Flug, et al,
They were produced that way because Herr Speer saw that the old methods were counter-productive in an industral-based war. The P-38 was scheduled to become the standard sidearm, so obviously the remaining production of P-08s should be done as cheaply/quickly as posible. Hence the sale of the remaining stock to Portugual in 1943.
In my conversations with Speer in Heidelberg 1973-74, he stated several times that, prior to his assuming responsibility, the production of armaments was being accomplished on a "Guild" basis rather than an asembly-line basis. This was part of the political underpinnings of national socalism...every workshop has a piece of the action.
Thankfuly, it was not successful. A flawed concept, poorly implemented.
Tom A.
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