The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-09-24
HONOLULUOFF|CERS
ASSIGNED TO MOTOR
TRANSPORT CORPS
Captains W. F. Dillingham; and B.
Cartwright Transferred To
New Army Organization

Honolulu residents recently sent to the
mainland as members Of the quarter
master corps, have again been trans.
frrrcd, this time to the newly created
! Motor Transport Corps, of which
branch is authorized for the forces on
Oahu. Both the officers are in Wash
ington.
The new war department branch Of
tn" operating section Of the army is
considered an important advance in al.
mInistratlOn and handling of tanspOr
tation. The war department has made
a sweeping change in preparation for
more rapid NOV Cment of troops aud
| supplies of the American Expcditionarv
Forces, and solved this by creating the
| Motor Transport Corps. This organi.
cation takes over the complete coz
troll Of all motor vehicles of the army,
from bicycles to motor trucks.
This service, which has heretofore
been a part Of the QuartPrmaster de.
pnrtmrnt, has grown to such proper
tions that it has been found necessary
to establish it M a separate corps, and
its further rapid expansion is planned.
Adopted by British and French
The French and British armies long
| ago adopted the plan Of putting their
cntr" motor equipment under n single
head, and experience in handling our
forces in France has demonstrated the
! necessity of similar action on the part
of the United States. All equipment
| and personnel in the various corps,
| with the exception of tanks and cater
| pillar tractors, is transferred to the
new corps, which is being organized
, by Col. Charles B. Drake, a graduate
/ of West Point, class of '96 and an
officer experienced in motor transport
work. Eventually his command will
! consist of approximately 5000 officers
! and 100000 men.
Among the many advantages sought
by the creation Of the Motor Trans
port Corps is the more perfect stand
ardization of equipment; resulting in
greater efficiency and economy of oper
alton and permitting a more fluent in
terchange of drivers and parts The
/ problems of supplying parts and max
ing repairs will be greatly simphfied
Present Service in France
The present motor establishment in
France includes many repair stations,
some Of them operated by from 800 to
1900 mechanics and other skilled men
each, but the program Of the Motor
Transport Corps provides for greatly
increased facilities along these lines.
Repair work is carried on in garages,
parks, dcpots, and reconstruction shops.
A service park is a mobile garage
which can be moved rapidly to any
UOint where it is needed An over.
haul park is large station where
heavy repairs can be made, and a re.
roust ru, tiOn park is equipped to com
plptclv rebuild, broken down or shell.
shattered machines. Under the new
urIaniZntiOn the work of salVaglng
damaged machines, already highly de'
| velopcd, is to be given increased at.
trntion. All this work is necessarily
in the hands of skilled men, and the
personnel must he greatly increased to
provide the transport service that will
he needed next year.
Truck Most Important Vehicle
While the Motor Transport Corps
handles many kinds of motor propelled
vehicles, theN army truck is the most
important, and the demand for men es-
perialv qualified to drive and handle
the trucks is great. Men qualified for
this work 10y their experiences in civil
life have offered themselves in mum.
=,
to establish several motor transport
schools in addition to the one at lack
sonvillc, Florida In these schools can.
didates will learn, under competent in
structors, the intricate mechanism of
gas engines, so that they will hr quail
flied to keep their trucks running un.
der the irving conditions existing along
the front lines, where their principal
work will be done.
Men sent to these camps will be
carefully chosen, AS the work requires
initiative and ability. Among those
who have already enrolled are many
who occupied positions of responsibility
in civil life. At jacksonville now are
bankers, high salaried executives, en-.
glnrers, and men of many professions
who have been attracted to the corps
hy its opportunities for active service
overseas after comparatively short
course of training. With the incrcas-
ing use of motor transport in moving
troops from point to point on the bat.
tie line, the life Of the motor driver
is becoming progressively more adven-
turOus and exciting.
Vital in Each Big Battle
Motor trucks are taking more Vi.
Ial part Ill tutIl SutNtSSl\t NY IhlllC'
In the recent rounterOffcnsiVc Of the
French and Americans at Chateau.
Thierrv motor trucks carried several
regiments of troops to critical points
in the line and supplied them with
heavy and hight guns, ammunition,
horses, mules, and even wagons for sup.
plv train use over terrain that was
not feasible for motor vehicles.
Motor trucks made it pnsslhlr for
the French to concentrate troops, am
mumirion, and supplies sufficient to stop
the Germans at Nerdun. When German
IA n>iators DESTROYED the railroad farili.
ties, General Joffree called motor trucks
INTO service to replace the wrecked
trains, which they did with entire sue
cess. In attacking along the Marno
recently the American units were sup
ported hv machine guns mounted ON
trucks and even passenger ears, which
swept the enemy lines with storm Of
fire. Trucks were also useI extensive
" to bring up reserves I" points OF
the line where they were badly need
rA Much of the work Of the corps
must be done nt night, and il is we'll
known that much used roads near the
front are regularly searched hv the