80 Years of Service Savanna Ordnance Depot in the Defense of Our Nation 1916 - 1996,

Abstract

At first glance the story of the establishment of an Army ordnance facility at Savanna, Illinois seems straight forward. In spite of President Wilson's efforts to mediate peace and maintain a neutral stance between the warring European powers, the United States was drawn into armed conflict when Imperial Germany officially resumed unrestricted submarine warfare on 1 February 1917. The subsequent sinking of six American ships prompted President Wilson to call a special session of Congress. On 2 April 1917 he asked for a declaration of war. After four days of debate, Congress passed the declaration. The Sundry Civil Act, passed by Congress on 12 June 1917, authorized $1,500,000 for the establishment of a proof-firing facility for ordnance material in the Midwest. The construction of the Savanna facility began in April 1918 and was completed in December. On 26 December 1918 the Savanna Proving Ground officially opened.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA309343

Entities

People

  • Inga Olsen
  • Rose E. Paulson
  • Ruthanne Kunke

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Artillery
  • Artillery Ammunition
  • Business Administration
  • Civil War
  • Congress
  • Employment
  • Fire Control Systems
  • Health Services
  • Management Personnel
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Personnel
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Personnel Management
  • Recreation
  • Second World War

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • International Relations and European Studies
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting