Organization: How Armies are Formed for War

by Hubert Foster

3. Supply

Experience teaches that supplies of food can only be furnished to troops during war in three ways:

(a) The men may be fed by the occupants of the houses where they are billeted.

This is only possible in towns, or in the country when the troops are much scattered, and when the Army is moving continuously, and the troops do not remain more than a day or two in one place.

(b) Food may be obtained from the country by purchase, or by requisition, which must always be carried out in a regular manner by responsible officers, or waste, confusion, and individual looting and terrorism will ensue.

(c) Food may be drawn from the L. of C. and issued by the Supply Service.

A combination of all three methods is generally practicable. The food available in the country should be used as far as possible, so as to avoid straining the resources of the Supply Service, and the capacity of the Lines of Communication.

Under the average conditions of country and climate for which the British normal regulations are designed, it may be expected that fuel, water, hay and straw, and cattle, will be obtainable in the country. Thus only bread and groceries, and corn for horses, have normally to be conveyed to the troops by the Supply Service.

Both purchase and requisition demand good organization, and trained supply officers accompanying the troops. The Supply Service is organized in the way about to be described, partly so as to provide officers, men, and wagons to collect supplies in the country and bring them to the troops, partly to transport from the Base what is required to supplement the amount collected.

The Supplies for an Army in the Field may be considered under two heads:

(I.) Mobile Supplies with the Troops.

(II.) Supply Depôts on the Lines of Communication.

(I.) MOBILE SUPPLIES WITH THE TROOPS

The former are divided into three lines of supply:

(a) Regimental Supplies, controlled by the Unit itself.

(b) Column Supplies.

(c) Park Supplies.

The last two are controlled by the Supply Service.

(a) Regimental Supplies are those carried in Regimental wagons, in addition to what is in the personal charge of each man—namely, the remains of the current day’s ration issued overnight, and an emergency ration of preserved food. In the wagon with each unit are one day’s ration of food and of oats for the unit, for issue that evening, besides a second grocery ration and some compressed forage.

(b) Column Supplies are carried in Supply Columns, of which one is allotted to each Division and Mounted Brigade, and to the Army Troops. Each Column carries one day’s ration and forage for its Division, and one emergency ration. One day’s meat on the hoof will usually be driven with the Column.

The Supply Column replenishes the regimental supplies daily, and is kept filled up by collecting local supplies, or by drawing on the L. of C. depôts, or, as a last resource, on the Park Supplies.

(c) Park Supplies are carried in the Transport and Supply Park allotted to each Division, which usually marches a day’s march in rear of the troops. It carries three days’ rations for its Division, and is divided into three sections, i.e. 1 per Brigade. There is in the Field Park also a Bakery Detachment, capable of baking for 22,500 men; this is, as a rule, stationed at the Advanced Base. One to three days’ meat supply on the hoof will generally be driven with the Park. The Parks are kept filled up by a more extended exploitation of local resources than the Supply Columns can effect, and obtain the balance required from the L. of C. depôts.

This organization thus supplies the following rations per man, and corn per horse, with the troops in the field, apart from any Supplies which may be moving up along the L. of C.

COMPOSITION OF FIELD RATION

Meat: 1¼ lb. fresh, or 1 lb. preserved.

Bread: 1¼ lb., or 1 lb. biscuit.

Groceries: Tea, sugar, salt, pepper.

Jam.

Lime-juice and rum, when authorized.

Vegetables: 8 oz. fresh, or 2 oz. dried, or 4 oz. preserved fruit.

The weight of a ration may be taken at 3 lb. net or 4 lb. gross, and that of the emergency ration is 6½ lb. net or 9½ lb. gross.

The preserved meat and biscuit are carried in 80-lb. wood cases, containing 60 rations of meat and 50 of biscuit. The cases furnish kindling for fires.

12 lb. corn per horse, or 15 lb. for heavy draught horses.

DISTRIBUTION OF SUPPLIES

On the man or horse: 1 day’s ration and 1 day’s oats, less amount consumed overnight; 1 emergency ration.

In Regimental Transport: 1 day’s ration, less vegetables, and 1 day’s groceries extra; 1 day’s corn.

In T. and S. Columns: 1 day’s rations and corn.

In T. and S. Park: 3 days’ rations and corn.

Compressed forage: 1 bale (82 lb.) in each wagon in the Force.

Total carried with the Force per man and horse:

6 days’ meat and biscuit and corn, less that consumed overnight;

6 days’ groceries;

5 days’ jam, lime-juice, and rum;

4 days’ vegetables;

2 emergency rations;

or sufficient for from 7 to 8 days, without receiving supplies from the L. of C.

(II.) SUPPLY DEPÔTS ON THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION

Advanced Supply Depôts, established at the Advanced Base, to replenish the Mobile Supplies with the Troops.

Intermediate Supply Depôts, formed at Railhead, and sometimes at other points on the Lines of Communication, as a reserve.

The Base Depôt.—This is the main source of supply for the Army. In it are accumulated ample reserves of all supplies, procured partly from home, partly by contract from abroad, but as far as possible by direct purchase in the theatre of war.

INTERIOR ORGANIZATION OF TRANSPORT AND SUPPLY UNITS

The Supply Columns and Supply Parks are formed by Companies of the “Army Service Corps,” which comprise both Transport and Supply personnel, with the necessary horses, wagons, and stores.

The Company of Army Service Corps varies in strength according to its functions, but comprises on an average the following:

For Transport duties: 3 Officers, 63 other ranks, 108 horses, 25 wagons.

For Supply duties: 1 Officer, 13 other ranks.

The various Supply Columns are formed of a number of A.S.C. Companies on the following scale: one Company per Brigade, and one per Head-Quarters; so that the Supply Column of a Division comprises 4 A.S.C. Companies, that of the Cavalry Division 5 A.S.C. Companies, and that of a Mounted Brigade 1 A.S.C. Company. The Army Troops Supply Column is formed by 1 A.S.C. Company.

The Divisional Supply Park is formed in 3 sections, or one per Brigade, each being formed by 1 A.S.C. Company.

The Field Bakery Detachment is formed by 1 A.S.C. Company, and is divided into 8 sections, each of which can erect and work 10 ovens.

The Supply Depôts on the Lines of Communication have a personnel provided from 40 Depôt Units of Supply and 8 Bakery Sections; one unit and one section are calculated to suffice for a depôt to feed 4,000 men and 1,000 animals. Their personnel comprises clerks, issuers, butchers, and bakers. Civil labour and transport will be obtained to supplement the military personnel, as required.