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

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for the procurenent, storage and issue of solid fuels to
subordinate unlts for both military and essential civilian
use.
252. Operations.
a. The Advance Seotion, Communications Zone, began
solid fuels operations on the oontinent when sacked coal
began to arrive early in July l9lJ+, and the first Advance
Secti n OOSl dump was eetablished In Cherbourg on 14 July
1944.q Deliveries of coal thrOUghOUt the operation failed
to meet the allocations establishcd by Supreme Headquarters,
dua princi ally to the shortage of production and trans-
portation.f2,13
b. Loce ocuremnt was at times instituted by
the field forces.iipCoal was procurd by requisition from
local Belgian and French mines efter approval of headquarters,
Advanoe Section, or Canmunioations Lone. At times,
when the situation was critical, representhtives from th
armfcs were stationed at the dries to expedite shi ment fo
coal was also prooured from captured snamg stocks.flt12.
0. Considering the entire period of operations on
the continent, a supply of coal was obtained barely adequate
to meet military requirements on drastically reduced standards.
The supply was always critical from D-Day until
April 1945, at H$ioh time small stoo!? piles were eOQUmUlated.
rlequirmasnts for essentfal civill3n use wero at the
minimum standard to sustain communities.
253. T)istribution.
a. Distribution to the using units was made on
the basis of the allowances eateblished by Supreme Head-
quarters, In the Third US Army, hOWtiVBr, It was necessery
to reduce the allowances in ,Tanuary 1945, from four pounds
per man to two pounds, and to request a decrease of1ppercent
in consumption by a?!r&y ana corps headquarters.
During the winter months of 1944-45 lasue of solid fuels
was made by the armies a8 received.20 It was impossible
to accumulate reserve stockpilee in the army areas until
later In 1945 when the weather bocame less severe.12
b. Dump distribution was normally maae either
at army coal dumps, whioh stocked only aolid fuels, or at
army Class IT1 sJppDly pints, which stocked solid futls in
addition to normal supplies. In either case, the dumps
were operated by Quartermaster service oompany personnel.
Using units drew dirsot from the dumps. At other times,
when the Army zone of Operations inoluded the coal mining
district of Germany, ardes sometimes issued direct from
the mines to the using units. martermester serviae coapany
personnel pwformed the administrative work at tho
minee and German ctvilians performed the labor.
254. Conclusions,
SECTION 3
COIJCLUSIONS AND RECOImNDATIOW
a. That for operational use oonl is greatly
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