21 December 1943 21 January 1944 Gazette Issue 36347, Supplement 486, published 25 January 1944 James Edward Conway - BEM (CD) - when Motorman Joseph Downey - OBE (CD) - when Chief Engineer Officer Arthur Oliver Fray - BEM (CD) – when Able Seaman Kenneth Parker - BEM (CD) - when Assistant Steward Captain Robert Tanton - OBE (CD) - when Master 18 February 1944 Gazette Issue 36391, Supplement 905 published 22 February 1944 28 April 1944 Gazette Issue 36493, Supplement 2004 published 02 May 1944 James MacDonald Angus - MBE (CD) – when Second Engineer Officer Eric Hodgson - MBE (CD) - when First Radio Officer Lawrence Kohler - BEM (CD) - when Boatswain Thomas Mallory - BEM (CD) - when Able Seaman Kenneth Henry McNeil - Commendation – when Chief Officer James Henry Storr - BEM (CD) – when Chief Steward 28 April 1944 Gazette Issue 36493, Supplement 2005 published 02 May 1944 George Smith - Commendation – when Donkeyman 14 July 1944 Gazette Issue 36613, Supplement 3342 published 18 July 1944 Frederick George Binney - DSO - For outstanding leadership and skill – when Acting Temporary Commander, RNVR – Voyage 10 after HOPEWELL had to return to the Humber after she broke the crankshaft of the centre engine 14 July 1944 Gazette Issue 36613, Supplement 3343 published 18 July 1944 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36613/supplement/3343/data.pdf Roger Thornycroft - DSC – when Lieutenant, RNVR, Chief Officer/SOE GAY VIKING - Ellerman’s Wilson Line - For services during Operation BRIDFORD – blockade running voyages from Sweden to the UK between October 1943 and March 1944 17 December 1943 Gazette Issue 36292, Supplement 5523, published 21 December 1943 James Kirkhope Duncan - OBE (CD) – when Chief Engineer Herbert Pearson - BEM (CD) – when Boatswain Ernest Emil Schaper - BEM (CD) – when Donkeyman Captain Harry Whitfield - OBE (CD) - when Master 18 February 1944 Gazette Issue 36391, Supplement 905 published 22 February 1944 Stanley Close - BEM (CD) - when Cook Steward James Dolan - BEM (CD) – when Able Seaman John Hopper Ellerington - BEM (CD) - when Able Seaman Guiseppe Fenech - BEM (CD) – when Greaser John Swanson Livingstone - MBE (CD) – when Second Engineer Officer John Kristijon Marrow - MBE (CD) – when First Officer 28 April 1944 Gazette Issue 36493, Supplement 2004 published 02 May 1944 George Walker - MBE (CD) - when First Radio Officer 28 April 1944 Gazette Issue 36493, Supplement 2005 published 02 May 1944 John Alan Burdall - Commendation – when Able Seaman 14 July 1944 Gazette Issue 36613, Supplement 3342 published 18 July 1944 Frederick George Binney - DSO - For outstanding leadership and skill – when Acting Temporary Commander, RNVR – Voyage 7 from Sweden 14 July 1944 Gazette Issue 36613, Supplement 3343, published 18 July 1944 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36613/supplement/3343/data.pdf Sylvanus Brian John Reynolds - DSC - For distinguished services in a special operation – when Chief Officer/Vice Commodore (2i/c) Died 12 May 1945 when Lieutenant Commander, RNR – Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 95, Column 2 GAY VIKING – (Ellerman’s Wilson Line) - For services during Operation MOONSHINE – a voyage to and from Sweden in January and February 1945 and running the German blockade 29 June 1945 Gazette Issue 37159, Supplement 3460, published 03 July 1945 Sylvanus Brian John Reynolds - MID – For gallantry, pertinacity and devotion to duty whilst engaged in special operations in Northern Waters – when Ellerman’s Wilson Line/SOE – i/c of Operation ....... as extracted from a fuller listing (including HOPEWELL and NONSUCH (with Edward Bourne Ruffman DSC)) offered at: Ellerman WW2 Decorations 1939 to 1946 Part 2 Sylvanus Brian John Reynolds DSC is reported to have served as Brian Bingham by: SOE - Reynolds, Sylvanus Brian John Still threading through the very possible involvement with Reynolds & Co of The Earl Fitzwilliam DSC, the 8th Earl: Peter Wentworth-Fitzwilliam, 8th Earl Fitzwilliam - Wikipedia although cited immediately above as being Lord Milton and DSO (perhaps confused with the 7th Earl's) at the time? ........... and as mentioned by dbf at 124546 George Patrick John Rushworth JELLICOE, Coldstream Guards, 8 Cdo, SAS, SBS Afternote: Captain Robert Tanton OBE and some of Gay Corsair's crew:
Not WW2*, but a lovely thorough run-through of all sorts of bearings by this pleasing chap. *Well. Depends on perspective. All this stuff is at the absolute core of much WW2 machinery.
Steelies! Caused havoc in any unexpecting game of marbles, and things of beauty in a catapult. Kind regards, always, Jim.
Economic Schweinfurt... What’s Perfectly Round, Made Of Metal, And Keeping Russia From Replacing the 2,000 Tanks It’s Lost In Ukraine?
