United States Army in World War II: The Technical Services
The Corps of Engineers: Troops and Equipment
by Blanche D. Coil, Jean E. Keith, and Herbert H. Rosenthal
1957
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Engineers in the New Army
The Engineer Mission—Engineers in the Old Army—Reorganization of Division and Corps Units—Formation of Armored and Aviation Units—The Impact of the German Blitzkrieg—Changes in General Units After the Blitzkrieg
Chapter 2: The Revolution in Equipment
The Process of Selection—From Hand Tools to Power Machinery—Strains on the Bridges—Passage of Artificial Obstacles—Equipment for Aviation Engineers
Chapter 3: Effects of Aerial Photography on Mapping and Camouflage
Mapping Techniques—The Air Force-Engineer Team—Divergent Opinions on the Team and Modification of Doctrine—Camouflage for Open Warfare
Chapter 4: A Start in the Procurement of Equipment
Peacetime Plans—Two Million Extra—Rearming in Earnest—The Beginning of Production Problems
Chapter 5: Converting to a Citizen Corps
The Nucleus—The “Terrific” Expansion—Training the First Civilians
Chapter 6: Reorganization and Growth in 1942
The Wartime Task and Administrative Changes—Refinement of Prewar Troop Organizations—The Influence of Logistics on Engineer Growth
Chapter 7: Accelerated Training
The Shortage of Officers—Engineer Replacement Training
Chapter 8: Mounting Pressure for Supplies
On A War Footing—Pooling Production—The Crisis in Production
Chapter 9: The Cutback in Production Goals
Attempts to Reduce the Army Supply Program—Tightening Controls on International Aid—Fourth Quarter Production and the Final Reckoning—The Late Start in Maintenance of Equipment
Chapter 10: Reorganization for Global War
Changes in AGF Units—Supply and Maintenance Units—Changes in ASF Units—Distribution of Engineer Troops
Chapter 11: The Engineer Soldier
Training the Corps of Specialists—Reflections From Battle—New Proportions and Capacities—The Balanced Engineer Replacement
Chapter 12: Centralized Unit Training for Army Service Forces
West Camp Claiborne: The Experimental Phase—West Camp Claiborne: The Permanent Center
Chapter 13: A Lengthened Program and Additional Centers for Unit Training
Camp Ellis: A Study in Personnel and Command—Camp Sutton: A Study in Racial and National Tensions
Chapter 14: Engineer Aviation Units
New Activations During the Equipment Shortage—Basic Military Training—Centralization Begins—Used Equipment Appears—Evaluation of Unit Training—Engineer Aviation Unit Training Centers
Chapter 15: Engineer Ground Forces Units
Mine Warfare—Drop in Qualify of Fillers in 1943—Harvest of Confusion
Chapter 16: A New Role in Amphibious Operations
Origins—Early Organization and Training—Continued Threat From the Navy—Emergence of the Southwest Pacific Requirement—Final Objectives and Dissolution of the Command
Chapter 17: Preparing to Reconstruct Ports
Port Construction and Repair Groups—Port Repair Ships and Crews—Dredges and Crews
Chapter 18: A New Mission: Petroleum Distribution
Restricted Use of Pipelines by the Quartermaster Corps—The Potential Realized by the Corps of Engineers—Testing Equipment—Training Petroleum Distribution Companies
Chapter 19: An Old Mission Expands: Mapping and Engineer Strategic Intelligence
The Beginning of an Engineer Intelligence Collection—The Beginning of an Engineer Map Collection—The Conflict Over Aerial Photography—Adjustments to Mounting Demands
Chapter 20: Improvements in Equipment
The Over-all Program—Clearance of Land Mines and Other Obstacles—Bridging
Chapter 21: Production in High Gear
The Search for a Balanced Supply Program—The Administrative Reorganization of January 1943—The Controlled Materials Plan—The Shortage of Components—The Administrative Reorganization of November 1943—Deliveries: 1943
Chapter 22: The Flow of Supplies
Evolution of the Supply System—Stock Control in the Measurement of Requirements—The Procurement Peak—Inefficiency in the Midst of Plenty—Spare Parts
Chapter 23: Retrospect and Prospect
Tables
1. Status of Major Items of Engineer Procurement Program: 31 December 1940
2. Status of Major Items of Engineer Procurement Program: 20 December 1941
3. Distribution of Training Time for Engineer Combat Battalion of Infantry Division and Engineer Armored Battalion of Armored Division
4. Engineer Units in Troop Basis: January 1942 and July 1942
5. Engineer Replacement Training Center Programed Hours: 1940–41
6. Engineer Replacement Training Center Programed Hours: 1942–43
7. Construction Machinery Annual Requirements as of December 1942 and Actual Deliveries in 1942
8. Miscellaneous Equipment Annual Requirements as of December 1942 and Actual Deliveries in 1942.
9. Unfilled Requisitions and the Availability of Depot Stocks: December 1942
10. Number and Strength of Engineer Table of Organization Units: 30 June 1945
11. Construction Machinery: Annual Requirements as of February, August, and December 1943 and Actual Deliveries in 1943
12. Miscellaneous Equipment: Annual Requirements as of February, August, and December 1943 and Actual Deliveries in 1943
13. Tractors, Cranes and Shovels: Annual Requirements as of Selected Dates and Actual Deliveries
14. Construction Machinery: Annual Requirements as of Selected Dates and Actual Deliveries
15. Boats and Bridges: Annual Requirements as of Selected Dates and Actual Deliveries
Charts
1. Organization of the Office of the Chief of Engineers: September 1939
2. Organization of the Office of the Chief of Engineers: December 1941
3. Value of Engineer Supplies Procured by Major Classes of Equipment: 1942–45
4. Organization and Procedures for Handling International Aid
5. Total Number of Engineer Troops, Continental United States and Overseas: 1942–45
6. Organization of the Office of the Chief of Engineers: December 1943
7. Organization and Procedures for Handling Procurement of Supplies: 1939–45
8. Organization and Procedures for Distributing Supplies
9. Engineer Depots: July 1944
10. Tonnage Handled by Engineer Depots: September 1942–September 1945
11. Elements of Supply and Demand Studies, Supply Control System
Illustrations
Maj. Gen. Julian L. Schley—Brig. Gen. John J . Kingman—Maj. Gen. Thomas M. Robins—1st Division Engineers Working on a Muddy Road—Col. Stuart C. Godfrey—Bulldozer in Operation—7½-Ton Ponton Bridge Over the Chattahoochee River—H-10 Portable Steel Bridge—German Raft Built of Pneumatic Floats—10-Ton Ponton Bridge at Fort Knox, Ky.—Pneumatic-Float Treadway Bridge—SCR-625 Mine Detector—Aviation Engineer Equipment—Maj. Gen. Henry H. Arnold—Five-Lens Camera, T-3A—Multiplex Set—Printing Maps in the Field, Carolina Maneuvers—Flat-Top Concealing 3-Inch Antiaircraft Gun Emplacement—Dummy Planes in Position—Soldiers Camouflaged With Individual Nets—Assistant Secretary of War Robert P. Patterson—60-Inch Searchlight Unit—Abbot Hall, Headquarters of the Engineer School.—Camouflaged Revetments—Maj. Gen. Eugene Reybold—General Brehon B. Somervell—Engineers Constructing the Pioneer Road—Brig. Gen. Roscoe C. Crawford—Obstacle Course, Ft. Belvoir, 1941—Soldiers Firing the Springfield M1903—Brig. Gen. Raymond F. Fowler—Maj. Gen. Lucius D. Clay—Brig. Gen. Clarence L. Sturdevant—Tractor-Operated Letourneau Crane M20—Class in Automotive Mechanics—Engineer Equipment in New Guinea—Deactivating Antipersonnel Mines and Booby Traps—Class in Drafting at a Civilian University—Brig. Gen. John W. N. Schulz—Ponton Equipage Being Unloaded—Welding Dredge Equipment—Overseas Sawmill—Negro Troops Training at Camp Sutton—Bantam Towed Scraper—Engineer Troops Preparing Base Course of Airstrip—Lt. Gen. Lesley J. McNair—Engineers at Camp Swift, Texas—Sowing a Mine Field—Brig. Gen. Daniel Noce—Landing Craft Operated by Engineer Troops—Engineers Placing Sommerfeld Track on the Sand—Jeep Leaving Landing Craft—Diver Coming Out of the Water—Members of Port Construction and Repair Group—Layout Plan for the Engineer Port Repair Ship—The Engineer Port Repair Ship—Barth, Hains Class Hopper Dredge—Preparing for Field Problem on Pipe-Laying—Manifold Valve Installation on Pipeline—Welder Joining Two Sections of Pipe—Women Compiling Foreign Map Information—Col. Herbert B. Loper—Laying Out Aerial Photographs to Check Sequence—Soldier Using Multiplex—Sorting Maps for Distribution—Bulldozer Cutting Road Through Jungle—Road Cut Through Hills and Jungle—Beach and Underwater Obstacles, Normandy, France—Soldier Removing an Enemy Mine—Bridge Truck With Hydraulic Lifting Device—Medium Tank Crossing Treadway Bridge—Tank Falling into the Colorado River—Bailey Bridge—Steel Treadway Bridge—Stacks of Engineer Supplies—Converting Stock Records of Parts
The illustration on page 10 is from the National Archives; the illustrations on pages 43 and 46 are from the International News Photos; all others are from the files of the Department of Defense.