Eagle Boat at Sea, 1919
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Artifact Overview
To combat German submarine attacks on U.S. cargo ships during World War I, Henry Ford suggested the mass production of submarine chasers. Ford Motor Company accepted a government contract to build these "Eagle Boats" and began production at its partially developed industrial complex along the Rouge River in 1918. By late 1919, Ford had completed 60 Eagle Boats for the U.S. Navy.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
1919
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
P.O.928
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Mounting
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 8 in
Width: 10 in
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Related Content
SetBuilding Eagle Boats at the Rouge
- 27 Artifacts
Over the years, Ford Motor Company's River Rouge factory turned out everything from tractors to cars to pickup trucks. But its first products had no wheels at all. From May 1918 to October 1919, Ford built 60 "Eagle" anti-submarine patrol boats at the Rouge. World War I ended before any of the Eagles saw action, but they proved that even warships could be made on an assembly line.