Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-15
The Supplies
for an Army

The work of keeping up the sup
plies of an army in the field is as diff
ficult and as important as the NOV
ing of the army itself. and tho exist
ence of the army depends on the
regularity of it's supplies. How this
work is done is told in an interesting
article in the special issue of the
Scientific American of September 0,
which is devoted entirely to practical
questions relating to the war in
Europe, and from which the follow
ing extracts are obtained:
In order to assure the continuity
of the service of supply, that is to
say, the relation between the troops
in the field and the centres of pro-
duction in rear of the army, the work
performed by the administrative de-
partments is divided into three dis
tinct spheres of action, viz:
l. The service performed in rear of
the army, established In the national
territory or in the governments OF
the occupied countries for the purpose
of collecting the resources and pro-
Viding means for the supply OF
.. The service Of the line of com
munications: the duty Of the com
mander of which is to provide Tor
| the replacement of the stores con
sumed by the army, and the trans
portation, subsistence, and quarterlng
Iof all troops, prisoners. SICK ana
wounded passing over the line, and
also provide for it's protection.
g. The supply of the troops in the
field during active operations
These three services are entirely
separate. but work i'm conjunction
with each other to carry out the main
object for which they are created
tho supply and maintenance of an
army in the field.
The success or failure of the
Lcampaign depends upon the proper
operation of the service of the line OF
communications, and this important
position Is always assigned to gen
eral officer of recognized ability anu
discretion. He is assisted by large
and numerous staff to enable him to
carry out the varied and multitude
nous duties assigned to him, and, in
addition, has a competent force of all
arms OF the service to preserve order
along the line of communications,
guard the depots of supply, and pro
tect the line from attacks by the
enemy. GuCD OlltCtl - SliDol diiiu "
the commander of the troops in the
field, but his duties and responsible
ties are second only to such officer.
The commander of the line of com
munications must then see that his
depots are adequately supplied, and
must forward each day to the troops
the necessary supplies for man and
horse, and likewise care for the evac-
uation of the sick and wounded, and
the custody and care of the prisoners.
To enable him to do this, all the nee
essary field equipments are provided;
for instance, a field bakery company,
and equipment for each division sup
piled by the line of communica tions.
The field bakery i'm our army con-
sists of twelve knockdown bake ovens
with all the necessary equipment for
producing bread and the tentage in
which to install the dough troughs,
and shelter the men. Each oven is
capable of producing $500 rations of
garrison bread per diem. or 1900 ra-
tions of field bread; this is bread
produced in such manner that it has
not as great pile as ordinary Cor
garrison) bread, and being baked III
a much slower oven, and no loaves
allowed to touch Tor "kiss'') Is COM
pletely enveloped with a good thick
crust, thus permitting the bread to be
readily shipped in wagons; and its
freedom from moisture renders 1t pos.
slble to be kept in good condition for
week or ten days. So that each
field bakery can produce daily 10000
rations of garrison bread, or 1900
rations of field bread, sufficient 10
supply division.
TIE supplies an army carries with
ha ita4D al.
those carried by the troops them
selves and those which are carried in
the trains.
Inc troops. having to march many
miles day. starting early in the
morning and probably not completing
the march until late in the afternoon,
would suffer greatly from lack of food
If compelled to await the arrival of
the train carrying the same. There
fore. 1t follows that. II the troops are
to be fed in the field, they must carry
rations with them, and the ration
consumed during the day must be re-
placed by the train at night.
A ration Is the allowance of food
for one person for one day, and COM
prises various articles termed COM
ponents. 1t is interesting to note that
the Turks in the fourteenth century
hrst established the allowance of
soldiers daily ration. and in the same
century first had regularly organized
supply trains to follow their troops.
Each man carries two days
rations, and the unconsumed portion
of the days ration issued the night
before. for the MONDAY meal
The transportation attached TO or
! ganizatio Is grouped under the fol-
lowing heads. /. G.:
ca The trains assigned to organiza-
lions smaller than a brigade, desig-
mated combat and field trains, re-
| spectively. The ration section of the
field train carries two days field. one
days reserve ration. and for each
animal two days grain ration.
| (b) The trains assigned to divisions,
! designated ammunition. supply. sani-
| tary and engineer trains, respectively
The "Orto" in Georgia.