Artillery Fuse Company.

The Artillery Fuse Company of Wilmington, Del., was a special venture formed for the purpose of supplying ordnance during World War I.

The Manufacturers Contracting Company was formed in Delaware around1908, and experimented with pressure valves and with developing fuses for artillery shells. The company came under the control of T. Coleman, Irénée and Pierre S. du Pont. In May 1915 they created the Artillery Fuse Company as a wholly-owned subsidiary to manufacture and install fuses at a plant at Church and F Streets in Wilmington. Through the mediation of J. P. Morgan, Jr., the company received contracts from both the British and Russian governments. The business was discontinued after the war in 1919. On January 22, 1920, the du Ponts formed the General Manufacturing Company. The Artillery Fuse Company assigned all its property to the manufacturers Contracting Company, and in June 1921 both the Manufacturers Contracting Company and the Standard Arms Manufacturing Companyh assigned all their property to the General Manufacturing Company. General was dissolved on December 15, 1926.

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