This advertisement is from 1944. The text of the ad is reprinted below.

Nerve Systems for Battle Wagons

When a U. S. Warship goes into action, officers must make split-second decisions — men must receive their orders instantly. Throughout the battle, orders and reports — coordinating all activities — are flashed by telephone.

The huge battleship "Wisconsin" has as many telephones as a city of 10,000 inhabitants. Two separate systems were supplied by Western Electric.

1. The sound powered telephone system, with 2200 instruments connecting all battle stations. These battle phones operate on current generated by the speaker's voice, so damage to the ship's electrical system cannot interrupt communications.

2. The battle announcing system, with 20 transmitter stations and over 300 loudspeakers to broadcast orders in a giant voice.

All this for just one battleship! Carriers, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, merchant ships, too, must have telephone equipment.

Skill acquired in years of experience as manufacturer of all kinds of equipment for the Bell Telephone System has been turned to making vast quantities of telephone, radio, radar and other specialized apparatus for use on land, at sea and in the air. Western Electric is today the nation's largest producer of electronic and communications equipment for war.

To speed victory, buy War Bonds regularly!

75TH ANNIVERSARY

Western Electric
IN PEACE...SOURCE OF SUPPLY FOR THE BELL SYSTEM.
IN WAR...ARSENAL OF COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT.

"Air Defense—South Pacific," by Dwight Shepler, U. S. Navy Combat Artist

A typical battleship, showing some of the important battle telephone stations and units of the battle announcing system. We cannot show all—there are more than 2,500!

---