World War II

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World War II Railway Operating Battalions
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References
http//home.att.net/rwy720th/
http//homepages.tesco.net/martyn.witt/milrly/mil
_rly_hist_e_0.htmtop_of_page
http//www2pb.ip-soft.net/railinfo/car-floats/dday
-landings.html
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Outline

• The USATC in WW II
• The need for the Military Rail Service in WW II
• Rail transport for Operation Overlord and beyond

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The USATC in WW II
Organization
USATC
est July 1942
N. Africa Italy S. France
Middle East
1st MRS
2nd MRS
3rd MRS
Europe
RGD
Railway Grand Division 250-450 miles of rail
ROB
RSB
Railway Shop Battalion
Railway Operating Battalion
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The USATC in WW II
Recruiting
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The need for the MRS
Supply Problems

• Pattons 3rd Army
• required an average of 350,000 gal/day
• The Red Ball Express
• consumed 300,000 gal/day itself
• 28 Aug Pattons fuel allocation falls 100,000
  gal short
• 31 Aug No fuel arrives, Patton grinds to a
  halt
• Increased use of larger caliber artillery adds
  to supply problems

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The need for the MRS
Destroyed Infrastructure
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The need for the MRS
Destroyed Infrastructure
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Operation Overlord
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U.S.-BUILT WORLD WAR I LOCOMOTIVES at the
roundhouse in Cherbourg.
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