TESTING THE MOBILITY OF MILITARY MECHA IZED TRANSPORT
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How the Various Classes of Tram Week's Concentration of the Ph
Experimental Estab Vehicle Functioned During Last Division at Full War Strength: nents Under Test
DURING the 13 years which have elapsed since the end of the Great War, portions of the Army have been equipped with mechanized transport; this has principally been done ;by fixing establishments for individual units. In order to try but the collective
effect of this mechanization, with a division concentrated it full war strength, the military operations of the past few days were undertaken.
Road space, particularly in the battle area, is of vital importance, as an excessive number of vehicles—however mobile each may be—when grouped an narrow roads subjected to shell fire, may cause such congestion as completely to nullify the value of the rapid movement of which the vehicles are capable.
In brief, the general scheme was for the troops to concentrate on August 17th, marching principally from the Aldershot district down to the vicinity of Frensham Great Pond, Frensharn Little Pond and Thursley. On the following day the First Division, at war strength, marched north-eastwards, taking up positions in the neighbourhood of Whitmoor Common and Stoke Hill Park, thereafter deploying for an attack on the 19th; a defensive position was occupied on the 20th followed by a withdrawal to AIder
shot during the night of August 20th-2Ist. During the period commencing with the night of August 18t11-19th ammunition was delivered to the various batteries under conditions intended to correspond with those obtaining in actual warfare.
The existing establishment of a division as regards vehicles is approximately 700 (for load-carrying only, exclusive of fighting machines and transport' for personnel). This column, it is estimated, would occupy 15 miles of road space. The experimental manceuvres were carried out with some 500 vehicles, forming an 11-mile column. The B32
3-ton, six-wheeled lorry has now largely replaced the 30-cwt. type formerly employed: without a sacrifice of mobility but with a gain in road space. Experiments were made with regard to the reduction of kit, etc., and the manceuvres have provided the War Department with material for much thought.
It was disappointing to note the small extent to which the combatant units concerned had been mechanized. This, to some extent, discounted the value of the operations. Ignoring the marches of August 17th, which were carried out to obtain a concentration and were effected under peace-time conditions, the " war-time " marches were carried out in what may be termed a grouped manner, that is, units of a like speed formed columns moving at specified times. During actual warfare, this, of course, is not possible to so great an extent, because units have to be broken up into smaller sections for protection against aircraft and shell fire. In addition, the " war-time " movements lacked realism on account of the absence of corps troops and army troops. As a rule, in any area the divisional troops form the largest proportion of the forces in the district, but special units which are not under the control of the divisional commander are constantly on the move in the district, frequently against the stream of divisional troops or, in the case of one-way roads, cutting into the flow of -vehicles belonging to the division.
The absence of this state of affairs, which is one of the greatest difficulties in connection with transport in forward areas, made last week's movements appear to be of a very much smoother nature than they would be in actual warfare.
It was noticeable that the speed of convoys was little, if any, higher than that obtaining during the war. This is somewhat B23 surprising, in view of modern mechanical advancement, and it would appear that, as speed is the enemy of congestion, a higher average could be maintained with advantage, provided, of course, that road conditions permit.
With regard to the vehicles actually employed, the load-carrying machines included Albion, Crossley, Guy, Halley, Karrier, Leyland, Morris-Commercial, Thornyeroft and Vukan models, principally six-wheelers. For the transport of personnel and light loads, the cars used • were of Austin, Jowett, Morris-Commercial (six-wheeled staff cars), Riley and Vauxhall manufacture. In addition, large numbers of motorcycles of A.J.S., Douglas and Triumph make were employed, primarily on signals duties.
With regard to the behaviour of the six-wheelers, it is difficult to overestimate the value of their cross-country ability, which was, unfortunately, not demonstrated to anything like so great an extent as it might have been. Fully to exploit the unique powers of this type of vehicle would, in war time, enable the traffic congestion to be reduced and would ensure greater safety for the explosive loads, by reason of the fact that any road is a special object for hostile artillery and aircraft activity.
By abolishing a great deal of the risk of sinkage, the six-wheeler has done much to solve the parking problem on wet commons. It was regrettable that much of the parking was carried out in such a manner as to give unnecessary trouble in dispatching one or two vehicles which might be needed for the ammunition or rations-supply service of any unit in the line urgently requiring stores.
It also occurs to us that it would have been a marked improvement to have arranged the parking so that— as would be vital in war time—a rapid break-up of a park could be effected in the event of hostile action, thus providing practice in an important matter. M.T. parks are nearly always within range of gunfire and are especially, prone to bombing on account of the visibility of the vehicles and the tracks which they make.
Reverting to the question of vehicle performance, it is interesting to note that trailers are being used to a greater extent. Most of these are of 15-cwt. pay-load capacity and of the two-wheeled variety.
Special mention is deserved by Dunlop Trak Grip tyres which were used on vehicles ranging from 19 tons gross weight down to the smallest cars. The extent to ,which they, secured a grip upon the surface, even In the case of medium-weight four-wheelers, was
n34 reassuring of the fact that cross-country ability was not reduced by wheel spin.
From the driver's point of view, matters have been vastly improved in recent years by the addition of sprung cushions, spring-spoke steering wheels and engine starters. The last-named feature is not, as might be imagined, a luxury ; when a rapid get-away has to be effected in war time and available men are required for many urgent jobs, all at once, it is not always possible to allot two men to each vehicle—of the larger types—in order to swing starting handles in cold and damp surroundings.
Comparison of the modern equipment of mechanicaltransport units with that of other branches of the Service, leaves one with a favourable impression. Horse-drawn vehicles showed up in a very poor light with regard to their braking when crossing the Hog's Back. In many cases the sole means of retardation, other than the horses' efforts, consisted of applying a crowbar to a fulcrum on the body of the cart and pulling the bar against the tyre of the wheel. Such methods, which often failed 13 years ago, only tend to cause congestion in a stream of mixed traffic, particularly on narrow two-way roads, as the brakesman is occupying part of the roadway required for the opposing traffic stream.
As compared with war-time equipment, the modern mobile workshop is a tremendous improvement. Its six wheels distribute the load evenly so that there is no need for building miniature plank roads on which to park the outfit while repairs are in hand. A generous allowance of tarpaulins means that by placing two or more vehicles in line a good covered space can be obtained in which fitters can work at ease.
Possibly on account of the large number of men always available for odd jobs, there is a tendency in the Army to ignore the use of the existing engine power for the performance of auxiliary functions, such as the erecting into position of the jibs of mobile derricks as used by the Royal Engineers. Whilst this may seem a small point, it should be remembered that the fewer men that have to be grouped into working parties in positions exposed to hostile action, the less will be the cost in human life.
Owing to the rapid progress made in connection with wheeled vehicles and their development for crosscountry service, the track-laying machine, except as a fighting unit, does not receive the same amount of popular attention as it did at one time. This is worthy of note, because the ratio of travelling time to time in workshops has been rather poor with this class of machine. Where tracks are employed to-day they are, in some cases, of a much improved type and are generally adopted where the going is so bad that wheeled vehicles of any kind would be almost Impracticable.
Wet weather served as a realistic condition of war and added to the difficulties of transport. Considering the number of vehicles involved there were few cases of ditching and collision ; these results are all the more creditable by reason of the narrowness of many of the roads, whilst drivers were working, for much of the time, under the eyes of audiences of staff officers.