United States Army in World War II
European Theater of Operations

The Technical Services
The Transportation Corps:
Operations Overseas

by
Joseph Bykofsky
and
Harold Larson

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1957


. . . to Those Who Served


CONTENTS

Forward vii
Introductory Note

viii
Preface

ix
Chapter     Page
  Introduction 3
I. The Atlantic and Caribbean Bases 8
   
II. Alaska and Western Canada 31
   
III. Build-Up in Britain 69
   
IV. North Africa 136
   
V. Sicily and Italy 184
   
VI. The Invasion of Normandy 233
    The Establishment of Planning Machinery for Continental Operations 234
    Planning as of D Day 236
    Mounting the Invasion 246
    Outloading From the United Kingdom 260
    Beach and Early Port Operations 269
    Initial Motor Transport Activities 282
    Early Rail Operations in Normandy 385
    The Transfer of Transportation Headquarters to the Continent 287
VII. The Assault on Southern France 290
   
VIII. France, Belgium, and Germany 301
   
IX. The Persian Corridor 375
   
X. The Southwest Pacific 425
   
XI. The South and Central Pacific 489
   
XII. China, Burma, and India 475
   
XIII. Observations and Conclusions 605
 
  Bibliographical Note 620
  Guide to Footnotes 626
  List of Abbreviations  
  Index 647

 
TABLES
 
1. Troop Build-up in the United Kingdom, January 1942-February 1943 100
2. Cargo Flow to the United Kingdom, January 1942-May 1943 103
3. Troop Build-up in the United Kingdom in 1943 129

 
CHARTS
 
1. Early Command and Staff Organization of ETOUSA 45
2. The BOLERO Administrative Organization in the United Kingdom 63
3. Organization of the Services of Supply, ETOUSA, 109 August 1942 79
4. ETOUSA and SOS Command and Organizational Structure, August 1943 165
5. ETOUSA's Organization After the Consolidation of 17 January 1944 199
6. Planned Command Arrangements for OVERLORD 224
7. Planned Command Arrangements for OVERLORD 224

 
MAPS
 
1. European Theater of Operations, 16 June 1942 41
2. Regional Organization of SOS in the United Kingdom 85
3. ETO Boundary Changes 112
4. Ports Considered in Invasion Planning 180
5. The Final OVERLORD Plan  
6. U.S. General Depots and Major Training Sites, May 1944 249
7. Plan for MULBERRY A at OMAHA Beach 279
8. The CHASTITY Plan 295
9. OVERLORD Rail and Pipeline Plans 316
10.  
11.
12.
 

ILLUSTRATIONS
 
  The Special Observers Group 15
  Headquarters, ETO 17
  John G. Winant, U.S. Ambassador to Britain 24
  Nissen Hut Quarters 25
  General Lee 34
  Crates of Partially Assembled Jeeps 67
  British "Goods Vans" 68
  English Railway Station Scene 69
  General Hawley 72
  Headquarters, SOS, Near Cheltenham 82
  Headquarters, SOS, Near Cheltenham 82
  General Littlejohn 98
  General Moore 101
  Deck-Loaded General Grant Medium Tanks 102
  Motor Convoy 143
  Motor Convoy 143
  Tenders Alongside the Queen Elizabeth 147



Transcribed and formatted for HTML by Patrick Clancey, HyperWar Foundation