In the shadowed corners of World War II's industrial battleground, saboteurs waged a silent war of disruption, targeting the very heart of the Allied war effort. The United States’ vast industrial complex, responsible for producing the critical supplies and armaments for the war effort, became potential targets for enemy action.
Amidst this atmosphere of heightened security, civilian war guards, often drawn from private companies, were the first line of defense in protecting docks, factories, and other essential infrastructure — such as energy, communication, and transportation organizations.
From Pinkerton Operatives to War Guards
One such private agency called upon to fortify the home front was Pinkerton, with a legacy of protection and investigations that stretched back to 1850. Pinkerton's operatives, much like they did in World War I, were deployed to key sites to help ensure their security. Onsite security teams grew from about 10 people before the war to 100 to 200 people per site at the onset of America’s entrance to the war. Their tasks ranged from patrolling sensitive areas to managing access to high-security zones, always on the lookout for any signs of suspicious activity.
These war guards and watchmen were not just security guards — they received specialized military training and were held to military standards, including a thorough understanding of sabotage methods and the handling of munitions. In the case of an attack, they were prepared to be called into military service along with Pinkerton’s large guard forces (formerly the Pinkerton Protective Patrol) located in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle.
Pinkerton's role extended beyond mere surveillance. Pinkerton agents assessed risks at defense manufacturing sites under Pinkerton protection and crafted comprehensive security strategies. Their expertise helped determine the placement of floodlights, fences, and other security measures, as well as establishing protocols for access control and the screening of personnel. Additionally, Pinkerton operatives were tasked with investigating incidents to determine if they were accidents or something more nefarious.
Documented Cases of Industrial Espionage
In a Pinkerton document titled “National Defense,” officials detail incidents of attempted sabotage not just at site protected by Pinkerton but at sites protected by other private security firms as well — from steel mills to construction projects for military camps. These accounts reveal the cunning attempts to undermine the nation's defenses, such as the weakening of structural supports and the deliberate tampering with fabrication, electrical, and communication systems.
In a few documented cases, saboteurs infiltrated steel mills, subtly adjusting the temperature meters of the cupolas. These furnaces, critical in the creation of armor plate steel, were thrown off by mere degrees — enough to render entire batches useless and set production back significantly.
The mills' internal railway systems, vital for the transfer of molten steel, were not spared. Saboteurs caused transport cars to stall, leaving the steel to cool and solidify before reaching the casting boxes, effectively sabotaging the casting process.
Freight cars, too, became targets in this stealthy war. Saboteurs engineered "hot boxes" by removing or disguising the protective cotton waste in the journal boxes, leading to the transportation of substandard materials destined for key military installations.
Even the precision instruments that guaranteed the quality and durability of military gears were compromised. Altered to deceive, these instruments approved gears that would inevitably fail when put to the test in the field.
In the machine shops, the saboteurs continued their destructive work, planting fragile gears into the core of lathes, presses, and mills. These gears would later shatter, causing damage and delays as fragments tore through vital machinery.
Beyond these targeted acts, saboteurs employed a variety of other methods to wreak havoc: they cut fuel lines, blocked circulation systems with rags, sprinkled emery dust into machinery bearings, and introduced corrosive chemicals into boiler systems, each act contributing to the overall goal of hindering the war effort.
Through such narratives, Pinkerton's contribution to the nation's wartime security efforts is highlighted, offering a glimpse into the critical and often unseen work — of so many dedicated people on the home front — that helped maintain the integrity of the United States' industrial and military power during a time of global conflict.
