SHAEF Logistical Appreciation - 24 Sep 44

[Tom from Cornwall]

Hi,

Hopefully this comes out OK as I thought it might be of some interest:

APPENDIX ‘C’
to PS/SHAEF (44) 38
Final Revise
LOGISTICAL ANALYSIS OF ADVANCE INTO GERMANY

1. Object
To determine the maximum forces that can be supported in advance Eastward into GERMANY in early November.

2. Assumed tactical situation end October

(a) Northern Group
3 Divs on DUTCH – GERMAN frontier.
8 Divs in RUHR area.
3 Divs in BELGIUM.
1 Div in SEINE ports area.

(b) Central Group
9 Divs in RUHR area.
7 Divs in area BONN/MAINZ.
9 Divs in FRANKFURT area.
6 Divs in COTENTIN/BRITTANY area.

3. Hypothesis for examination

(a) Objectives
Northern Group HAMBURG and BERLIN
Central Group HANOVER and BERLIN

(b) Forces
Northern Group 3 divs from HENGELO to HAMBURG
6 divs from RUHR to BERLIN
5 divs remain RUHR

Central Group 6 divs from RUHR to BERLIN
3 divs from RUHR to HANOVER and L of C
in GERMANY
3 divs from area FRANKFURT to BERLIN
6 Divs from FRANKFURT to BRUNSWICK
7 Divs from area RUHR/FRANKFURT

(c) Ports (15 Nov)

Northern Group Central Group
ROTTERDAM 2,500 tons ANTWERP 15,000 tons
ANTWERP 12,000 tons HAVRE 5,000 tons
CAEN 1,500 tons CHERBOURG 10,000 tons
Minor Ports 5,000 tons
MORLAIX/BREST 5,000 tons
Total 16,000 tons Total 40,000 tons

(d) Railheads

Northern Group * MUNSTER 5,000
KREFELD 5,000
BRUSSELS 5,000

/Central...
28 174

- 2 -

Central Group KOLN 6,000
LIEGE 3,000
SAARBRUCKEN 6,000
PARIS 5,000 – coal

* dependent on the capture intact of the railway bridges at NIJMEGEN
and ARNHEM.

4. Truck Requirements

(a) Northern Group

3 Divs at HAMBURG = (480 tons ANTWERP – HAMBURG = 8 Bulk Pet Coys
(1200 tons MUNSTER – HAMBURG = 15 GT Coys
6 Divs at BERLIN = 3360 tons MUNSTER – BERLIN = 45 GT Coys
5 Divs at RUHR = 1000 tons KREFELD = Nil GT Coys
30 Sqns RAF OSNABRUCK/MUNSTER = 300 tons MUNSTER = Nil GT Coys

1 Div in SEINE ports area = Nil
Port clearance, RAF in rear areas, and miscellaneous = 45
Total 125 GT Coys and
8 Pet Coys

(b) Central Group

6 divs at BERLIN = 4020 tons KREFELD – BERLIN = 118 Truck Coys
3 divs at BERLIN = 2010 tons KOLN – BERLIN = 59 Truck Coys
3 divs at HANOVER = 2010 tons KOLN – HANOVER = 31 Truck Coys
3 divs at BRUNSWICK = 2010 tons KOLN – BRUNSWICK = 36 Truck Coys
3 divs at BRUNSWICK = 2010 tons SAARBRUCKEN –
BRUNSWICK = 48 Truck Coys
7 divs at BONN/MAINZ = 1750 tons SAARBRUCKEN –
COBLENZ = 15 Truck Coys
50 Sqns Air Force = 1000 tons SAARBRUCKEN –
FRANKFURT = 10 Truck Coys
Port clearance, air forces in rear areas, and miscellaneous = 105 Truck Coys
Total 422 Truck Coys

(e) Total Requirements

Transport Railheads

Northern Group 125 GT Coys + 8 Pet Coys MUNSTER 4900 tons
KREFELD 5000 tons
Central Group 422 Truck Coys KOLN 6000 tons
SAARBRUCKEN 4800 tons

5. Availability of Trucks

Northern Group 125 GT Coys + 8 Bulk Pet Coys
Central Group 450 Truck Coys

6. Conclusion
Forces can be supported.

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One thing I don't understand is that I've found this in two separate files (WO219/2521 and WO219/260 at the UK National Archives) and the numbers of British GT Coys doesn't add up correctly! Either I'm mad, and not just mad tonight but mad 3 years ago when I first stumbled across this appreciation.

I'll upload the original photo if someone could tell me how to shrink it to a suitable size, as at the moment I'm told the file is too big.

Cheers

Tom

[Delta Tank]

To all,

Be careful when reading this document, there a lot of assumptions in those paragraphs.

Mike

[Tom from Cornwall]

Mike,

I agree about the assumptions, but found it interesting that someone in SHAEF was asking for this appreciation so late in September 1944.

Regards

Tom

[Delta Tank]

Mike,

I agree about the assumptions, but found it interesting that someone in SHAEF was asking for this appreciation so late in September 1944.

Regards

Tom

Tom,

Things to consider, planners . . . plan and staff officer try to anticipate future requirements before the "Boss" asks for them. I hope that makes sense to you, but a staff officer tries to have the answer before the question is asked which is why most officers in planning sections are mad!!! . ( mad as in crazy!)

Mike

[Carl Schwamberger]

Lack of sleep it is. I spent way to many late nights working out plans, that would be obsolete before sunrise. Add in way too much bad coffee....

[Urmel]

To all,

Be careful when reading this document, there a lot of assumptions in those paragraphs.

Mike

One key assumption being that there was a chance for an advance to Berlin in November 1944.

As for "a staff officer tries to have the answer before the question is asked", even though I'm not a staff officer, I can relate to that...

Tom, send me the picture and I post if for you.

[Urmel]

Okay, pictures are quite poor quality, so I just dumped them into my dropbox without altering them. Here you go folks:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bqmyqu718sua ... vozjKsp5ea

Someone let me know if this works please.