Q: Did all American automakers stop producing cars and make military equipment during World War II?
— Frank Burnette, Decatur
A: The U.S. auto industry began manufacturing and producing military equipment in February 1942 and didn't start producing cars again until after the war. U.S. automakers made more than 3 million cars in 1941, but formed the Automotive Council for War Production in 1942 and transformed their manufacturing processes to assist the war effort. "… Chrysler made fuselages. General Motors made airplane engines, guns, trucks and tanks. Packard made Rolls-Royce engines for the British air force," according to the website for "The War," a documentary shown on PBS. It stated that one B-24 Liberator bomber came off the line every 63 minutes at Ford Motor Company's plant in Ypsilanti, Mich. Time reported on June 15, 1942, that "the automotive industry has undertaken to build 75 (percent) of all the aircraft engines, more than 33 (percent) of the machine guns, 40 (percent) of the tanks, besides all the motorized units. One company alone is making more than half the diesel engines for the whole U.S. Navy."
Q: What is the average snowfall for Atlanta in a year?
—Rick Brewer, Smyrna
A: Metro Atlanta receives an average of 2 inches of snow a year, Glenn Burns, chief meteorologist for Channel 2 Action News, told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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