The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-07-26
MOVING ADIG ARMY
Transporting Troops In Time Of
War Is a Gigantic Task.
A WORK OF INFINITE DETAIL.
What It Would Mean In Railway Cars
of Various Kinds and In Supplies and
Equipment to Garry Million and a
Halt Men Across the Country.

NUNS 1'fS 80 $40
Equipment to Garry Million and
Halt Men Across the Country.
Before body of troops is entrained
Ire time and place of every move are
mapped out including the date and
place Of entranng. destination, time
Of arrival, route. assembly point, time
of troops leaving assembly point. route
of assembly point to train, time of ar
rival ut station, time Of boarding train,
time Of departure Of train. rate Of trav-
el over each section of route, time
place and duration of stops; time and
place of feeding troops aud animals
and a schedule showing the assign
ment Of troops and eQuipagc to each
car. Aside from this are countless de-
tails connected with procuring sup
plies, the disposal of troops and their
care.
All these preliminary arrangements
must be made by an officer of the quar-
termaster corps. The first thing TO be
done is to procure lists with weight
of all property to be shipped. obtain
this material and make out the bill OF
lading. This, with the number of men
and officers, constitutes basis on
which he estimates the number and
kind Of cars needed. He then engages
the cars and provides londing facilities,
such as material for blocking and lash
ing. and constructs necessary ramps,
| or runways for entraining animals or
| wagons.
Next, on the arrival of the cars, he
| inSpects them from a thousand major
| aud minor angles All cars must he
| clean Passenger cars must be fully
| supplied with water and ice, sufficient
ly lighted and heated and all other
| ippurtcnances In proper condition.
! Stock ears come IN for special attcn-
| tion.
| Then the number of men or kind and
quantity OF supplies allotted to each
car is marked on the side or steps, to-
cethcr with the name of the organiZa-
| ton In loading men three are as
signed to each section in tourist sleep
| crs or three to each two seats in day
coach.
Another important point is to keep
the troops of each unit with all equip
meut together This Is important in
case of sudden attack. Imagine the
fate of unit Of troops suddenly de-
trained at the firing line without equip
ment!
A possible element of delay lies IN
the timing of the arrival of troops at
the station There must be no time
lost by cars waiting for the troops.
The facilities for loading animals and
wagons at each station on each route
should be part Of the quartermaster
corps records. Quick aud noiselcss
loading and unloading of animals with.
out confusion are an art in themselves.
Dispositions of individual animals must
be studied Gentle animals should be
placed opposite doors and therefore
loaded last.
The time of loading and unloading
has been carefully tabulatcd and
should not exceed the following: In
fantry one hour; cavalry and light ar
tillery, one and oue-half hours: heavy
artillery and engineers with bridge
train. two hours. All movements load
ing. cntraining, detraining, feeding and
watering and exercising men and
horses, are made in military fashion
With each train kitchen cars are pro-
vidcd. Otherwise baggage cars are fit
ted up by troops or arrangements made
for procuring meals. or at least liquid
coffee, at stations on route. Feeding Of
men and animals Is in itself no small
matter
Say the war department was called
upon TO transport twenty field armies
of $1,000 men each, or 100000 men.
In moving such military force the
railroads must carry besides the 1910.
coo men. 100000 mounts and draft AM
finals, G0,0O0 vehicles and 1850 big
guns.
To accomplish this the quartermas-
ter corps must have available at the
right points 1890 passenger coaches,
100 baggage cars, 21.l0O box cars
1880 stock ears and $500 Hat ears,
making total Of 12i,5S0 ears, or 1870
trains with as many engines.
Here is the governments minimum
estimate of the gross weight of mate.
rails needed each month 10y this force
. Of 1.Gi0.000 men: Rations, 250630 ACC
pounds; ammunition, 7,0lG,lG0 pounds
forage, G23,1i7G00 pounds; general
quartcrmastcrs' supplies. 33T0l.iiC
pounds; clothing and cquipagc. 22GS0'
$40 pounds; ordinance supplies Other
than ammunition. l,G22,Il0 pounds
engineers supplies, l220S,320 pounds
signal supplies 0Oi3,2G0 pounds; med
zeal supplies, 597lG0 pounds candy
aud tobacco, 3l0,GS0 pounds. making O
total OF 0Gl,0S0.10O or nearly 100000,
COO pounds. The transportation Of TIT,
enormous weight would require fifty
i've trains OF thrty cars each day as
long MS the force was In the field
| LCSlle's.
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