This book is included in the Self Reliance Self Defense section.
Foreword The conflict with the Axis Powers confronted the United States Army with problems on a scale never faced before— problems as great in administration, training, supply, and logistics as in strategy and tactics. The United States Army in World War II sets forth in detail the nature of the problems faced, the methods used to solve them, and the mistakes made as well as the success achieved. The object is to provide a work of reference for military and civilian students as well as a record of achievements which deserve an honorable place in the pages of history. Its value to the thoughtful citizen as an aid to his comprehension of basic problems of national security has been a major consideration. Its preparation has also been prompted by the thought that in a faithful and comprehensive record all who participated in the Army's vast effort would find a recognition merited by their service and sacrifice. The advantage to the Army and the scholar has been the decisive factor in proceeding with the least possible delay to the publication of such a series. No claim is made that it constitutes a final history. Many years will pass before the record of the war can be fully analyzed and appraised. In presenting an organized and documented narrative at this time, the Historical Division of the War Department has sought to furnish the War Department and the Army schools an early account of the experience acquired, and to stimulate further research by providing scholars with a guide to the mountainous accumulation of records produced by the war. The decision to prepare a comprehensive account of military activities was made early in the war. Trained historians were assigned to the larger units of the Army and War Department to initiate the work of research, analysis, and writing. The results of their work, supplemented by additional research in records not readily available during the war, are presented in this series. The general plan provides for a division into subseries dealing with the War Department, the Army Air, Ground, and Service Forces, the technical services, and the theaters of operations. This division conforms to the organization of the Army during World War II and, though involving some overlapping in subject matter, has the advantage of presenting a systematic account of developments in each major field of responsibility as well as the points of view of the particular commands. The plan also includes volumes on such topics as statistics, order of battle, military training, the Women's Army Corps, and other subjects that transcend the limits of studies focused on an agency or command. The whole project is oriented toward and eventual summary and synthesis. The studies in this volume were written during the war in the Historical Section of Headquarters, Army Ground Forces, where the authors had free access to the records and experience of the command. The Historical Division of the War Department has confined material changes to such additions of information, approved by the authors, as seemed necessary to round out the picture presented. The full and frank presentation of the wartime point of view of the Army Ground Forces, which has not been affected by the changes made, is regarded as one of the most valuable features of this particular series of studies. E. FORREST HARDING Major General, U.S.A. Chief, Historical Division War Department Special Staff Washington, D. C.; 1 July 1946 Preface The series of historical studies of the Army Ground Forces, 1942-45, of which the present volume is the first to be published, was prepared during the course of the war or immediately thereafter on the responsibility of the Commanding General, Army Ground Forces. The headquarters studies in the series were written by professional historians, of whom three were officers of the Army of the United States and one a civilian. These historians were members of a historical office of Headquarters, Army Ground Forces, at first a part of the G-2 Section, but on 25 June 1943 organized as a separate Historical Section. Histories of subordinate commands were prepared under the supervision of this Section by a historical officer in each command, who, except in the Second Army, acted as such in addition to other duties. The studies were designed primarily for the use of the Army and were planned to be completed by the time the Army Ground Forces had discharged its war mission or shortly thereafter. Their object is to state not only what was done, but also why and how the actions recorded were taken and what lessons were learned. The judgments expressed are those of the officers concerned, not those of the historical officers. The function conceived as proper for the historical officers was to find and state the facts which seemed to have a bearing on the major problems that faced the Army Ground Forces, in the belief that in this context of facts the decisions of its commanders and the consequences of these decisions could be best understood. In general, effort was concentrated on doing what could probably not be done as well, if at all, after the war. Concretely, this meant exploiting the advantage of access to the records while these were being made, and of access to the officers of the command while the problems they faced and the solutions proposed were in the foreground of their thought and interest. The subjects chosen for intensive study comprised the major activities of the Army Ground Forces and the major problems which it faced in organizing, equipping, and training the ground forces for combat. Inevitably this choice made the survey primarily a history of high command and not of tactical units. The present volume consists of six studies dealing with basic organizational problems of the ground forces. The first study concerns the antecedents of the Army Ground Forces, during the years 1940-42, as represented by General Headquarters, U. S. Army, from which the Army Ground Forces and its policies in respect to the organization and training of the ground troops developed. Given the limited objective inherent in the mission of the authors as members of the Historical Section, Army Ground Forces, the study of General Headquarters is not an exhaustive treatise on that organization, but emphasizes its exercise of those functions and activities which were later assumed by the Army Ground Forces. Nevertheless, such subjects as the activities of GHQ in planning and directing operations and the steps involving GHQ which led to the reorganization of the Army high command in March 1942 are included, not only to round out the picture, but also to contribute to the understanding of larger questions the information found in the records of GHQ. The next four studies in this volume give an account of the principal problems and decisions of the Army Ground Forces regarding the size, internal organization, and armament of the ground troops deployed in World War II. The last study explains the part played by the Army Ground Forces in the redeployment and reorganization of the ground forces for the final assault against Japan. The point of view represented in the studies is that of General Headquarters and of the Army Ground Forces, and only their decisions are fully documented. In general, research was carried beyond the records of these two organizations only so far as seemed necessary to explain their views and decisions. No effort was made to explore facts not known to them at the time when action was recommended or taken. It is recognized that a knowledge of other facts and circumstances is necessary for a balanced judgment of their recommendations and decisions, a knowledge which will be attainable only when the history of the war, and of the part played by the War Department and the U. S. Army in winning it, has been written. The study of General Headquarters was written by the undersigned and by Dr. Robert R. Palmer, now Professor of History in Princeton University. In its preparation helpful, in some instances invaluable, information or criticism was obtained from Maj. Gen. H. J. Malony, Maj. Gen. C. L. Bolte, Maj. Gen. C. L. Hyssong, Maj. Gen. F. A. Keating, Maj. Gen. A. R. Boiling, Maj. Gen. F. L. Parks, Maj. Gen. W. F. Dean, Brig. Gen. J. M. Lentz, Brig. Gen. P. McD. Robinett, Brig. Gen. W. G. Walker, Brig. Gen. J. S. Winn, Jr., Brig. Gen. R. F. Ennis, Col. J. W. Wurts, Lt. Col. George Seleno, and Maj. K. W. Hechler. The second, third, fourth, and fifth studies of this volume were prepared by Dr. Palmer, and the sixth study by Maj. Bell I. Wiley, now Professor of History in Louisiana State University. All were prepared with the advice and collaboration of officers of the Army Ground Forces. Materials obtained from records and interviews in Washington were supplemented by observations in the field. The officers consulted furnished in many cases oral information on points not fully covered in the records. Special acknowledgment is due the officers of the Mobilization Division of the G-1 Section and the Organization Division of the Requirements Section for their collaboration in connection with this volume. Mrs. Ida M. Elmquist, Administrative Assistant to the Chief of the Organization Division, gave most helpful assistance in finding necessary data in the files of that Division. The following officers gave particularly valuable information on one or more of the studies: Maj. Gen. J. G. Christiansen, Chief of Staff, Army Ground Forces; Col. H. T. Todd, Chief, and Lt. Col. W. W. Johnson, Lt. Col. J. W. H. Lusby, Lt. Col. W. G. Bartlett, and Lt. Col. J. M. Cummins, Jr., members of the Mobilization Division, G-3 Section; Col. L. H. Frasier, Chief of the Organization Division, Requirements Section, and Col. J. S. Sauer, his Executive Officer; Lt. Col. John Lemp and Lt. Col. Forsyth Bacon, Special Projects Division, G-3; Brig. Gen. A. W. Waldron, Chief of the Requirements Section; Brig. Gen. A. D. Warnock, Assistant Division Commander, 5th Infantry Division; Col. S. L. Weld, Mobilization Division, G-3 Section; Col. A. L. Harding, Operations Branch, G-3 Section; Col. L. H. Schrader, G-3 Section, Col. P. J. Kopcsak, Personal Affairs Division, G-i Section; Col. W. M. Breckinridge, Commanding Officer, l0th Regiment, 5th Infantry Division; Lt. Col. M. F. Brennan, Training Division, G-3 Section; Lt. Col. J. A. Hanson, Task Force Division, G-4 Section; Lt. Col. G. T. Petersen, Ordnance Section; Lt. Col. J. U. Parker, Control Division, G-3 Section; Lt. Col. M. L. Rosen, Assistant Ground Liaison Officer, New York Port of Embarkation. The photographs included in the volume were taken by the U. S. Army Signal Corps, except that opposite page 42, which was kindly furnished by Representative Thomas E. Martin. At the end of the volume, certain aids to the reader have been added: a glossary covering numerous abbreviations appearing in the text; a footnote guide explaining the system of documentation employed; and a bibliographical note to guide future students of the problems treated in the studies through the archival materials which have been used. For the benefit of the general reader it may be stated that "G-1," "G-2," "G-3," and "G-4" have been used to designate staff sections as follows: G-1, personnel; G-2, intelligence; G-3, operations cmd training; and G-4, supply. KENT ROBERTS GREENFIELD Lieutenant Colonel, Infantry Chief, Historical Section Headquarters, Army Ground Forces Washington, D. C.; 1 April 1946 Contents
ORIGINS OF THE ARMY GROUND FORCES: GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY, 1940-42 GROUND FORCES IN THE ARMY, DECEMBER 1941-APRIL 1945: A STATISTICAL STUDY MOBILIZATION OF THE GROUND ARMY REORGANIZATION OF GROUND TROOPS FOR COMBAT ORGANIZATION AND TRAINING OF NEW GROUND COMBAT ELEMENTS REORGANIZING FOR REDEPLOYMENT Glossary of Abbreviations Guide to Footnotes Bibliographical Note Index End of Preview.
RETURN to Main Titles Index or Self Reliance Self Defense
Please Read The Website Disclaimer!
Copyright 1986-2012, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All
Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572