The punitive expedition into Mexico in pursuit of Francisco Villa marked the real beginning of the use of motor transportation for the Army, although for many years the motor truck had received some attention for military purposes.
In 1904 a few progressive officers at West Point made preliminary tests of 1½-ton trucks, but these tests, while demonstrating that the truck would doubtless be of value to the Army in the future, were not sufficiently successful to create any particular interest. A few trucks were in use in the Army in 1907, but no systematic tests were made until 1912. At that time officers were seriously studying the motor transportation needs and problems of the Army.
In 1914 the Society of Automobile Engineers, having learned from the experience of European nations then at war that motor transportation is one of the most vital factors in the success of any army, offered its services to our War Department for the purpose of making a complete survey of the automotive industry, in the hope that the interests of the industry and of the Army could be coordinated so that in an extreme emergency the industry might be able to provide the necessary motor equipment for the Army, and that the Army might be able to use such equipment in the most efficient manner.
Pursuant to this offer, on April 28, 1916, the War Department asked the society's cooperation in issuing revised specifications for the purchase of 1½-ton and 3-ton Army trucks. In May of the same year, a committee consisting of the engineers from five companies manufacturing trucks, from five companies assembling trucks, and an engineer from a truck company not making the types of trucks under consideration, was appointed to cooperate with Army officers in making plans to provide our troops with motor vehicles suitable to their needs. On this committee were representatives of the Locomobile Co. of America, the Packard Motor Car Co., the Peerless Motor Car Co., the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co., the Kelly-Springfield Motor Truck Co., the Selden Motor Vehicle Co., the Commercial Truck Co. of America, the White Co., and the General Motors Co. This committee went over the Government specifications for the 1½-ton and 3-ton trucks, which had been proposed by the Army, and after a few changes had been made, the specifications were drawn up for what then seemed to be the ideal trucks for Army use in these two sizes.
Trucks at this time were urgently needed for our forces along the Mexican border and for the punitive expedition entering Mexico. Consequently rush orders for the first large quantities of trucks ever purchased or used by our Army were placed with the White Co., the Packard Motor Car Co., The Garford Motor Truck Co., the Kelly-Springfield Motor Truck Co., the Four Wheel Drive Co., and the Jeffery (Nash) Quad. It was with the trucks of these concerns that our Army officers obtained their first real experience on a big scale with motor transportation. The trucks themselves also received the most severe tests while in service on the border and in Mexico.
Not only did the Army officers secure valuable experience in operating this motor equipment but the manufacturer also took this exceptional opportunity to study motor vehicles in actual operation under Army conditions, and early in 1917 revised specifications for Army trucks were issued as a result of the numerous conferences that had been held between representatives of the War Department and the automobile industry.
In May standard specifications for the so-called class A (1½-ton to 2-ton) and the class B (3-ton to 5-ton) motor trucks were established, showing that the fundamental requirements of motor trucks for the Army were as follows: low-gear reduction, larger engines, 4-speed transmission (with very low first speed), maximum ground clearance, demountable tires of standardized size and specifications, large gasoline tank, electric lighting system, 3-point engine suspension, locking differential, extra quality alloy steel springs, and larger radiators.
After deciding on the requisites of an Army truck, the matter of standardization began to receive definite attention, it being the belief of many of the Army officers that it would be entirely possible and practicable so to standardize Army vehicles that but one type of truck would be sufficient for each size, and it became quite evident if this ideal could be worked out, the maintenance of Army vehicles would be a simple matter. Without some standardization, the providing of the proper stock of spare parts became a problem of extreme difficulty.
In the early summer of 1917 an appropriation of $175,000 was set aside by the Quartermaster Department for the purpose of financing the cost of designing and drawing up specifications for a complete new vehicle, which would become a standardized truck for our military forces. On August 1, 1917, there were assembled in Washington 50 automotive engineers who had been in touch with the truck needs of the Army; and these men, with the help of Army officers, began the task of designing a sample standardized truck, first centering their efforts on the 3-ton size, as this was at that time most urgently needed by the Army. On October 10 of this same yearthe engineers had finished designing the new type of truck and had completed the first two sample trucks of this type, afterwards known as the "Standardized B." These two sample trucks were driven to Washington on October 19, were formally presented to the War Department, tested, and pronounced wholly successful.
Orders for 10,000 of these class B trucks were placed within the next few weeks. Five additional trucks were rushed through the plants as a check on tools and were completed January 10, 1918. In April, actual production having begun on the first 10,000, the purchase of an additional 8,000 was authorized, and orders for them were placed in May. In September, 1918, additional orders were placed for 25,000, but on account of the signing of the armistice no trucks were delivered under this last order.
Production of these standardized class B trucks was directed by the following men, who were called to Washington: Christian Girl, head of the Standard Parts Co., of Cleveland; James F. Bourquin, Continental Motor Co., Louisville, Ky.; Percy W. Tracy, of the Premier Motor Co., Indianapolis; Walter S. Quinlan, of the Maynard H. Murch Co., Cleveland; Guy Morgan, of the Mitchell Motors Corporation, Racine, Wis.; J. G. Utz, of the Standard Parts Co., Cleveland; G. W. Randels, of the Foote-Burt Co., Cleveland; and A. G. Drefs, of the Miller-Franklin Co.
All materials for the building of a standardized truck were mobilized through officials at Washington. In general, it was the idea to have at least three or four sources of supply for each part that went into the standardized truck, and as a result 150 parts manufacturers were given contracts.
During the time in which the Quartermaster Department was attempting to standardize all Army cargo-carrying vehicles, and up to May 15, 1918, the other branches of the Army were buying commercial trucks of different makes for their special uses. The Ordnance Department had concentrated on the Nash and F. W. D. trucks for ammunition and other ordnance work, and had ordered approximately 30,000 of these two types. The Signal Corps had specialized in the light and heavy aviation trucks, these being assembled from known and tried units, such as motors, axles, transmission, etc., and equipped with special apparatus for the Signal Corps. Approximately 4,000 of the light aviation and 4,600 of the heavy aviation trucks were ordered. The Engineer Corps had adopted the Mack 5½-ton truck and had ordered approximately 3,600. The Medical Corps had gone in for the G. M. C. model 16 for ambulances, of which approximately 5,800 had been ordered, and they had also purchased approximately 2,600 Ford ambulances.
These five branches of the Army had purchased trucks of other makes as well, and during the winter of 1917 and 1918 it becameevident that the buying of so many makes and from so many different manufacturers was not a logical solution of the motor transportation problem. Each corps had its own ideas as to the type of truck required, and the sum of these ideas resulted in a decided lack of standardization for the Army as a whole, and no complete standardization for any corps as a unit.
During the first year of operations in France the American Expeditionary Forces had purchased various types of vehicles abroad in order to fill their immediate requirements, and the result was that over 200 different makes of motor vehicles were actually in use by the American Expeditionary Forces. This diversity in types was to some extent caused by lack of shipping space in which to transport motor equipment abroad. Not being able to secure sufficient trucks from the United States, due to shortage of ocean tonnage, the American Expeditionary Forces were compelled to purchase a miscellaneous assortment of foreign-made vehicles, thus complicating the maintenance problem beyond the possibility of a satisfactory solution.
The buying of motor equipment by so many different agencies of the Government was not only confusing to the manufacturer, who was selling to five different corps, but it also precluded any possibility of real standardization; and with a view of eliminating these two evils, Special Order 91, W. D. 1918, and General Order 38, W. D. 1918, were issued. The first created a standardization board and the second consolidated the procurement of all motor vehicles in the Motor Transport Service, which service operated under the direction of the Quartermaster General.
Under the special orders the standardization board was charged with selecting and approving the proper types for the use of the Army, the board being composed of representatives from each of the various corps. In this manner the various ideas of the different corps were coordinated through the discussion of the board, and the final result was that the following chassis were standardized for use:
Passenger cars: light, Ford and Dodge; heavy, Cadillac.
Ambulances: G. M. C. and Ford (with longer wheel base).
Trucks: one-half-ton to ¾-ton, Ford and Dodge (same chassis as in passenger cars); ¾-ton to 1-ton, G. M. C. Model 16; 1½-ton to 2-ton, White; 3-ton to 5-ton, Quartermaster standardized "B."
The 4-wheel-drive TT type, called the "Militor," was also standardized, this being a special truck tractor designed by the Ordnance Department. These latter vehicles were never furnished to the Army, as production had not progressed far enough at the time of the signing of the armistice.
On this limited number of chassis could be mounted any bodies required by the Army. For instance the White ¾-ton to 1-ton chassiscould be used as a passenger car when equipped with pneumatic tires and with the ordnance staff observation or reconnaissance body. The Ford and Dodge chassis could be used either with the regular passenger-car bodies or with light-delivery or light-repair bodies. The G. M. C. chassis could be used either as an ambulance or could be equipped with a light-cargo body, thus providing a ¾-ton to 1-ton truck. The standardized "B" chassis could be used with special machine-shop bodies, special Signal Corps apparatus, or the regular "B" cargo body, etc. The work of the board was painstaking and thorough, and decisions were rendered only after experts had been consulted and exhaustive tests made.
While the board was standardizing on the types of vehicles to be purchased in the future for the Army, the Motor Transport Service was being formed, and by June 1, 1918, the consolidation of procurement, inspection, production, maintenance, etc., was well underway.
The needs of the American Expeditionary Forces for motor equipment were increasing by leaps and bounds, and the Motor Transport Service found that it was impossible to purchase the trucks standardized by the motorization board in sufficient quantities to meet the overseas requirements. It was therefore decided, after the consent of the board had been received, that certain other types of vehicles should be procured to fill the requirements of the Army until such time as production of the standardized truck could be increased. Therefore, the makes of trucks which were already in use in large quantities with the American Expeditionary Forces were temporarily made standard to meet the immediate needs of the Army. It being extremely difficult to purchase sufficient trucks, even of these additional makes, to meet the needs overseas, it was decided that still other makes of trucks would be procured for use in the United States, thus allowing all the makes standardized for overseas use to be shipped to France.
The Motor Transport Service operated from May 15 until August 15, 1918, when the Motor Transport Corps was organized under General Order No. 75. This order created a separate corps under the operations division of the General Staff for the operation as well as the procurement of all passenger and cargo carrying motor equipment for the Army. A few weeks later, however, Supply Circular 87, P., S. & T., was issued, placing the procurement of the above under the Director of Purchase, Storage and Traffic (Motors and Vehicles Division), but the operation and maintenance of vehicles was left with the Motor Transport Corps. From September on these organizations remained unchanged up to and after the signing of the armistice.
The table appended shows the status of the procurement and production of motor-vehicle orders as of November 1, 1918, 11 daysprior to the signing of the armistice. It will be noted that there had been ordered for delivery before July 1, 1919, a total of 185,000 trucks, 23,053 ambulances, and 38,462 passenger cars.
The Army in April, 1917, possessed 3,039 trucks, 437 automobiles, 670 motor cycles, and 12 tractors. One and one-half years later it owned approximately 85,000 trucks, and had the war continued until July 1, 1919, there would have been approximately 185,000 trucks provided for its use by American industry. In addition, this same industry would have provided 30,000 ambulances, 40,000 passenger cars, 70,000 motor cycles, 70,000 bicycles, making a grand total approaching 400,000 vehicles, costing (with spare parts) over $700,000,000.
From the very beginning the Government received the hearty cooperation of the entire industry. The need was urgent, the demand tremendous, and many manufacturers were called upon to sacrifice their own product in order to meet the needs of the Army, and many were on a 100-per-cent war-work basis.
The need of the Army for motorcycles, side cars, and bicycles was so tremendous that for many months during the war practically the entire output of these vehicles of the kinds selected as being most suitable for Army use was taken by the Government.
It was found that the Indian and Harley-Davidson motorcycles were best adapted to meet the necessities of the Expeditionary Forces in France, and these types were standardized for overseas shipment. Orders for a total of 39,070 Indian motorcycles were placed with the manufacturers at Springfield, Mass., and before the end of 1918, 18,081 of these had been delivered. From the Harley-Davidson manufacturers at Milwaukee, Wis., the Government received 14,666 machines of the total of 26,487 ordered before the end of 1918. In addition to the Harley-Davidson and Indian machines, 1,526 Cleveland motorcycles, made in Cleveland, Ohio, were contracted for, and 1,476 delivered previous to 1919.
Side-car equipment for the Indian and Harley-Davidson machines was bought in almost as great quantities as the motorcycles themselves. In fact, the demand for motorcycles and side cars from these two concerns was so great that they were working at 100-per-cent capacity for the Government before the summer of 1918.
The needs of the Army for machines increased so steadily and the requirements were so vast that both the Indian and Harley-Davidson concerns had made large additions to their plants for meeting the Government needs at the time the armistice was signed.
A standard military type of bicycle was turned out for the Army by the Westfield Manufacturing Co., at Westfield, Mass., and other bicycles were ordered from the Great Western Manufacturing Co., at Laporte, Ind., and the Davis Sewing Machine Co., at Dayton, Ohio.
It was early realized by Army officers upon our entry in the war that procurement of horse-drawn vehicles for the Army would require mobilization of practically the entire wagon-making industry of the Nation. Consequently one of the first steps taken to provide the Army with the necessary vehicles of this type was to call into conference representatives of the four largest manufacturing companies in the industry.
R. V. Board, of the Kentucky Wagon Co.; A. B. Thielens, of the Studebaker Corporation of America; E. E. Parsonage, of the John Deere Wagon Co.; and R. W. Lea, of the Moline Plow Co., were named members of an advisory committee to assist the Army in the procurement of vehicles.
Our first requisition called for the manufacture of 34,000 escort wagons. This order, with the necessary spare parts for these vehicles meant the building of the equivalent of about 50,000 wagons.
At the beginning of the war the manufacture of vehicles from kiln-dried lumber was almost unknown, as there had always been a sufficient amount of air-dried lumber on hand to meet every demand for farm-wagon construction. Our first order, however, practically used up all of the air-dried lumber then in existence in the country. In order that dry lumber could be obtained in sufficient quantities to keep up with the demands for Army vehicles, the War Department entered into an arrangement by which dry-kilns were built by contractors with the Government defraying half of the cost, the wagon manufacturer being reimbursed at the rate of $10 for each wagon produced, or on a basis of $10 for each $185 worth of spare parts fabricated.
Despite the fact that ordinarily six months were required even with kiln-drying before a log was ready for fabrication into a vehicle, all orders for the War Department were filled on time and in accordance with the plans outlined. To make this possible every manufacturer of the industry capable of turning out the class of vehicles desired did his part and did it so well that up to the signing of the armistice approximately 110,000 horse-drawn or hand-drawn vehicles had been delivered, of the total of 185,727 for which contracts had been placed.
Escort wagons formed the large bulk of the requirements at the start, but as the war progressed, the necessity was created for different designs of vehicles. So from time to time there were designed drinking-water carts and wagons, medical and ration carts, combat wagons, veterinary ambulances, sprinkling wagons, and various other types to meet special needs.
In the early spring of 1918 it was found that the wagon industry had about reached its limit so far as output was concerned, and that, if the war continued another year, new sources of supply would have to be developed. Then it was that the furniture industry was called upon to produce spare parts for vehicles. Under the presidency of P. B. Schravesande, president of the Grand Rapids School Equipment Co., the Furniture and Fixture and Light-wood Industry War Service Committee was organized to cooperate in arranging to have furniture makers enter the field of manufacture of spare parts.
It was arranged that the furniture manufacturers were to produce 75 per cent of the spare parts then requisitioned, totaling in value about $8,000,000. While the furniture industry was preparing its plants for the manufacture of these parts, the wagon industry continued to manufacture 25 per cent of the required parts in order to keep up a satisfactory flow.
When the armistice was signed practically all the furniture manufacturers had prepared to fill the spare-parts orders, but none of them had reached quantity production.
Automobile-wheel manufacturers were induced to turn out the immense quantity of wheels needed for escort wagons.
There were in all about 250 manufacturers of wagons, wagon parts, and wheels. Among the prominent wagon companies engaged in this work were: Bain Wagon Co., Oshkosh, Wis.; Columbia Wagon Co., Columbia, Pa.; Deere & Co., Moline, Ill.; Emerson-Brantingham Co., Rockford, Ill.; Florence Wagon Co., Florence, Ala.; Hackney Wagon Co., Wilson, N. C.; International Harvester Co., Memphis, Tenn.; Moline Plow Co., Moline, Ill; Mogul Wagon Co., Hoskinsville, Ky.; Owensboro Wagon Co., Owensboro, Ky.; Pekin Wagon Co., Pekin, Ill.; Peter Schuttler Co., Chicago, Ill.; Springfield Wagon Co., Springfield, Mo.; Stoughton Wagon Co., Stoughton, Wis.; A. Streich & Bros. Co., Oshkosh, Wis.; Thornhill Wagon Co., Lynchburg, Va.; Tiffin Wagon Co., Tiffin, Ohio; Eagle Wagon Works, Auburn, N. Y.; A. A. Cooper Wagon & Buggy Co., Dubuque, Iowa; Winona Wagon Co., Winona, Minn.; White Hickory Wagon Co., Atlanta, Ga.; Kentucky Wagon Co., Louisville, Ky.; Studebaker Corporation, South Bend, Ind.; American Car & Foundry Co., Jeffersonville, Ind.
Among the leading automobile-wheel manufacturers who were given contracts for escort-wagon wheels were the following: Mutual Wheel Co., Moline, Ill.; Roger Wheel Co., Aurora, Ind.; Crane & McMahon (Inc.), St. Marys, Ohio; Hayes Wheel Co., Jackson, Mich.; Imperial Wheel Co., Flint, Mich.; Kelsey Wheel Co., Detroit, Mich.; Binnel Spoke & Auto Wheel Co., Portland, Ind.; Archibald WheelCo., Lawrence, Mass.; Chattanooga Wagon Co., Chattanooga, Tenn.; Hoopes Bros. & Dalington (Inc.), Westchester, Pa.; Prudden Wheel Co., Lansing, Mich.; Standard Wheel Co., Terre Haute, Ind.; Avoca Wheel Co., Avoca, N. Y.; New Wapakoneta Wheel Co., Wapakoneta, Ohio; Piedmont Wagon Co., Hickory, N. C.
Furniture factories that assumed contracts for making spare parts for horse-drawn vehicles included about 30 furniture manufacturers of Rockford, Ill., as well as the following: Grand Rapids School Equipment Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; Sherman Bros. Co., Jamestown, N. Y.; Ramsey-Alton Manufacturing Co., Portland, Mich.; Connersville Furniture Co., Connersville, Ind.; P. Derby & Co., Gardner, Mass.; Ebert Furniture Co., Red Lion, Pa.; S. Karpen & Bros., Chicago, Ill.; Chas. T. Lambert & Co., Holland, Mich.; The Macey Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; Thos. Madden Son & Co., Indianapolis, Ind.; Sidney Manufacturing Co., Sidney, Ohio; Basic Furniture Co., Waynesboro, Va.; Brecht Co., St. Louis, Mo.
The following table shows the principal items listed under commercial vehicles, with the total number ordered, value of the order, and the total number delivered up to November 11, 1918: