available. But, as some will always require repair or overhauling, while others must be used as service lorries for replenishing food supply and petrol (and also as workshops), the theoretical num- ber is 65 lorries.
The second point in an organization is to ensure effective maintenance. Automobiles require constant care on a long journey, e.g. 200 km. At least a dozen out of 100 lorries will have breakdowns or need repair. Some will even fall out, too seriously damaged to go on, and will have to go to the " automo- bile park." Minor casualties must be attended to, however, as soon as possible. That is the role of the workshops. If the work- shop is to move with the group, it must be on lorries, and have a stock of tools and various spare parts. To form a workshop for 20 lorries, i.e. for a section, means a large drain on workers and materiel, and is only advisable when the section has to remain isolated. If the section remains with the group, it is better to form a stronger workshop for the group, reserving two or three vehicles which can have a real arsenal of spare parts, each having two or three picked mechanics attached, with several skilled assistants to attend them. The commanding officer of the group can delegate to one of his subordinate officers (the most capable from the technical point of view) the direction of the workshop.
As soon as large transport movements have to be carried out, higher control above the group must be organized. The transport of the infantry of a division requires 1 2 groups. Placed in a column on the road, this would make a file 36 km. in length, a reasonable distance for each group being 3 kilometres. This mass would be formless and incapable of manoeuvring unless vivified by organization.
It is a common saying that the action of a commander ought to be limited to directing four immediate subordinates and no more. Experience of large demands on transport during the war shows, however, that six groups could be united under one con- trol, if the commander in charge was supported by a fully qualified staff. Such was the composition of the grouping in the French army: such or something very near it was the composition of the " Bus Park " of the British army. The grouping of six groups had a capacity for 6,000 infantry. When transport by automo- bile has reached a further extension, the group becomes in its turn a basic unit; and it is in studying the role of the commander of the grouping and his staff that the working realities of troop transportation can be grasped. It will suffice to note that the groupings ought also, when they are called on to function to- gether, to be united under a superior control. The automobile service of the French army, which comprised 2 5 groupings in 1918, had a dozen " commanders of transport reserves " to direct them each reserve comprising two or three groupings.
Organization of Troop Transports. Let it be supposed that a grouping is ordered to execute the transport of 6,000 infantry, to take them up in their billeting area, and to bring them to the field of battle some 100 km. from billets. What problems must be solved in order to accomplish this mission to the greatest advantage? In the first place, the commander must fix the em- barkation-points, i.e. the points at which the infantry will be loaded into lorries. In order that this operation may be quickly carried out there must be many loading-points functioning at the same time; to embark one battalion (1,000 men) into a group (80 lorries) requires from 20 minutes to half an hour. The usual procedure of the French automobile service is to place the infan- try in column, two deep, and to make them move in this forma- tion. The automobile officer in charge of the embarking-point marshals the drivers of the lorries, at the rate of one per lorry, near to a point where the column of infantry in twos moves out. He divides the column, as it passes him, into small parties, accord- ing to the number for each lorry, and assigns each to a lorry driver, who leads his men at the double to the rear of his lorry.
When all the parties are grouped behind the lorries, they embark. At the embarking-office, while the backs of the lorries are closed, the crank-handles are turned and the engines are started up. But even so, with a single embarking-point practi- cally three hours are required for embarking 6,000 men; and in another half-hour the lorries will have covered 8 kilometres.
The six groups will therefore find themselves, on the march, separated by a considerable interval, and the total column will be 48 km. in length altogether too long. Further, there may be great gaps in the billeting area in which the embarking infantry are stationed; and it would be a mistake to make them cover great distances on foot in order to reach a common embarking- point when the lorries can just as well come and pick them up near to their own billets. Consequently it is much preferable, if possible, to have six points of embarkation, each corresponding to a battalion, the hours of embarkation being fixed in such a way that each group of lorries, leaving as soon as the embarkation is completed, will take up its normal position, one behind the other, at the " starting-point " for the common itinerary.
When the commander of an automobile grouping has then prepared the organization of his embarkation-points, he must come to an agreement with the infantry headquarters concerned as to the time and place of embarkation of each battalion; such an agreement is much simplified if the orders of the higher au- thority responsible for the movement have specified a precise time for the start. The work which devolves upon the command of the lorry grouping in the disembarkation of the troops is generally similar to the above; but there is an additional diffi- culty, caused by uncertainty as to the exact points of disem- barkation, which often depend at the last moment on the mili- tary situation. Nevertheless, the procedure must be arranged as early as possible, in close touch with the higher staff which has to fix the disembarkation zone; and an understanding must be- arrived at with headquarters as to the probable alternatives, between which a decision will be made later, when the lorries are quite near to the arrival zone. It is not possible for the com- mander of the grouping to do this work of preparation for arrival and for departure by himself alone; he must have another officer in his confidence to help him. While he is making arrangements and reconnaissance in the zones of departure and arrival, he must also choose (or at least reconnoitre) the itinerary between the two zones. And when the itinerary is reconnoitred, it must be marked out. This is the duty of the officer assisting the com- mander of the grouping. The " route officer," with his own staff, marks the itinerary by posting up placards (and, for night work, hanging lanterns) bearing the distinguishing mark of the group- ing and an arrow indicating the direction of the march and the route to take. The distinguishing mark of the grouping is neces- sary because, in a period of movement, many other groupings will often wish to use some portion of a route in common. More- over, any lorry which has become isolated or left behind must be enabled to rejoin by following the arrows.
Further, the commander of a grouping is responsible for the care of the well-being of his personnel and materiel. He has to supply his lorries with petrol and his men with food, and must organize the movement of his service lorries, supply lorries, work lorries, lorries for towing, lorries for cooking. Here again the commander's control of details depends first on his supply officer, and next on his technical officer, the latter being especially con- cerned with the workshop of the grouping, the repairing organ. It is the technical officer's endeavour to interrupt the grouping as little as possible, and to follow it up, if it is not returning to its previous zone of billets, with any laggard lorries that have needed repair. He must, therefore, organize repairing squads who will follow different columns and leave nothing behind.
Transport of Complete Divisions. When a larger unit, like a division of infantry, has to be transported, two or three lorry- groupings are required. The same general principles, however, apply. An interesting example occurs when, together with the infantry of a division, it is necessary to transport all or part of their artillery with its horses. This will happen less and less frequently as the artillery itself tends to become an entire auto- mobile arm, since it will then move simultaneously on its own account; but with horse-drawn artillery it may be a very serious matter for a general of a division not to be able to bring up to the battlefield, in support of his infantry, the artillery who are accustomed to manoeuvre with him. It is thus very desirable to be able to transport artillery with horses.
