HY 303 - Warfare and Modern Society

Wayne E. Sirmon, M.A.Ed.History Department

University of South Alabama

The Arsenal of Democracy Logistics During World War Two

The Arsenal of Democracy Logistics During World War Two

Material & design, development, acquisition

Supplies storage, distribution, maintenance, evacuation

Personnel movement, evacuation, hospitalization

Facilities construction, maintenance, operation

Services acquisition, furnishing

Classes of Supply

Combat vs. Support “Tooth to Tail” percentage of Army assigned to service units (excluding Air Corps)

End of WWI 34%1939 11%1941 33%1943 52%1945 53%

Mobile’s War Effort

Mobile’s War Effort

USS Fort Marion (LSD-22) Launched, 22 May 1945, at Gulf Shipbuilding Corp, Chickasaw, AL

293020

1021

MinesweepersC-2 Cargo ShipsLiberty ShipsT-2 TankersLanding Ship Dock

Mobile’s War Effort

293020

1021

MinesweepersC-2 Cargo ShipsLiberty ShipsT-2 TankersLanding Ship Dock

SS J.L.M. Curry (hull #1)Delivered 15 May 1942

11 kts. 9,140 tons of cargo

Military Production Allies USA Germany

Tanks 227,235 88,410 46,857

Artillery 914,682 257,390 159,147

Machineguns 4,744,484 2,679,840 674,280

Trucks 3,060,354 2,382,311 345,914

Aircraft 633,072 324,750 189,307

Crude Oil (millions of tons)

1,043 833 62

Naval Construction

USA UK USSR Italy Japan Germany

Carriers 22 14 - - 16 -

Escort Carriers 141 - - - - -

Battleships 8 5 - 3 2 2

Cruisers 48 32 2 6 9 -

Destroyers 349 240 25 6 63 17

Convoy Escorts 420 413/191* - - - 23

Submarines 422 167 52 28 167 1,337

Merchant (x 1,000 tons)

33,993 6,379 /

6,445**

- 470 4,152 -

* Canada** Canada & Commonwealth

U.S. Ammunition Output

Aircraft Bombs 531,000,000 tons

Depth Charges 529,000

Torpedoes 54,000

Artillery rounds 47,000,000 tons

Small arms rounds 44,000,000,000

Women’s UniformsWhy men should not go shopping

Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps

WAAC- failed to make models for different sizes

- use men’s wear manufacturers

- design flaws: padded shoulders, flat chested, skirts narrow in hips, color of skirts and jackets mis-matched

- low-heeled oxfords, men’s shirts and neckties give an unfeminine appearance

Women’s UniformsWhy men should not go shopping

Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service

WAVES-designed by a well known women’s fashion designer and contracted with women’s fashion industry

- WAVES revolt over hose: CNO impressed with WRNS in black stockings. American women objected to daytime wear

- relented when told that dye was also used to make gunpowder

The Real Purpose of D-Day

Manufacture

Global Delivery

Tactical Supply

The direct military objective of Overlord was neither strategic not tactical, but logistical. The primary objective of the plan read: “To secure a lodgement on the continent from which further offensive operations can be developed.”

Moving supplies to the front

Manufacture

Global Delivery

Tactical Supply

"My men can eat their belts," he [Patton] was overhead telling Ike at a meeting on 2 September, "but my tanks gotta have gas.“

Moving supplies to the front

Red Ball Express

6,000 Trucks

412,000 tons of supplies between Aug 25-Nov 16 1944

3rd Army averaged using 380,000 gallons of gasoline per day.

By Nov. the Red Ball consumed 300,000 gallons/day

Repair or Replace

3rd Armored Division

232 Sherman medium tanks

Gas mileage 1mpg on road .5 mpg cross-country

In 10 months of combat 648 Sherman tanks were totally destroyed.

1,100 need repair (700 combat related)