United States Army in World War II: The Technical Services: The Quartermaster Corps
Operations in the War Against Germany
by William F. Ross and Charles F. Romanus
Center of Military History
United States Army
Washington, D.C.
1965
CMH Pub 10-15
. . . To Those Who Served
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Heritage and Mission of Field Quartermasters
Chapter 2: Early Activities in the United Kingdom and North Africa
First Plans for the United Kingdom—Organizing for BOLERO—Supply Planning for BOLERO—TORCH Interrupts BOLERO’s Quartermasters
Chapter 3: Mediterranean Quartermasters Improvise During 1943
Securing North African Beaches and Bases—Supporting II Corps in Tunisia—New Quartermaster Teams Organize in North Africa—Quartermaster Organization in the Base Sections—First Operations on Axis Territory
Chapter 4: Supporting The Armies in Southern Europe
Assembly at Naples—The Slow Advance on Rome—Pursuit to the Arno—Close Support in the Gothic Line—Supporting Seventh Army’s Landing and Push Northward
Chapter 5: Rations for Mediterranean Troops
The Packaged Rations for Combat—Kitchen-Prepared Rations—Perishable Foods—Local Procurement of Subsistence—Field Bakeries—Free Smokes, Soaps, and Sweets—Rations for Friends and Enemies
Chapter 6: Liquid and Solid Fuels
POL Administration—Rates of Consumption—Decanting Operations—The 5-Gallon Can and Its Army Class III Home—Solid Fuels
Chapter 7: Outfitting the Mediterranean Troops
North African Testing Ground—Mediterranean Laboratory on Replacement Factors—Problems of the 1943–44 Winter Campaign—Anzio Test of New Special Items—The Second Winter in the Apennines—Outfitting the DRAGOON Forces—Local Procurement—Clothing and Equipment for Allies and POW’s
Chapter 8: Essential Services to the Line
Traditions in Caring for the Dead—Salvage, Recovery, and Repair Programs—Spare Parts—Four-Legged Soldiers—Clean Linens and Showers
Chapter 9: The Quartermaster Establishment in the United Kingdom
Revived Plans for Combat—Organizational Changes in SOS ETOUSA and the OCQM—The Depot System—The Base Sections—Automatic Supply and Requisitions—Transportation and Storage
Subsistence—Clothing—British Laundry and Salvage Services—Post Exchange Supplies—Liquor—Arrangements for Local Procurement
Chapter 11: The Build-Up for Overlord
The Command and Logistical Organization—Detailed Quartermaster Planning—Special Supplies for the Assault—Special Arrangements for Support of the Beachhead—OCQM Plans for Use of Quartermaster Troops—Troop Training—Final Preparations for the Assault
Chapter 12: Rear Area Support on the Continent: Administration
Logistical Implications of the Allied Invasion—Office of the Chief Quartermaster—The Organization for Procurement on the Continent—The Supply and Relief Operations of G-5—ETO Requisitioning Procedures—Regulating Stations
Chapter 13: Rear Area Support on the Continent: Operations
Advance Section—Base Sections and Base Depots—The United Kingdom Base—Quartermaster Support During the Battle of the Bulge—Reorganization for Offensive Action—The Advance into Germany and Redeployment
Chapter 14: Quartermaster Support in the Forward Areas
Quartermaster in the Army Group—Quartermaster at Army Level—Quartermaster at the Corps Level—The Quartermaster in the Combat Division
Chapter 15: ETO Supply: Rations
Early Class I Operations—Levels of Class I Supply—Balancing the Ration—Perishable Subsistence—Local Procurement of Subsistence—Baking and Coffee Roasting Operations—Acceptability of Rations—Special Menus for Allied and Enemy Nationals—Food for Refugees and Displaced Persons—Food in the Final Phases
Chapter 16: Clothing for the ETO Enlisted Man
Clothing and Individual Equipment—The Winter Uniform for the European Campaign—Receipt and Forwarding of Winter Clothing—Footwear and the Trench Foot Problem—Press and Congressional Reaction—An Official Evaluation
Chapter 17: Other Class II and IV Items
The Winter Clothing Conference and the 1945–46 Winter Uniform—Clothing for Officers—Clothing for Allies and Dependent Groups—Tentage—Materials-Handling Equipment—Local Procurement
Chapter 18: Supply of Fuels and Lubricants in the ETO
Liquid Fuels—Intermediate POL Depots and New Ports—Consumption Rates—Solid Fuels—POL in the Final Offensives
Chapter 19: Graves Registration Service
Personnel for Graves Registration Activities—Collection and Identification—Cemeteries in the Combat Zone—Cemeterial Improvements—Personal Effects—The American Graves Registration Command
Chapter 20: Miscellaneous Quartermaster Services
Bath and Laundry Services—Salvage Collection and Repair—Spare Parts—Captured Enemy Materiel
Chapter 21: Concluding Observations
Appendix B: Quartermaster Troop Basis in the ETO
Appendix C: Comparison of Winter Clothing and Equipment Recommendations, Summer 1944
Appendix D: Winter Clothing Recommendations for 1945–1946
Tables
1. Fifth Army Ration Issues, Selected Months
2. Ration Issues to Non-U.S. Personnel in Italy, 1 October 1943–31 May 1945
3. Winter Uniform and Equipment for Fifth Army
4. Fifth Army Issues of Winter Clothing
5. Salvage Repair by Peninsular Base Section: Selected Items, 1 December 1943–30 June 1945
6. QM Storage Space in the United Kingdom, General Depots and QM Depots
7. Quartermaster POL Depots, 31 December 1943
8. Equipment of Assault Troops for NEPTUNE
9. Forecast of POL Consumption Per Man Per Day
10. QM Units Assigned to First and Third Armies and SOS ETOUSA, 2 June 1944
11. ETOUSA Strength Forecast for QM Requisitioning
12. Base, Intermediate, and Advance Sections
13. Development of the QM Depot System on the Continent
14. Types of Rations Issued on the Continent
15. Issue of Fresh Meat and Dairy Products on the Continent
16. Average of Daily Ration Issues, October 1944–September 1945
17. Comparison of Continental and POW Rations With U.S. Ration .
18. Summary of First Winter Clothing Program, 7 September 1944
19. Class II and IV Tonnages Discharged and Moved Forward From Ports
20. Issues of Special Winter Clothing
21. ETO Tentage Requirements, Allocations, and Receipts
Charts
1. OCQM Organization on 3 June 1944
2. Office of Chief Quartermaster: 1 September 1944
3. Progress in Inventory of QM Supplies
4. Distribution of QM Stocks in Base, Intermediate, and Advance Sections, August 1944–May 1945
Maps
1. United Kingdom Base Sections, 1942–1943
2. Lines of Communication in French North Africa
3. Boundaries of the Temperate Zone in Europe
Illustrations
Heavily Burdened Soldiers Debarking at Phosphate Pier, Casablanca—QM Ration Dump at Tébessa—QM Depot at Leghorn—Emptying Gasoline Drums—Parsons Jacket—The M1943 Outfit—Temporary American Cemetery Near Cassino—American Pack Unit, Italy—Typical Warehouse, Staffordshire, England—The “Wem Wrap”—Open Storage of Packaged Gasoline at Highbridge, England—British Women War Workers Unloading American Supplies—Preinvasion Training, England—Setting Up a POL Dump on the Beach—Supplies Stored at 11th Port, Rouen—Low-Priority Supplies at Antwerp—Open Storage of Flour at Verdun—Redeployment Staging Area Near Marseille—First Army Ration Dump at Soissons—Loading a Ration Train for the Third Army, Verdun—Diesel Electric Dough Mixer—Food Arriving in Paris by Airlift—Issuing Items From Beach Maintenance Sets—British Battle Dress Uniform—ETO Jackets as Worn by Generals Eisenhower and Bradley—Winter Clothing Arrives in the Front Line—Contrasting Jackets—QM Issue Point at Mannheim, Germany—Sleeping Gear, New Type—Armored Winter Combat Uniform—Generals and Their Jackets—German Prisoners at Reims Repairing Captured Clothing—Ship-to-Shore Petroleum Line—Gasoline Cans for the Third Army—Prisoners of War Filling Gasoline Cans at Liège, Belgium—Heavy Duty Dispensers Speed Up the Decanting of Gasoline—Fumigating Wool Clothing—Salvage Collection at Dump in Normandy—Mobile Shoe Repair Trailer
Illustrations are from Department of Defense files.