South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-05-12
TELLS RECORD Of
ENGINEER CORPS
Government Gives Out Advance
Sheets of Exploits During
the War.

home and IN France is told Of1clallA
for the first time in chapters OF the
war department. brief history Of
American war efforts made public
Sunday in advance sheets. Many OF
the recorded accomplishments Of
the engineers have been published
before as isolated incidents. but this
is the first complete and connected
story which gives any idea OF the
extraordinary scope OF the duties
modern warfare has laid upon en-
cheering troops.
Probably the best Illustration or
This so far as the troops in France
are concerned is the technical or
ganization Of the units OF the en-
gineers which reached the other
-ide- There were seven regiments
and two battalions OF railway con-
struction engineers. Ave battalions
for maintenance OF way. two bat
taiions for maintenance OF railway
equipment. four regiments and one
battalion 20 operate the main Amer
lean railways in France, three regt-
ments TO operate light railways and
heir repair shops. two regiments TO
operate the regular railway repair
hons. two regiments and six sep
arate battalions on general cOnstruc-
ton work: two regiments for storing
and transporting engineer supplies;
"A forestry regiment. a light railway
construction regiment. a road build
ing regiment. a water supply regf-
ment. a mining regiment; a quarry
ing regiment; a technical regiment
for surveying and sound ranging,
three survey and printing battalions,
two railway transportation battal-
ions: an electrical and mechanical
regiment. several separate com
yanies to operate cranes, a CamOu-
hage service. five inland waterway
companies 10 operate canal boats
and the like. 1--WE pontOOn trains and
q pontoon park; a railway transpor-
tation and stores battalion, and "A
s~earchlight regiment.
These special units. all composed
OF men trained in civil life in the
United States for the work they did
IN France. we're in addition to the
lighting engineers with each divi-
sion. the sappers. who formed about
eight per cent OF all the combatant
troops IN france.
Devoted To Railways.
one section of the report is de-
voted TO the development OF Ameri-
can railways i'm France and TO the
production OF railway equipment il
The United States 10 meet the cal
from the front. There were shipped
To- France 1.SG3 locomotives before
he armistice was signed, Of which
sOS were in service at that time. In
addition. 1888 freight airs were
shipped abroad. both engines anO
cars having been produced specially
for service in France. These were
employed upon the s37 miles OF
standard guage track laid in France
nv the engineers with equipment
shipped from this country and thu
rolling stock was i'm addition TO grea'
quantities OF light railway equip
ment for front line work that wa.
also sent abroad.
Hospital trains we're obtained il
England. 10 Of them with a total o
sef cars. having been completed b,
December. 1918. with % additOna
trains under construction. They cos
more than $4,000 per ear. but II /
estimated that TO have produce
them In the United States and ship
ped them would have cost $4,000
per car.
The report lays stress on the fac
that great progress was made durin.
The war in the development OF rOa.
building. railway and other en-
eineering equipment. which will b
~ value commercially in peac
time The motorized machine shop
alone. Dc is stated. are PRACTICAL
certain 20 bring about in this coun
try the use o. moving shops OF thi
character IN agricultural cOmmuni
ties as farming machinery increase.
Makes Prediction.
The day may come" the repor
saws. when the travelling machin
shop will be a familiar sight upo
our rural highways
Among the motorized ships create
were the photOlthographic pres
trucks. which were able TO repro
duce maps from original sketche
within u hours. compared with fou
days required 10y similar French an
r. itish units.
\ special CndpLeE lS Z
listening instruments developed dur
ing the war 10 locate hidden gun.
Improving upon allied designs. m
engineer corps produced machine
for hi purpose which operate
with .|uncauuy accuracy one 4
Them having spotted III Germa
gun positions In a single DAY. Sui
seyuently these were followed by IL
Of even greater power an
al the close OF the war there WEI
70 complete OUTFITS. covering a q,
mile stretch OF front. at work ON Il
American lines.
similar development OF instrl
ments for locating hostile airplan.
were carried out until il vas Rssib
TO determine the location OF a raj,
ar at night within an angle OF thr'
degrees. The American types pr.
a0lced were easily portable an
quickly SET up 10 aid the sesrcI
lights. A hin az the scientific q
veIopments which were i'm sight
connection with these sound ran
lng devices Is contained in the 70
lowing paragraph.
Worked on Developments.
When the lighting stopped o
military scientists and others C