United States Army in World War II
European Theater of Operations

The Technical Services
The Ordnance Department:
On Beachhead and Battlefront

by
Lida Mayo

OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF MILITARY HISTORY
DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
WASHINGTON, D.C., 1968


. . . to Those Who Served


CONTENTS

Forward vii
The Author

viii
Preface

ix
Chapter     Page
I. The Military Missions 3
   
II. Middle East Kaleidoscope 17
   
III. Early Arrivals in Australia 34
   
IV. The Base in Australia 44
   
V. Supporting the Papua Campaign 65
   
VI. The Base in the British Isles 88
   
VII. Oran and the Provisional Ordnance Group 109
   
VIII. With II Corps in Tunisia 128
   
IX. The Short Campaign in Sicily 152
   
X. Salerno and the Growth of Fifth Army Ordnance Service 172
   
XI. Anzio and Artillery 191
   
XII. Rome and "The Forgotten Front": 209
   
XIII. Arming for the Grand Campaign 219
    New Methods of Supply 220
    Motor Vehicle Assembly 223
    Preparations for a Short Sea Voyage 224
    Bomb Disposal 231
    The Ordnance Plan for NEPTUNE 232
    "The Best-Equipped Fighting Force" 236
XIV. The Far Shore in Normandy 240
    OMAHA Beach 240
    UTAH Beach 247
    Frustration in the Hedgerows 248
    Expansion After COBRA: Third Army 258
XV. The Race Across France 262
   
XVI. At the Siegfried Line in Belgium 294
   
XVII. Lessons of the Roer and the Ardennes 318
   
XVIII. Victory in Germany 339
   
XIX. From Papua to Morotai 353
   
XX. The Philippines: Leyte 387
   
XXI. The Philippines: Luzon 407
   
XXII. The Philippines: The Southern Islands 429
   
XXIII. Boldly Aiming at Okinawa 443
   
XXIV. Crescendo on Okinawa 456
   
XXV. The Guns Fall Silent 475
   
 
  Bibliographical Note 481
  Glossary  
  Code Names  
  Basic Military Map Symbols  
  Index 499

 
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

 
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