Quartermaster Supply Operations - US Army Combined Arms Center ...

allied prodacts.2
P-E-8-T-R-I-C-T-E-D
b. The corspany normally issued Lasoline on a oan-
for-can exchange basis. It was res2onslble for the cleaning,
refillin&a and ta@nL of the empty cans. It received gasoline
in five-gallon cans or in bulk by pipeline or rail tank
cars. ,men it received &asolineIn bulk, the company was res-
FOnSlble for its reduction into five-gallon or 55-gaI.lon containers
suitable for issue. Retail distribution of gasoline
in 55-gallon drums was held to a mini" except in the Southern
Line of Communications where It was extensively used. Distributlon
by this method always elicited complaints I?" cammanders
and $uflrtermasters of combat units because of tho difficulty
in handlin; the full 55-gallon drum. The use of this
method resulted in numerous cases of hei-nia and it should not
be ornployed except as a last resort& The cmpany establish-
ed distributing points in such a manner as to facilitate receipt,
storage and issue, and take advantage of camouflage
and di8,Jersion. Distributint goints were normally located
within a convenient distance of the usin, units and of the
souroo of sugply from the next higher echelon.
0. Each operating platoon has the followink rated
daily oapaoity, assuming that the trips from railheads or
bulk redu tion points to issue pointo conwe an average of
one hour: f
Bulk reduction of 72,000 gallons of gasoline and
oleaning of 3000 five-gallon buns and 300 55-gallon drums
8. In the &noliean Theater of Operations, the aotual
cnpaoits of gasoline supv oompanies was considerably leas
than the re& capacity. lfi Lo additional labor attaolied,
and a normal trip the of two houra, the company could nornal-
ljr receive in bulk, reduce and issue e.Liproximately 50,000 &allons
per day. :nth one Quertermester service campany attaohed
for labor, and all reoeipts in five Lallon cans, the capao-
ity was raised to a maximun of pOO,~v30 eallons.
2110. Troop Basis and Control.
ah The Commandin, General, Comunicatione Zone,
allocated Gasoline Supyly Com;:anies to sections and base sections,
Communicatione Zone, and to Army Groups depending upon
their availability. The Army Group in turn allocated the companies
to the Armies on the basis that normally one oompany is
required to servioe armv troops and one coolpang to service a
typ3 corps, or that a total of five to eieht companies is required
for a field army.3
b. The ooa1,any was normally attached to a Quartermaster
Battalion for administration and technical oontrol.
The battalion in turn, was attached to a Quartermaster Group
that operated directly under tLe &arternraster of the Advance
or Base Seotions, Conununioations Zona, or under the Arqr Quartermaeter.
At times, functional control was eliminated from
tha Quartermaster Group and waa direct frou the Section or
m v Quartermaster to the company or ba%tai.ion.b
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