Operation of Railroads in War Plans for army operation in close co-operation with existing organizations By Brig. Gen. Corps of HE subject assigned to me for diseussion in. this important conference is “The Operation of Rail- roads in the Theater of Operations.” under- and informally that it is expected to be discussed with vecial reference to the points of contact between railroad rerations in the zone of the interior by civilian personnel id railroad operations in the theater of operations by my engineer units. ‘This subject is approached with esitation before an audience containing so many practical railroad men, The railroad operation in the theater of war in the case of a stabilized front like that in the World War, con- sists essentially of the operation of daily trains from the regulating stations to the standard gage railheads. These are in some instances also division railheads. In France the front was stabilized so long that the other division and subordinate railheads and dumps were supplied by light always operating forward irom the standard gage rai ads. This was a special situation which would not ob- tain in a war of movement. The standard gage trains from the regulating stations forward in France were op- erated under the direction of a senior officer of the ‘Trans~ portation Service, who was kept in equipment, crews and Supplies by General Atterbury and who dispatched these trains to meet the requirements of the regulating officers and of G-4 at General Headquarters. ‘The light railways ‘which distributed the supplies to division railheads, rock: trains, engineer dumps and battery stations were operated by railway engineer troops under orders of the field army sn which they were located. In the case of war carried to our own country by: for- ‘eign troops, the front is less apt to be so stable, and the problem more general and less specialized. Careful at- tention and a correct understanding of principles is essen- tial to prompt and successful operation. ‘One of the first general principles to be borne in mind is the proper division of responsibility between the ope tion by the railroads themselves in the zone of the interior and that by the army engineers in the theater of opera- tions. You have already heard irom Secretary Weeks, Colonel Davis, General Hart, Mr. Felton, Mr. Aishton, and Mr. Gorniley how it is contemplated to use the ra roads in the zone of the interior. ‘The outstanding poi is that under the law they shall function satisfactorily to the Secretary of War. Assume this contact to be excr- cised through the Assistant Secretary of War, assisted by such staff as he may find necessary. The physical opera~ tion will usually be in the hands of the permanent officials and personnel, 30 that the existing force will shift inte, war time: conditions with a minimum of disturbance of the magnificent equilibrium now maintained by the companies, Tn the theater of operations the objectives, the opera- tions, and the orders for carrying them out, must be de- termined by the general in command, Civilians ean not normally be expected to operate under fire or under the immediate threat thereof. On the other hand, the army TAalsess delivered at gesting Held in Wathington, D.C. on March 2 oe epee at Begartent Edgar Jadwin ‘operators should have as shallow a iront as practicable over which to operate, ordinarily not more than a depth cual to the length of railroad division. As the combat roops advance, the armiy operators keep pace with. them. hhe number of railway troops should change as little as possible after being once established and their places as they advance should be taken by the civilian railroad per sonnel operating under their own officials, As the troops attain and have properly protected the end of a railroad division and start forward along the next division, the railroad division passed should he turned over to the par~ ent railroad for civilian operation. If attempt be made to have the army operate too long and to maintain a con- tinually inereasing length of road its efficiency near the front will be decreased. ‘To illustrate somewhat more in detail these relations, let us assume a sittation ina part of the country where war is not now very apt to happen. The general principles will be the same if it becomes necessary to defend any section of our country. Assume that at the time of the Spanish War, Cuba had been occupied by power larger and stronger than ourselves, but so far distant that the balance of military power had been preserved. Further, assume that the enemy had thrown a large body of troops from Cuba into Florida and had taken all of Florida up to within striking distance of the Jacksonville-Tallahassee Line, The enemy receives its supplies through the ports of Tampa and Key West. Normally, any operations around Florida would be largely influenced by the rela tive situation of the two navies, In order to eliminate that from the present consideration, let it be assumed that the navies had in previous engagements so crippled each other that they can be left out of consideration during the period covered by these land operations. ‘The territory of the Seaboard Air Line from Talla hassee to Jacksonville and southward will therefore form the theater of operations. Assume further that the physi- al condition of the railroads of the United States, other than Florida, is excellent and that their personnel is in a high state of efficiency. On the other hand, that the lines and their equipment in Florida now occupied by the ene- ‘my will be rendered inoperative by him as far as practi- cable in his retreat as he is pushed southward by our troops advancing from the north. These lines will there- fore have to be rehabilitated as we advance. Two hun dred and fifty thousand troops are assumed as available in the carly stages for the American army operating on the Florida front. Railway operations during the first phase will comprise two classes of activities, namely 1. The timely inauguration of plans and placing of ‘orders for obtaining such force, supplies and equipment as are needed in the movement. 2. The operation and maintenance of railways to move troops, animals, and supplies from their stations to points near their destinations, and to provide necessities for the civilian population as the enemy’ is forced back. This will 74a748, include such inerease in the capacity of facilities as is necessary for the objects to be attained. It is proposed to establish a large base on the Seaboard Air Line between Jacksonville and Baldwin, Assume this base to contain 650,000 square feet closed and shed storage equivalent to 40 storehouses 300 ft. long and 50 ft. wide; also 2,000,000 square feet of open storage space, all served by trackage. It will be noted that this base is well adapted to receive its supplies coming from the eastern, central, and western portions of the United States by three strong railroad systems, the Southern, Seaboard Air Line, and the Atlantic Coast Line, with which connection can be made from all points of the country. Such supplies as can be brought in by water to Jacksonville can be placed in storage by shuttle trains operated between Jacksonville and the base. There are three main lines of railroad run- ning south from the base towards the enemy, the Florida East Coast Line in the east, the Atlantic Coast Line inthe center, and the Seaboard Air Line to the westward. The dliysions of these lines which will start from the Baldwin- Jacksonville base, will extend! approximately, to. Day- iona on the Florida East Coast, to Sanford and Dunellen on the Atlantic Coast Line, and'to Ocala, on the Seaboard Air Line. The major items of railroad construction con- templated in the initial phase, will be receiving, classifica- tion, storage and departure yards at Baldwin with tracks for detraining troops and storage, engine terminal, and a shop. There will also be required large amounts of rail and timber for restoring track as the troops advance. Assume on each system about 8 trains daily southbound, 16 in both directions. As the track is a single track addi- tional passing tracks will have to be provided in order that these trains may be kept moving without delay. Addi- tional water tanks will have to be provided Assume the following equipment as required to be fur- nished to the army by the parent lines in the zone of the interior: 33 freight locomotives, 12 yard locomotives, 8 passenger locomotives, 27 cabooses, 567 box cars, 140 freight cars, 60 water tank freight cars, 150 stock ca pile drivers, 3 wrecking cranes, 5. locomotive cranes, 8 work cars, 8 kitchen cars, 8 bunk cars, 10 passenger B, M. cars, 24 coaches, 3 standard sleepers, 8 business cars, 3 tourist sleeper cars, 3 dining cars, 3 baggage cars, 3 freight automobile cars, 6 inspector motor cars. Assume the following’ field operation organization as needed: 37 train and engine crews, § men each, 22 yard and engine crews, 5 men each, 76 telegraphers, with the necessary baggage and express messengers, yard-station clerks, section foremen and labor, bridge carpenters, pumpers, machinists, boiler makers, blacksmiths and helpers, car inspectors, car repair men, hostlers, pile driver and wreck derrick engineers, aggregating about 1,600. men. : Assume that each of the three railroad systems running, south will require a general superintendent, executive of ficer, office manager, assistant auditor, freight rate expert, passenger rate expert, chief of tariff bureau, auditor of freight and passenger accounts, auditor of maintenance of equipment, auditor maintenance of way accounts. auditor car and equipment accounts, chief freight clerk, chief passenger clerk, and the necessary clerks. book keepers, accountants and railway transport officers, aggregating in all about 100, Also a superintendent of motor power, assistant engineer, assistant storekeeper, assistant bridge engineer, supply officer, assistant struct- tural steel inspector, troop movement officer, fttel agent. and the necessary assistants to these officers, aggregating in all about 50 officers and 85 civilians. ‘The reconstruction of existing telegraph lines, includ- ing railway Hines, will be done by Signal Corps troops The telegraph material will be furnished by the Signal Corps, and the railway circuit lines used exclusively for RAILWAY AGE March 14, 1925 railroad operation will be operated by the railway bat- talions. As previously stated the railroads in the United States will deliver their trains with troops and supplies to the base line of the Seaboard Air Line running west from Jacksonville through Baldwin, Engineer combat regi- ‘ments within the theater of operations will be largely oc- cupied with bridge, road, and general construction at first ‘There may not be enough equipment and railway engineer troops available for starting the quick operations desired in the first phase. ‘The parent lines in the zone of the interior will therefore at first, as far as practicable, op- erate and if practicable aid ‘in the reconstruction’ and initial operation and repair of the lines in the theater of operations. Some of the preliminary construction just to enable trains to get through, if it is more urgent than road work, may have to be handled by the combat troops. A case when this was done to advantage in France was cited to you this morning by General Hines. Such work will, however, he regularly performed by construction troops. For an operation of this character assume that about four engineer railway and labor battalions per system will be required, or twelve in all. These should be formed partly with men of railway experience in railway operation and ‘equipment and partly of men of railway construction and maintenance of way experience. We are now planning railway battalions which are operation and maintenance units, The battalion consists of a major who can ordi- narily function as a division superintendent; a staff; a hheadquarter’s detachment which contains administrative personnel, dispatchers, etc.; one operating company con- sisting largely of train crews; one maintenance of way mpany; and one maintenance of equipmet company. New railroad construction and reconstruction will be done as a rule by general service regiments attached to corps and Army headquarters. Railway Battalions There are no railway troops in the regular army, but 36 battalions have been formed in the organized reserves, ‘These have been allocated to existing railroad systems and are now in course of organization, One of the require- ments is that all personnel of the battalions allocated to the B. & O. for example must normally be in the employ of that railroad. It is expected from this arrangement that, in time of war, experienced personnel will be avail- able immediately, and that an esprit will exist from the start which will aid efficient operation of military rail~ roads. .\s fast as the line has advanced so supplies can be brought up, these troops will move steadily forward keep- ing as close as possible behind the troops doing the fight- ing. ‘The army engineer in the theater of operations will hhave four sector engineers, one for each system and one for the base, to handle all construction work in their re- spective sectors, placing engineers and labor troops according to the relative urgency of the different classes of work, ‘The Chief of Engineers, War Department, will on the ‘outbreak of hostilities order from previously prepared lists the track material for repairs on the lines in Florida, a full ‘outfit of transportation tools and supplies needed for con- struction and maintenance of way. Emergency repair shop trains, and a permanent repair shop train equipped with tools and equipment for tool rooms, will be ordered hy him on previously prepared drawings and specifications, and assembled and dispatched to the base near Baldwin. ist of spare parts of railway equipment necessary for reconstruction and maintenance in addition to that to be obtained from the railways back of the line will be pur chased and shipped to the base, as will also necessary of- fice furniture and supplies.