Themadpatter, I think in some cases the govt contacted companies about making certain items for them. They may have asked for bids, I don't know. But the companies would certainly contact the govt to find out what they needed.
Battle Axe, that is so fascinating. I had a friend whose husband was the youngest Master Sergeant in WWII. He was with some of the first troops into Berlin after it fell. He has some stories that were so interesting.