A History of the U.S. Army Motor Transport Corps Through the Service record of Wilhelm “Bim” August Heineman American Expeditionary Forces World War I 1917-1919 Wilhelm “Bim” August Heineman The Great European War had been in progress more than two years and a half when, on April 6, 1917, President Wilson signed the resolution that recognized a state of war existed between the United States and Germany, and the Great American Republic threw its power and influence on the side of the Allies. Since that day, America was busy training an army, and organizing her industries and her resources to make them effective in the great cause she had espoused. The American navy had already rendered great service in the war against submarines and in convoying transports and supply ships to Europe. American soldiers reached Europe in June and began their trench warfare in October. 1 The world conflict in which the United States took an important part was comparatively greater than any previous wars. On June 2 8, 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hunga ry, was assassinated at Sarajevo, Bosnia. Austria claimed that the murder was commi tted by Serbian revolutionists and sent an ultimatum to that country with terms imposs ible of acceptance, July 23, 1914, and on July 28 declared war. Montenegro came int o the war as the ally of Serbia. Russia at once protested against Austria’s action and mobilized her troops. On August 1, 1914, Germany an ally of Austria declared war on Russia, and on August 3 upon France. On the same day she began her invasion of Be lgium. Great Britain joined with France and Russia as an ally declaring war on Germany on August 4 and upholding the neutrality of Belgium, which she was pledged to defend. Belgium, invaded Germany, stubbornly defended her neutrality, but was soon overm astered by the superior number of Germany’s invading army. Great Britain’s self-governing colonies, Can ada, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand, rallied to her support and won the admiration of the world by the promptness and vigor which they mobilized their forces and sent their troops to the great European battle fields. India and other parts of the Empire loyally responded to the calls for men. Turkey was already fighting for the Central Powers when she made formal entry into the war on November 23, 1914. The year 1915 brought Portugal, Italy, and the little republic of San Marino to the side of the Allies, and Bulgaria to that of the Central Powers. In August 1916, Rumania declared war on Austria. In Greece, the provincial government of Venizelos issued a declaration of war on Germany and Bulgaria, while the King’s party affected neutrality favorable to Germany. 2 Exerts for “The Steering Wheel” Vol. 1, no. 16, Dec. 25, 1918 Speed, rapidity won the war for the Allies. Speed, rapidity would not have been possible had it not been for the motor transportation of the different Armies of the Entente. What the Entente lacked in preparedness it had to make up for in speed. The motor truck and the automobile played a bigger part in winning the war than any other one factor outside of combatant troops. Paris would have fallen in the first months of the war, had not General Gallieni, military governor of Paris, thrown every available motor vehicle to the font loaded with troops, and so checked in time the oncoming Germans. Again, before Paris, four years later, motor transportation turned the tide by rushing troops into the Chateau-Theirry sector. The First American motor transportation landed in France in May 1917. Between that time and the close of the war, the Motor Transport Corps was organized and equipped with more than seventy thousand vehicles of all kinds, and was functioning not only on the front lines, but in every nook and corner of France where it was necessary to carry men and supplies. This in spite of the fact that when war was declared there was practically no organized motor transportation in the United States Army. Other arms and branches of the service came to France fairly well equipped and trained. The Motor Transport Service unites arrived in France during the first few months of the war lacking equipment, and for the most part but partially trained, and yet the Motor Transport Corps (or the Motor Transport Service as it was known for so many months) at all times functioned with the same precision as other arms and branches of the service far better qualified by preliminary organization to properly fulfill their duties. 3 From the minute that American troops landed in France, rapidity in transportation was imperative, and this became more pronounced as more and more men began going up to the battle line. French railroads could not be entirely depended upon for rapidity of movement, either of troops or supplies, for the reason that they were overburdened, and at the front it was impossible to extend through the fire zone. The major portion of the rapidity so necessary in the successful pursuance of the war, therefore, developed upon motor transportation, and motor transportation came through with the goods, in spite of the fact that the Motor Transportation Service was from the start more handicapped in organization than any other arm or branch of the service. The American Army could, in fact, have played no conspicuous part in the war had it not been for motor transportation, and motor transportation would have been ineffective but for the splendid organization behind the motor transportation, known as the Motor Transport Service, or later, Corps. At base ports, night and day, motor trucks were carrying food, clothing, ammunition and every conceivable kind of supply from vessels to railroad trains and to warehouses, and from warehouses to encampments and to hospitals. 4 Motor trucks were carrying supplies of all kinds overland from base ports into the Advance Section. Motor trucks were carrying every conceivable kind of material and supply from point to point when they were most needed. They were carrying cannon and tanks. They were even carrying horses and mules, and towing cannon behind them in order to expedite artillery movements. There was not one single activity in the United States Army that the motor truck did not in some way touch. The fighting men won the war, but fighting men could not have fought in France in any great numbers had it not been for the motor truck, for, with the facilities at hand in the way of shipping, it would have been physically impossible to have sent over two million men to France and to have kept them supplied, with wagon transportation only to depend upon. Wagon transportation is slow and too much of its tonnage has to be used to carry subsistence for the animals that draw it. It is safe to say that, had the motor truck not been in existence, the United States could not have sent to France and maintained them there, more than 400,000 soldiers during the period in which 2,000,000 were sent over. There was not one day of the time in which these 2,000,000 men were there that they lacked in anything necessary for their welfare and comfort. The motor truck can be largely thanked for this. If Germany could have sunk every ship carrying motor transportation, and therefore have prevented any trucks from arriving in France, American soldiers would have been but a very negligible quantity in the war. 5 Important Dates in the History of the Motor Transportation Corps. The following is a chronology of important dates in the history of the organization of the Motor Transport Corps. May 27, 1917 – The first overseas motor transportation unit, called the Motor Truck Group, First American Expeditionary Force (A.E.F), was organized at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. It consisted of headquarters, for motor truck companies and a machine shop unit, and was placed under the command of Captain (later Colonel) William H. Winters. Most of the men in this organization, which consisted of Motor Truck Companies Nos. 101, 102, 103 and 104, and the Motor Park Company, were trained men, and had seen service in motor transportation with the American Punitive Expedition in Mexico. June 11, 1917 – The first motor truck group as mentioned above arrived in New York for embarkation to France. July 23, 1917 – Major (later Colonel) F.H. Pope arrived in Paris with General Rodgers, later Chief Quartermaster, A.E.F., and a month alter Major Pope was appointed Officer in Charge of Transportation under the Chief Quartermaster. He later became the first Director of the Motor Transport Service. 6 September 5, 1917 – General Pershing May 11, 1918 – General Orders No 74, sent an informal memorandum to the G.H.Q., A.E.F., were issued. This was Chief Quartermaster, A.E.F, signifying the order that turned over the Motor his desire to have all motor Transport Service and all motor driven transportation placed under the Chief vehicles of cargo and passenger Quartermaster. carrying types, and giving the Motor Transport Service technical supervision October 16, 1917 – The first motor over motor vehicles of all other types. transportation park in France was organized as Base station No. 1. July 5, 1918 – First course at the new Motor Transport School started. January 10, 1918 – Major (later Colonel) Brainerd Taylor, C.A.C., was appointed July 10, 1918 – Brigadier General M.. Motor Transport officer of the Advance Walker, Engineers, became director of Section. the Motor Transport Service. January 17, 1918 – Colonel H.A. November 11, 1918 – Armistice was Hegeman and his technical staff arrived signed and the Motor Transport Corps in France for the organization and reorganized its work to meet new development of repair and machine shop conditions. organizations. This is the unit in which W.A. Heineman was detached. March 10, 1918 – The offices of the Director of the Motor Transport Corps were moved from the city in which the General Headquarters (G.H.Q) of the A.E.F. were located to Advanced Park Overhaul (A.P.O.) 717. April 18, 1918 – General Orders No 38 War Department, were issued. This was the order creating a Motor Transport Service as part of the Quartermaster Corps and defining the duties of the Service. 7 The Motor Transport Reconstruction Park From “The Steering Wheel” Vol. 1, no. 16, Dec. 25, 1918 Standing out sharply as one of the marvels of the rapidly organized Army, and as evidence of America’s resolve to spare no trouble or expense in bring the War to a victorious end, was the Motor Transport Reconstruction Park, at A.P.O. 772 where W.A. Heineman was detached. Unique as being the only organization of its kind, this Unit fathered by Colonel H.A. Hegeman, whose creative ability and methods of efficiency call for loud praise in achieving a work of such gigantic proportions. Working against great odds, encountering obstacles at every stage, the Motor Transport Reconstruction Park eventually emerged from its difficulties, a beehive of industry, a project worthy of the greatest genius. Covering an area of approximately a thousand acres, the plan was equipped with the most modern machinery known to the manufacturing world, ranging from the most delicate of scientific instruments, used in making tests of every nature, to massive, awe-inspiring drop hammers and presses, capable of furnishing pressure of hundreds of tons. 8