Daily Republican., 1886-01-12


An example Of . good system Of logis-
tics Is the wonderful concentration Of
the French Army in the plains Of Jena
In 1905. Another 10 the entrance OF
the army upon the campaign Of 1915.
Says Jomini a. In each OF these
cases Napoleon possessed the ability TO
make such arrangements that his COL
umns, starting from points widely
separated, were concentrated with
wonderful precision upon the decisive
point Of the zone Of operations and in
this way he insured the successful Is
sue Of the campaign. The choice of
the decisive point was the result OF
skillfnl application Of the principles OF
strategy land the arrangements for
moving the troops give us an example
of logistics which originated In his
own closet.
Il has been long claimed that Der.
thier framed those instructions which
were conceived with 30 much precl-
Ision and usually transmitted with 80
much clearness, but have had oppor-
tuniues Of knowing that such was not
the truth. The cmp0rer was his own
! chief staff officer. Provided with q
| pair Of dividers, opened 10 q distance
by the scale Of from seventeen TO TWEEN
lty miles in straight line (Which
made from twenty-five TO twenty-five
miles, taking into account the winding
Iof the roads), bending over and some
times stretched at full length upon bis
lmap, where the positions of his corps
land the supposed position Of the
! IeneTny we're marked by pins OF differ
: Icolors, he was able TO give orders fol-
. Iextensive movements with a certainty
., land precision which were astonish-
ling.
q Turning the dividers about from
4 Ipoint TO point on the map, he decided
lin moment the number of marches
/ necessary for each ofhis columns u
!. Iarrive at the desired point by certain
: lday. then placing pins in new positions
d land bearing In mind the rate OF march
THAT he must assign TO each column
land the hour Of setting out, he dictatet
1, Ithose instructions which are alon'
n Ienough to make any man famous. Ney
q looming from the shores Of Lake Con
D. stance, Lannes from Upper Suabia
.ISoult and Davoust from Bavaria ant
;. the Palatinate Bernadotte and Buyer
p leau from Franconia, and the Imperia
u Guard from Paris, were all thus al
u ranged In line on three parallel roads
to debouch simultaneously betwee
q Saalteld. Jena and Pleuen, few per
z. sons In the army OF Germany havin
y lany conception Of those movements
(which seemed so very complicated.
Il In the same manner, In 1915, whe
y Butcher and his army lay quietly
b cantonments between the Sambrc an
q the Rhine. and Wellington was attend
= ling fetes In Brussels, both waiting
~ signal for the invasion Of France, Ma
Is'Ipoeon, who was supposed to be
entirely engrossed with dipl
y matte ceremonies, at the hes
!" of his guard, which had bee
-Ibut recently reformed IN the capita
TkI fell like thunderbolt upon Charley
., and Blucher's quarters, his col
- Iumns arrived from all points OF q
compass. with!rare punctuality on u
.. I14th of June, In the plains Of Bcaumo
and upon the banks of the Sambre.N
INF poleon did not leave Paris until 4
Q 18th. The combinations described abo
~ were the results Of wise strategic calc
hs lations, but their execution was u
Nc doubtly a masterpiece of logistics.