...Railway artillery - Personal Page of GENE SLOVER

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Railway companies do not purchase a number of locomotive cranes
and place them at short intervals along the line for chance emergencies.
The cranes, as well as the railway artillery, are so mobile
that they can be quickly transferred wherever needed, and, when
not needed, are kept where they are both out of the way, well protected,
and easily maintained. The British scheme of corps railway'
artillery is felt to have resulted in very poor economy in the utilization
of this mat6riel.
601. In the case of the French and American Armies, a certain
camp, about 30 miles behind the lines, was established for both the
mat6riel and personnel of the railway artillery. In the yards of
this camp were found the mounts and all rolling-stock equipment.
At this distance behind the lines it is comparatively easy to maintain
the personnel of the groups and not in any way to draw upon
the facilities required to maintain the personnel at the immediate
front. This camp was likewise on a well-established railway line
and all supplies could easily be secured. This plan worked out
well in both Armies.
602. INSPECTION.-Inspection of railway artillery is carried out
in different ways by the different armies. In the French Army
the inspection service is under the Commission A. L. V. F. (heavy
railway artillery). Regular inspections are made at considerable
intervals and routine notes are taken on condition of mat6riel.
Upon the occurrence of any accident a member of the inspection
service is at once sent for to render an opinion as to what should be
done. Such records as were seen of the French guns were quite
general in character.
603. In the British Army the inspection service is under the
Ordnance Corps. I t makes regular and special inspections, in the
same manner as the French, but more frequentJ,y and in greater
detail. .
604. In the American Army the inspector was detailed from the
Ordnance Department, but his line of authority was not clearly
defined, and efforts were made to bring him under the authority,
respectively, of the Railway Artillery Reserve (the operating branch),
the Ordnance Repair Shop (the maintenance branch) and the
Engineering Division of the Ordnance Department (the technical
and designing branch). A final arrangement was never worked out.
605. As a result of observation and experience, however, it is
felt that the inspector should, of necessity, be free from the authority
of the artillery commander, whose use of the guns the inspector's
work is expected to keep within proper bounds, and likewise free
from that of the officer in charge of maintenance, whose work the
inspections should constitute a check on.
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