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67-470: Alkett was founded in 1937 as a subsidiary of Rheinmetall-Borsig AG , which in turn was a subsidiary of the government-controlled Reichswerke Hermann Göring . The main facility was sited on the Rota-wagon and Maschinenbau GmbH plants, which had not been in use since 1928. The site at Breitenbachstraße 33-36, the later Plant I, had to be extensively rebuilt. The administrative headquarters were located to

134-683: A 51 per cent stake in the company and MAN 49 per cent. Between 2010 and 2011, Rheinmetall acquired the German activities of Verseidag Ballistic Protection. In February 2011, Rheinmetall increased its stake in ADS Gesellschaft für aktive Schutzsysteme. In July 2011, Rheinmetall reviewed the sustainability of the company's two-pillar strategy, with the two divisions Automotive Technology and Defence. Both divisions were to be enabled to further develop their competitive positions with greater flexibility. In this context, Rheinmetall examined in particular

201-577: A fundamental reorganisation, in the form of mergers and new acquisitions. In 1998, the first unit of the new gun artillery system Panzerhaubitze 2000 , developed by Rheinmetall and MaK Systemgesellschaft, was handed over to the Bundeswehr, and the Rhino minesweeper from MaK Systemgesellschaft was deployed in the former Yugoslavia. Rheinmetall took over the defence technology of BUCK System GmbH and formed BUCK Neue Technologien. In 1999, Rheinmetall acquired

268-611: A large scale by placed orders. In June 2022, Rheinmetall presented its latest KF51 Panther main battle tank at the Eurosatory arms fair. In November 2022, Rheinmetall announced the purchase of Spanish ammunition manufacturer Expal, which was completed in August 2023 for 1.2 billion euros. Rheinmetall expected an increase in demand for ammunition following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and, in this context, an improvement in

335-638: A majority stake in Oerlikon Contraves, a supplier of combined cannon and guided missile systems for air defence, and Eurometaal Holding N.V., a manufacturer of medium calibre artillery. In late 1999, Rheinmetall took over the companies KUKA Wehrtechnik and Henschel Wehrtechnik, and later combined the two with MaK Systemgesellschaft, to form the new company, Rheinmetall Landsysteme. In 2000, Rheinmetall's Executive Board decided to concentrate on defence technology, automotive technology and electronics. Subsequently, it sold off multiple subsidiaries. In 2004,

402-650: A marked ramp-up of production. Alkett obtained a site for manufacturing directly across the street from their main buildings. Located on Breitenbachstraße 1-6, the former site of the Löwenberg factory, was built Production Halls 9-12. The test area for foreign tank design was located in Hall 12. Here the engineers tested the T-34 and Sherman tanks to draw conclusions for their own production. Other facilities were located at Breitenbachstraße 72. The factory on Breitenbachstraße

469-551: A prototype Panzerjäger IV with 7.5 cm L/48 gun and demonstrated it on 20 October 1943. It was later re-designated as Jagdpanzer IV Ausf. F. As the Jagdpanzer IV was already being produced by Vomag, the StuG IV may not have materialized, had it not been for the major disruption of StuG III production, and the scarce supply of the 7.5 cm L/70 gun designated for the Jagdpanzer IV. In November 1943, Alkett ,

536-486: A share of the production of Boxer tanks, which were developed for the Bundeswehr and the Dutch army. In May 2010, Rheinmetall and MAN founded the joint company Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV). This created a full-range supplier in the market for wheeled military vehicles, covering the complete range of protected and unprotected transport, command and functional vehicles for international armed forces. Rheinmetall holds

603-635: A significant impact on the production of the StuG III. This was an important weapon for the army and Alkett was the major manufacturer. Alkett had produced 255 StuG IIIs in October 1943, but in December the number fell to just 24 vehicles. A conference to discuss alternatives with Adolf Hitler was held on December 6–7, 1943. It was noted that if production could be shifted to another manufacturer German assault tank production could be sustained. The suggestion

670-455: A tank destroyer cannon, a standard armoured turret and a tank howitzer. In 1965, the development of 120-millimetre smoothbore technology began under the leadership of Raimund Germershausen. Parallel to the increasing sales success and organic growth, Rheinmetall acquired around a dozen smaller mechanical engineering companies between 1958 and 1973, primarily those active in the fields of packaging and forming technology and electronics. 1974/75 saw

737-762: Is a German automotive and arms manufacturer , headquartered in Düsseldorf , Germany. The Group was promoted to the DAX , Germany's leading share index, in March 2023. It is the fifth largest arms manufacturer in Europe, and produces a variety of armored fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers , in both wheeled and tracked versions. Its name is derived from the German-language words Rhein and Metall , translating to "Rhinemetal" when combined. In April 1889,

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804-424: Is now called Gorky Street. In 1943 designer Hugo Kapteina formed a resistance group within the factory. Leaflets were produced, distributed and acts of sabotage were carried out. One technique Kapteina called upon was for welders to use excessive current so that the welds would not hold for long. Kapteina was found out and arrested in 1944. He was executed on April 20, 1945. On the same day senior master Franz Hahne

871-469: Is responsible for the maintenance of selected vehicles and weapon systems of the German Army. The Public Security business unit was established in response to the changing threat situation, and to offer systems for defence against threats to internal security and civil protection. In March 2008, Rheinmetall acquired the armour manufacturer Stork PWV from the Dutch conglomerate Stork, thereby taking over

938-588: The Battle of Kursk , Hitler had seen reports of the StuG III outperforming the Panzer IV when used in an infantry support role and tactical defence. Convinced that a tank-hunter version would be superior to the tank version, Hitler planned to switch Panzer IV production to " Panzerjäger IV" production as soon as possible. It was to mount the same 7.5 cm L/70 used for the Panther. Another manufacturer, Vomag built

1005-566: The CBI , for bribing defence officials for securing multi billion dollar weapons contracts of the Indian military establishment. In 2014, RAD Chairman Bodo Garbe and General Manager Gerhard Hoy were issued summons of the Indian courts. Subsequently a red-corner notice was issued for their detention through Interpol . In 2016, the case was under trial in Indian courts. Sturmgesch%C3%BCtz IV The Sturmgeschütz IV (StuG IV) (Sd.Kfz. 167)

1072-745: The Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the TPz Fuchs Armored Personnel Carrier in Ukraine. Rheinmetall intends to have the first units come off the production line sometime in 2024. An additional 200,000 artillery shells are to be manufactured at a new plant in Unterlüß from 2025. US intelligence services claim to have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate Armin Papperger (CEO and chairman of

1139-762: The GDR, state-owned spinoffs of Rheinmetall manufactured office machines, moped engines, cameras, and later printers and personal computers. Production was completely banned until 1950. Rheinmetall-Borsig was then transformed into a pure holding company owned by the Federal Republic of Germany. Two independent subsidiaries were founded. Borsig in Berlin produced steam boilers and refrigeration systems. Rheinmetall in Düsseldorf built typewriters, shock absorbers, lifts, tanning machines and transport and loading equipment. At

1206-666: The Hörder Bergwerks- und Hütten-Verein founded the Rheinische Metallwaaren- und Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft under General Director Josef Massenez, to produce ammunition for the German Empire. The Thuringian engineer Heinrich Ehrhardt (1840-1928) oversaw the construction of the Rheinmetall plant in Düsseldorf and managed it until 1920. He made many of his patents and inventions available to

1273-592: The Jagdpanzer IV at the time. This restarted the Sturmgeschütz IV project. This time, the superstructure of the StuG III Ausf. G was mounted on a Panzer IV chassis 7, with a box compartment for the driver added. Combat weight was 23000 kg, lighter than the 23900 kg for the StuG III Ausf. G. Between 16 and 17 December 1943, Hitler was shown the StuG IV and approved it. To make up for

1340-513: The OFB and all other Indian defence companies, as well as being blacklisted from participating in any Indian defence contract, for a period of 10 years. RAD claimed that the charges against it are without merit. In 2012, Rheinmetall Air Defence was implicated in a corruption case in India, along with arms dealer Abhishek Verma and his wife Anca Verma , as lodged by the anti-corruption agency of India,

1407-603: The Panzer IV chassis is in Krupp drawing number W1468 dated February 1943. This initial drawing utilised the outdated Sturmgeschütz Ausf. F superstructure on a Panzer IV chassis. This proposal had a sloped front superstructure with a combat weight of 28.26 tons. Krupp abandoned it in February 1943 because it was too heavy. Plans for the StuG IV were halted. During the Führer Conference of 19 to 22 August 1943, after

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1474-563: The Second World War, numerous forced labourers worked in the Rheinmetall factories. In the Unterlüß plant alone, around 5,000 foreign forced labourers and prisoners of war, approximately 2,500 Poles, 1,000 from the USSR, 500 Yugoslavs, 1,000 from other countries, were liberated by British troops at the end of the war. Between 1944 and 1945, Rheinmetall-Borsig took over the sponsorship of the nursery for foreign children in Unterlüß, which

1541-925: The Security Technology division and acquiring a majority stake in Preh-Werke to expand the Automotive Technology division. In 1995, Rheinmetall expanded its expertise in medium-calibre automatic cannon systems, by acquiring a majority stake in Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH and increasing Pierburg's involvement in the USA. In the same year, Rheinmetall acquired a stake in STN Atlas Elektronik in order to strengthen its expertise in defence electronics. In 1997, Rheinmetall underwent

1608-652: The armaments production came to a standstill and Rheinmetall had to lay off employees. The provisions of the Treaty of Versailles made it necessary to switch to civilian products. Rheinmetall therefore produced locomotives, railway carriages, agricultural machinery and steam ploughs in the Rhineland. The factory in Sömmerda produced precision mechanical devices such as typewriters and calculating machines. Steel production in Rath

1675-478: The changed global political situation, Rheinmetall adapted its corporate strategy by diversifying into civilian industrial products. By acquiring a 100 per cent stake in MaK System Gesellschaft, part of Friedrich Krupp AG, between 1990 and 1992, Rheinmetall expanded its expertise in the field of new systems for land forces and special vehicles. For example, for use in environmental protection. In

1742-492: The company and contributed significantly to the technical development of many Rheinmetall products. In December 1889, the newly founded factory in Düsseldorf-Derendorf on Ulmenstraße began production. The company expanded very quickly in the following years, partly due to government orders and partly because patents were obtained for two processes for manufacturing seamless tubes in 1891 and 1892. In order to meet

1809-426: The company came under complete state control and was integrated into the planned war preparations. In the last two years of the war, the production facilities were severely damaged or destroyed by Allied air raids. After a heavy air raid on the factories in Düsseldorf, numerous production areas were relocated east to areas of the later GDR , such as Apolda and present-day Poland, such as Guben and Breslau . During

1876-527: The dwindling tank force available to the German army on the Eastern and Western fronts. The Sturmgeschütz IV resulted from Krupp 's effort to supply an assault gun. As Krupp did not build Panzerkampfwagen IIIs , they used the Panzerkampfwagen IV chassis in combination with a slightly modified Sturmgeschütz III superstructure. The first known proposal for a Sturmgeschütz on

1943-653: The executive board). With its Vehicle Systems divisions, Europe and International, Rheinmetall is primarily active in the field of wheeled and tracked military vehicles. The Weapon and Ammunition division is active in weapon systems and ammunition. The Electronic Solutions division is concerned with the digitalisation of armed forces, infantry equipment, air defence and simulation. The Sensors and Actuators division provides equipment for industrial applications and e-mobility, as well as components and control systems for reducing emissions. The Materials and Trade division supplies plain bearings and structural components and operates

2010-470: The factory in Düsseldorf was expanded. At the beginning of the First World War in 1914, Rheinmetall was one of the largest armaments manufacturers in the German Empire, and employed almost 8,000 people. By the end of the war, the workforce had increased to almost 48,000 workers and employees, including around 9,000 women.The built-up area at the main plant quadrupled during this time. After the war,

2077-402: The field of unmanned aerial systems and cargo loading systems in a joint venture. Cassidian holds 51 percent and Rheinmetall 49 percent of the shares in the newly founded Rheinmetall Airborne Systems GmbH. In May 2012, the automotive sector streamlined its organizational structure. KSPG's previous six business units were bundled into three divisions: Hardparts, Mechatronics and Motorservice. In

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2144-527: The fifth largest in Europe. Rheinmetall has been listed in the German DAX share index since 20 March 2023. The key trends for Rheinmetall AG are, as of each financial year: In 2023, 66 % of Rheinmetall AG shares were held by institutional investors, 48 % of which came from North America, 21 % from Europe and 3 % from the rest of the world. 23 % of Rheinmetall's shares were owned by private shareholders. In 2023, other investors held

2211-544: The first acquisitions of foreign companies in Portugal, Great Britain and the Netherlands. In 1978, production of the 155 mm FH70 field howitzer began. In October 1979, the first Leopard 2 main battle tank was delivered to the Bundeswehr. It was equipped with the 120-millimetre smoothbore gun developed by Rheinmetall. In the following years, the company's civilian division was reorganised and strengthened in 1981 with

2278-522: The focus on the defence technology divisions was largely completed . In 2003, Rheinmetall Landsysteme delivered the first new Marder 1A5 mine-protected infantry fighting vehicle . To develop the new Puma infantry fighting vehicle for the Bundeswehr, Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann set up the joint venture PSM GmbH, in which both companies hold a 50 per cent stake. In the Defence Technology division, Rheinmetall W&M GmbH

2345-414: The front to the plant site. Alkett is the company that Major Alfred Becker worked with, initially in early 1942 to help create self-propelled artillery pieces by use of captured French Lorraine Schlepper ammunition carriers . Becker converted these vehicles to carry the 150 mm sFH 18 . Becker's later work converting captured French vehicles to carry German weapons was assisted by Alkett, which produced

2412-474: The global aftermarket business. In fiscal year 2022 (2021), Rheinmetall generated sales of €6.410 billion (€5.658 billion). It had 25,486 (23,945) employees (FTE) and a reported EBIT of €731 million (€608 million). In the 2020 financial year (2019) Rheinmetall had €5.405 (6.255) billion in sales, with 23,268 (23,780) employees (FTE) worldwide. In 2022, Rheinmetall was the largest defence company in Germany, and

2479-576: The increased demand for steel resulting from the expansion of the main plant, Metallwerk Ehrhardt & Heye AG in Düsseldorf-Rath was acquired in 1892 and incorporated into the company in 1896. In 1896, Rheinmetall presented the world's first rapid-fire gun suitable for field service, with variable recoil and combined barrel recoil and a forward feed device. It was based on patents by the engineer Konrad Haußner. The Prussian artillery testing commission rejected it, either misjudging or not realising

2546-473: The large deficit in StuG III production StuG IV production was now given full support. From December 1943 to May 1945, Krupp built 1,111 StuG IVs, in early 1944 Alkett built 30 Stug IVs using new Panzer IV chassis sent from Nibelungenwerk. While the number is smaller than the 10,000+ StuG III, the StuG IV supplemented and fought along with StuG III during 1944–45, when they were most needed. The StuG IV became known as an effective tank killer, especially on

2613-690: The late 1950s the company was re-renamed Alkett Maschinenbau GmbH. In 1966 at the request of the Bundesschatzministerium (Federal Ministry for the Treasury) Alkett was incorporated, as were other West Berlin companies such as Borsig , Schwartzkopff , Typography ( Linotype machine ) and Fritz Werner machine tools into the German Industrial Equipment Company. The company was now 90% in federal ownership. Rheinmetall Rheinmetall AG

2680-513: The left of the main entrance. The basement housed a canteen for the employees. To the right of the main entrance a fire department was located, along with the workshop, and an electrical substation for supplying the electric power distribution of 6,000 to 30,000 volts. Behind the administration building were Production Halls 1 through 8. With the coming of the Second World War increased demand for armored fighting vehicles resulted in

2747-458: The main armored fighting vehicles of the Wehrmacht. The company was involved in the development, production and modification of the following vehicles: The completed tanks were test driven on Holzhauser Street. Since 10 to 20 new tanks left the factory every day, their appearance was a common feature of the townscape at the time. Alkett also repaired damaged tanks that were brought by rail from

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2814-539: The manufacture of steam ploughs. In 1925, the state holding company VIAG of the German Reich bought a majority stake in Rheinmetall, as part of a capital increase. In April 1933, Rheinmetall bought the locomotive manufacturer Borsig, which was about to be liquidated, and thus came into possession of a large factory in Berlin-Tegel. This led to Rheinmetall being renamed Rheinmetall-Borsig AG in 1936. As part of

2881-430: The manufacturer of the StuG III, suffered damage due to an Allied bombing raid. They produced 255 StuG III in October 1943, but in December production fell to just 24 vehicles. A conference held from 6 to 7 December 1943, addressed possible solutions to this problem. Hitler welcomed the suggestion of taking the StuG III superstructure and mounting it on a Panzer IV chassis. The StuG IV could be more quickly manufactured than

2948-676: The name of Factory I. Factory II, also called the "Maschinen und Gerätebau Tegel" (Machinery and Equipment Works) (Maget), was originally located in Berlin-Tegel near the Borsig plant in Eisenhammerweg. Factory III (former Altmärkische Kettenwerke, Werk III) was in Berlin-Spandau located on Freiheit 16–17 street. Altmärkischen Kettenwerke performed as designer, manufacturer, and partially exclusive licensee of some of

3015-450: The portion of the plant that had not been dismantled, the remaining machinery was used for production of much needed everyday items, such as pots, pans and buckets. In early 1948 Alkett resumed work in mechanical engineering, and began receiving ore supplies. In 1953 work halls 1-6 located at 10-12 Breitenbachstraße were renamed Alkett GmbH. Work with the welding presses was resumed to produce gears, gear boxes, and stainless steel screws. In

3082-499: The possibilities. After the successful introduction of recoil-operated guns by France (Canon de 75 mle 1897), this attitude changed and the development became a great economic success for Rheinmetall. In 1901, on the initiative of Heinrich Ehrhardt, Rheinmetall took over the bankrupt Munitions- und Waffenfabrik AG in Sömmerda , expanding its product range. In the following years, Rheinmetall also grew due to orders from abroad. In 1906,

3149-591: The possibility of an IPO for Kolbenschmidt Pierburg (KSPG), which represents the automotive sector of the Rheinmetall Group; this possibility ended in 2012. That year, KSPG took over the plain bearing activities of Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd (KOEL) in Pune, India. KOEL is, among other things, the largest plain bearing manufacturer in India, and is primarily focussed on the domestic market there. In January 2012, Rheinmetall and Cassidian combined their activities in

3216-523: The purchasing of multiple companies. In 1999, Rheinmetall sold off its packaging technology division to IWKA AG. In 1986, the Automotive Technology division was established through the acquisition of carburettor manufacturer Pierburg GmbH. Together with Diehl Munitionssysteme, Rheinmetall founded the Gesellschaft für Intelligente Wirksysteme (GIWS). GIWS specialised in intelligent ammunition, projectiles and other defence technology systems. In 1989, due to

3283-538: The rearmament of the Wehrmacht, Rheinmetall increasingly developed and produced weapons and ammunition on behalf of the Reich Ministry of War from the mid-1930s onward. The products ranged from machine guns and cannons, anti-tank guns, mine launchers and field guns to anti-aircraft guns and railway guns. In 1937, the subsidiary Alkett (Altmärkische Kettenwerke) was founded in Berlin for the development and construction of armoured tracked vehicles. From 1937 onward, it

3350-494: The remaining 11%. The largest shareholders in 2023 were: In 2012, Rheinmetall Air Defence (RAD), a division of Rheinmetall, was one of six companies that were blacklisted by India 's Ministry of Defence for their involvement in a bribery scandal. The companies were accused of bribing the Director General of Ordnance Factories Board (OFB), Sudipta Ghosh. RAD and the other firms were barred from any dealings with

3417-540: The same time, preparations were made for the resumption of armaments production as early as 1950. In 1954, the first enquiries from German and Swiss former armaments manufacturers to the federal government, who wanted to buy the company, can be documented. An upturn came in 1956, when the 56 per cent majority share in Rheinmetall-Borsig, which was owned by the Federal Republic of Germany, was taken over by Röchlingsche Eisen- und Stahlwerke GmbH. In August, Borsig

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3484-617: The same year, Rheinmetall delivered the first Wiesel armoured weapon carrier to the German armed forces. The company strengthened its involvement in the field of ammunition production by acquiring a stake in WNC-Nitrochemie GmbH in Aschau am Inn. In 1993, Rheinmetall expanded its civilian product range by acquiring Mauser Waldeck AG to build up the Office Systems division, taking over Heimann Systems GmbH to strengthen

3551-476: The steel superstructures for the vehicles Becker was modifying in France. Allied air attacks on November 23 and 26, 1943 resulted in the upper floors of the administration building collapsing. The office in the barracks Holzhauser Straße 74-86 burned down completely. Following this raid, plant management shifted part of production to the newly completed halls at Falkirk-Albrechtshof . The November bombing raid had

3618-458: The supply capability of ammunition for the Gepard anti-aircraft gun tank. In December 2022, Rheinmetall increased production of ammunition in Germany, in connection with the war in Ukraine and a Swiss veto on ammunition deliveries. Rheinmetall announced that it was building a new production facility for 20-35 millimeter calibre ammunition. In July 2023, the plant started production. In September, it

3685-488: The wake of the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz coined the term "turning point" during a special session of the Bundestag in February. The associated change in German foreign and security policy included a special fund for the Bundeswehr, amounting to 100 billion euros. Rheinmetall Group CEO Armin Papperger expressed the expectation that Rheinmetall would benefit from this on

3752-524: The war, the number of employees grew to 85,000. By the end of the war, most of the Rheinmetall-Borsig plants had been destroyed. The plants in Düsseldorf, West Berlin and Unterlüß came under the control of the Western Allies, and under trusteeship. All properties in the territories occupied by the Red Army were expropriated. Some factories were completely dismantled by the victorious powers. During

3819-513: Was a German assault gun variant of the Panzer IV used in the latter part of the Second World War . It was identical in role and concept to the highly successful StuG III assault gun variant of the Panzer III . Both StuG models were given an exclusively tank destroyer role in German formations and tactical planning in the last two years of the war, greatly augmenting the capability of

3886-541: Was also a maternity home for forced labourers and a killing centre for their children. At times, Hungarian Jewish women from a subcamp of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp were deployed in Unterlüß. The Düsseldorf plant was not fully destroyed after the Second World War. Almost the entire workforce was made redundant on 30 June 1945. A small number of employees and workers apparently remained in service, carrying out clean-up work and small-scale civilian production. The Rheinmetall sites were hardly affected by dismantling. In

3953-453: Was announced that Hungary would be the first country to complete development of its version of the KF 51 tank, and locally produce it. In October 2023, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal presented Chancellor Scholz with the certificate of registration of the joint venture Rheinmetall Ukrainien Defence Industry LLC, based in Kyiv, which began operations in the same month. It was announced in December 2023 that Rheinmetall planned to produce

4020-439: Was awarded the Golden Knight's Cross to the War Merit Cross with swords. This was only twice awarded. On April 23, 1945 Soviet troops occupied the Alkett plants. In the first months after the end of the war the factory was dismantled by order of the Soviet Military Administration . Since Alkett resided in the French sector of Berlin, as stipulated by the Yalta conference, the Soviets were unable to take everything away. With

4087-513: Was fully sealed and secured from the passage of outside traffic to prevent espionage . Once the war began additional workshops were rented in the vicinity of the Hartung Jachmann AG and a technical department was set up. In addition, access of the yard area to the basement bomb shelter was expanded to allow for use by the civilian population. By 1942, the administration grew so large that between 74 and 86 additional office barracks had to be added on Holzhauser Street. All of these elements were under

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4154-464: Was increased to ensure the production of civilian goods. From 1921, Allied regulations once again permitted the production of weapons systems in small quantities. The plant in Düsseldorf-Derendorf was occupied by Belgian and French troops in 1921, during the Allied occupation of the Rhineland, and from 1923 to 1925 during the occupation of the Ruhr, and was partially devastated. Due to a lack of orders, civilian production had to be discontinued except for

4221-400: Was merged with Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH, Buck Neue Technologien GmbH and Pyrotechnik Silberhütte GmbH to form the new Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH. Rheinmetall cooperated with Rafael Ltd. and Diehl Munitionssysteme GmbH for missile manufacturing contracts. In 2005, Rheinmetall Landsysteme became a co-partner in the newly founded Heeresinstandsetzungslogistik (HIL). The company

4288-698: Was not essential to relocate the railroad network. By June 1944 Alkett had fully recuperated through setting up a new plant in Falkensee. On October 6, 1944, a third major air raid struck the plant, resulting in the destruction of 80 percent of Warehouses 1 through 5. Between 3,000 and 4,000 employees worked at the Alkett plants. From 1941 foreign civilian workers from Italy and Belgium were added who had "volunteered" to work in Germany. They were housed in non-guarded barracks on Holzhauser Street 42-50. The plants also made use of forced laborers. These included Poles and Russian, Yugoslav and Italian prisoners of war. These workers were housed on Dietrich Eckhardt Street, which

4355-404: Was offered of using the Fried. Krupp Grusonwerk AG Magdeburg for assault gun production by taking the StuG III superstructure and mounting it onto the Panzer IV chassis. To make up for the large deficit in this valuable Alkett weapon, the StuG IV received full support and its production at Krupp-Gruson was initiated. Since primary military production was not related to the repair work, it

4422-584: Was sold to Salzgitter AG. The holding company was renamed Rheinmetall Berlin AG in November. The subsidiary in Düsseldorf was renamed Rheinmetall GmbH in 1957. A new defence technology production programme was launched in 1956, with the establishment of the Bundeswehr. Rheinmetall produced machine guns, automatic cannons and ammunition. The first product was the MG3 . In 1960, the workforce had grown to 3,080 employees. In 1964, production of heavy weapons resumed, such as gun barrels and mounts. Rheinmetall began equipping tanks and artillery pieces. Rheinmetall developed

4489-437: Was the second largest German armaments company. In 1938, the company moved its headquarters from Düsseldorf to Berlin. During the Second World War, armaments production was increased to the maximum and the development of new weapons systems was demanded. State influence through Wehrmacht institutions and the integration of Rheinmetall-Borsig into the state-owned company Reichswerke Hermann Göring increased to such an extent that

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