Telegram-Tribune headlines about the war and rationing from Feb. 24, 1943.
Camp Roberts awarded two contracts for housing and a third was launched a week ago. Dorm units, temporary dwelling units and a trailer park site would add 495 units of living space to the cramped facility and San Miguel.
San Luis Obispo county was providing chrome for the war effort via mines in the valley along Highway 1 between Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo.
Approimately 20,000 tons of ore have been mined since last may by Castro Chrome Associates, of San Franciso, operating the chrome mine situated at the head of San Luisita creek in the Santa Lucia range, near the Camp San Luis Obispo firing range, according to L.E. Putnam, general superintendent.
They were the largest producer in the county with 120 tons of ore refined to 50 short tons of chrome concentrates a day at a mill located at the Goldtree siding of the Southern Pacific. (Near present day California Men’s Colony.) The mine had been largely inactive since 1918 after the end of World War I.
The Sweetwater mine on the E. Cacci property was expected to be in production in about 30 days and was expected to produce about 300 tons of ore daily.
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What did they use Chrome for? Certainly not to make the jeeps look classy as they drove around Europe and the South Sea Islands. So often the details are hidden behind the term “war effort”. So, I’m just asking because I’m curious and I don’t know.
They had the answer in an earlier front page story from July 24, 1941 but frankly I had forgotten the details myself.
“Used in Armor Plate
Chrome, an essential to defense, is used in the manufacture of chromium steel, used for armor plate, armor-pierceing projectiles, such as anti-tank shells and machinery subjected to abrasive action or work that requires metal with “give”.”
Ah, now I know. Thanks for the quick reply.
Classic issues journalists wrestle with. 1. How many times do readers want us to repeat information? 2. Do we remember or can we retrieve previous information? 3. Do we have enough space to include repeated information or only the new?