United States Army in World War II: The Technical Services
The Transportation Corps: Operations Overseas
by Joseph Bykofsky and Harold Larson
Center of Military History
United States Army
Washington, D.C.
1957
. . . to Those Who Served
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Atlantic and Caribbean Bases
The North Atlantic Bases—The Caribbean Bases
Chapter 2: Alaska and Western Canada
Strategy and the Development of Transportation—Evolution of the Transportation Organization in Alaska—Shipping—The Key to the Supply of Alaska—Development of Subports for Seattle—The Alaskan Ports—Rail Operations—Motor Transport Operations—River Transportation—Alaskan Transportation Post-V-J Day
Chapter 3: Build-Up in Britain
Bolero Against a Shifting Strategic Background—Initial Flow of Troops and Cargo to the United Kingdom—Development of the Transportation Organization—Coordination of U.S. and British Transportation—Cargo Reception, Identification, and Distribution—Ships, Troops, and Cargo for the Build-up—Port Operations—Railway Transportation—Motor Transport—Equipment and Supplies—The Situation on D Day
The Strategic Background—Plans and Preparations—Organization of Transportation in North Africa—Port and Shipping Activities—Highway Transport—Railway Operations—Evacuation of Patients and Enemy Prisoners of War—The Final Phase
The Organization of Transportation in the Mediterranean—U.S. Army Transportation in Sicily—Transportation in the Italian Campaign—Rail Transport—Truck and Highway Operations—Other Transport—The Final Phase
Chapter 6: The Invasion of Normandy
The Establishment of Planning Machinery for Continental Operations .—Planning as of D Day—Mounting the Invasion—Outloading From the United Kingdom—Beach and Early Port Operations—Initial Motor Transport Activities—Early Rail Operations in Normandy—The Transfer of Transportation Headquarters to the Continent
Chapter 7: The Assault on Southern France
Plans and Preparations—Mounting Dragoon—Beach Operations—Opening the Ports—Initial Motor Transport Activities—Early Military Railway Operations—The Transition to a Communications Zone
Chapter 8: France, Belgium, and Germany
Transportation in Relation to Tactical Developments—The Evolution of the Transportation Organization—The Expansion of Port Capacity—The Problem of Shipping Congestion—U.S. Army Port Operations—Movement Control—Motor Transport—Railway Operations—Inland Waterways—Transportation Corps Supply on the Continent—Outbound Passenger and Cargo Traffic
Chapter 9: The Persian Corridor
The Significance of the Persian Corridor in Allied Strategy—The Period of British Operation—The U.S. Army Assumes a Transportation Mission—The Months of Transition—The Development of American Transportation Operations—Port Operations—The Military Railway Service—The Motor Transport Service—The Close of U.S. Army Transportation Operations
Chapter 10: The Southwest Pacific
The Organizational and Logistical Setting—The Transportation Office—The Regulating System—The U.S. Army Fleet in SWPA—Port Operations—Rail Transport—Motor Transport—The Transportation Load in SWPA—Demobilization
Chapter 11: The South and Central Pacific
The Hawaiian Area—Pearl Harbor to Midway—Safeguarding the Lines of Communication in the South Pacific—Transportation in Support of the South Pacific Offensives—From Static Defense to Offensive Operations in the Central Pacific—Redeployment, Rehabilitation, and Roll-up in the South Pacific—Transportation in the Final Phase of the War—Postwar Transportation Operations in the Middle Pacific
Chapter 12: China, Burma, and India
The Strategical and Logistical Setting—The Indian Ports—The Assam Line of Communications—The Military Railway Service in India–Burma—American Barge Lines in India—Motor Transport on the Stilwell (Ledo–Burma) Road—U.S. Army Transportation in China
Chapter 13: Observations and Conclusions
Movement of Troops—The Versatile DUKW—DUKWs in Use—Ingenious Use of Terrain Features—Widespread Destruction of Facilities—Sunken Ships—Port Congestion—The Port of Antwerp—MRS Operations in India—Rail Equipment—Climatic Extremes—Convoys for China—Overland Movements East of Kunming—Truck Refueling Station—Road Conditions in Burma and Iran—Delivering the Goods—Support of the Final Offensive Against Germany
Illustrations are from the Department of Defense files.
Tables
1. U. S. Army Troops Debarked in the United Kingdom, by Port Area, January 1942–June 1944
2. U. S. Army Cargo Landed in the United Kingdom, by Port Area, January 1942–June 1944
3. Vehicle and Cargo Deliveries to China and Burma by Months: 1945
Charts
1. Organization of the Office of the Chief of Transportation, SOS, ETOUSA: 9 January 1944
2. Organization of the Office of the Chief of Transportation, AFHQ, NATOUSA–COMZONE, NATOUSA: October 1944
3. Loading of U. S. Assault Forces for Normandy Invasion: June 1944
4. Organization of the Office of the Chief of Transportation, COMZONE, ETOUSA: 1 April 1945
5. Tonnage Moved East of the Seine and North of the Rhône: 1944–45
6. Organization of Headquarters, Transportation Corps, USASOS, SWPA: December 1944
7. Schematic Diagram of China Transportation Routes: August 1945
Maps
1. Alaska Highway and Connecting Routes
2. Transportation Regions in the United Kingdom
3. Lines of Communication in French North Africa
4. Routes of the Red Ball Express
5. XYZ Motor Transport Hauls: 14 April 1945
6. Phase Operations, 2nd MRS: 1 October 1944
7. The Persian Corridor
8. Calcutta–Kunming Line of Communications
9. Assam Line of Communications: December 1943
10. Kunming–East LOC: February 1944