New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-18
MOTOR TRUCKS FOR ARMY
ManeuvreS Have Shown Their
Many Excellent Points.
SOFT ROADS NO DRAWBACK
Handling Field Equipment
Task That Calls for More
or Less System,
BY s. S. Kinsey, White.


Army maneuvres are not exactly child's
play, and II upon the particular morning
on which you are to be an observer, the
gray dawn as it creeps over the Con-
necucut hills is met with fine drizzling
rain. as II was last Sunday morning, IL is
time TO try mems souls. On this morn
ing of the Connecticut man9uyres, every
one was awake early and the ground and
equipment were fairly water soaked.
We were seeking TO learn something
about the commercial vehicle invasion Of
the army because we had just learned
that the Blue and Red armies were NOV
ing most Of the heaviest camp material
on motor trucks. a few minutes before :
o'clock, therefore, three Of us, including
a photographer and a regular army officer
as guide. started In pursuit Of the bag
gage train of the Blue army.
Now the baggage train Of an army is
about as precious TO it as the honey sack
is 70 the bee, and the army defends it
with about the same fervor. Thanks TO
our neutrality flag We were able to pene-
trate the outposts OF the Red and Blue
armies successfully, and reached the bag
gage train Just as II was leaving the
camp site. The entire field outfit OF two
thousand men and officers In this par
ilcnlar camp vas loaded upon seventeen
or eighteen motor trucks OF various sizes
and capacities-mostly of the three-tor.
After q drizzlng rain of from three 10
four hours conditions are not exactly
ideal for motor trucks on the average
country road, and as the wagon train had
10 come across a section OF newly inn
proved road, the problem was rendered
unusually difficult. But although the
rain fell in torrents for the next four or
five hours, during which this baggage
train moved, all OF the trucks proved
efficient as they had during the few days
that they had been on the job.
The equipment included nearly all OF the
standard makes. the White Company, OF
Cleveland leading with two 5-ton, two
s-ton, three llg-ton and two Eo-pound
trucks, the latter being used by the
ambulance corps.
The motor trucks successfully handled
in a most satisfactory manner everything
that had been planned for them. Hand
ling the field equipment Of troops was,
Of course, practically a new and untried
proposition, and annoyances were sure TO
be met with which could in no wise be
attached 10 the trucks themselves.
The Connecticut mannuvres demon
strated conciusively that motor trucks
can handle the baggage Of moving army
in a most approved manner, especially
when sufficient experience has been
gained 10 properly systematic the hand
ling of the work.
The army wagon has been an insatu-
ton for one hundred years. and ofhcers
and men have been accustomed 10 hano-
ling their equipment with these wagons
:. is evident that with the recent expert
e,ce which they have had with the trucks
and also last year IN Massachusetts the
officers are planning their work SO az 70
Get the highest type Of results. When an
entire battalions equipment was loaueu
on one White truck the equipment oil OF
ocara became mixed and caused dissatis-
faction but ibis was not the fault OF the
truck.
HE OfTlcfYt III CidI 80 Va N4'~ N~'N
nennuvres stated that by combining the
heavy equipment Of the 3-ton trucks with
a few of the lighter fl3-ton TRUCKS %
auxiliares, every objection raised thus lai
could ne easily met. On the other hahd'
the trucks have some very conspicuous
advantages. For example, some OF tue
batteries had an equipment OF from toi'y
to fifty mules, instead OF motor uuchS'
[yhereas others had their entire equip
ment Of the latter.
IN other words, their wagon train was
about three times the length OF the bat
,eries which used the motor trucks. when
means just so much more EXTENDED inc
, 10 defend--a very important item Horses
must be supplied with forage at every
camp site, while motor trucks carry SUI
6cIent gasoIene to cover weeks or ten
days msrch-another very great ad'aH-
tage should the army be travelling III
hostile zone.