Weekly Summary No. 1
Title
Weekly Summary No. 1
Creator
United States. War Department. General staff
Identifier
WWP25054
Date
1918 May 25
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
World War, 1914-1918--United States
World War, 1914-1918--Statistics
Contributor
Danna Faulds
Relation
WWI1025
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
WEEKLY SUMMARY
WAR DEPARTMENT
Page
Ordnance………….. 1
Quartermaster……. 1
Signal……………… 2
Engineer…………... 3
Medical…………… 3
Personnel………… 4
Ships……………… 4
Raw Materials…… 5
No. 1 Statistics Branch
May 25, 1918 General Staff
ORDNANCE
Mobile Artillery
Guns secured from the French and English will be largely relied on to equip the first 1,000,000 men. Fifteen 10” seacoast guns, six 12” mortars, and two 6” seacoast guns have been shipped from this side. Twenty-four 8” howitzers will be shipped overseas before June 1. The 18 pounder model of the 75 mm. gun is getting into production, 134 guns having been completed to May 11.
Artillery Ammunition
The French and British will supply ammunition needs for the present. We have shipped large quantities of 75 mm. shrapnel recently. The most pressing need is for 155 mm. gun high explosive and gas shell which cannot be supplied in quantity before early fall.
Machine Guns
The standard American guns will be the Browning heavy machine gun and the Browning automatic rifle. Production has begun on the heavy gun at a rate in excess of 1,000 per month or enough to equip more than 200,000 troops. The machine rifle is coming forward somewhat more slowly. Troops sailing in June will be equipped with Browning machine guns. The troops in France are now fully equipped with Vickers guns made here, the Hotchkiss French gun, and the Chauchat machine rifle.
Small Arms
Production of the Enfield rifle is sufficient to meet all needs and production on the Springfield has been slowed down. Pistol production is behind but new facilities are being created.
Small Arms Ammunition
Production is adequate for use. Reserves are not yet large.
Trench Warfare
Trench warfare materials are being largely secured abroad. Production here is well started.
Explosives
Powder and explosives are ahead of requirements but there will be a shortage of powder when shell production starts in quantity.
QUARTERMASTER
Clothing
There are 20 principle articles of clothing, in all of which deliveries are in excess of present requirements. There is some shortage threatened in cotton clothing, but production is increasing. Recent changes in specifications for wool clothing and shoes have improved the quality; and producing capacity appears fully adequate.
Tents
Deliveries of shelter tents vary from 100,000 to 150,000 per week, while those for pyramidal tents are from 6,000 to 7,000 per week, and are in excess of requirements.
Gasoline and Kerosene
Overseas shipments of gasoline are proceeding at the rate of 350,000 gallons per day, and will shortly meet all requirements. Shipments of kerosene have for the present been suspended by General Pershing.
Horses and Mules
General Pershing has succeeded in purchasing abroad all the horses and mules required for the present, and shipments have been suspended. Animal ships are being used as cargo carriers. Purchases of horses and mules in this country have practically ceased.
SIGNAL
Combat Airplanes
Two types of combat airplanes are in production, -- the De Haviland 4 and the Bristol Fighter. Deliveries of De Haviland 4’s began with 11 in February and continued at approximately the same rate until May. From May 1 to May 18 the production rose to 75, or more than four times the record for the entire month of April. One hundred and seven De Haviland 4’s have been produced to date; 21 have been shipped overseas; and 64 are at ports or in transit.
The first Bristol Fighter was delivered in April, and six more were delivered to May 18. None has been shipped overseas.
Combat Engines -- Liberty Motors -- Production to May 18
To Feb. Feb. March April May1-18 Total
Army type 0 50 72 209 230 561
Navy type 46 25 71 148 190 480
Total 46 75 143 357 420 1041
To May 18 there were shipped overseas 31 Liberty motors for the American Expeditionary Force, and 165 for foreign governments. On May 18 there were 99 at or in transit to ports.
Primary and Advanced Training Airplanes
The supply of primary training airplanes is ample for present needs. There is a serious shortage of advanced training airplanes.
ENGINEER
General Engineer Materials
These are mainly such as would be used by a large contracting firm, and the capacity of the country is adequate to meet all demands. Shortages in France are not serious, and such as exist result from limits of shipping facilities rather than from shortage of materials.
Military Railways
Material is being sent in large amounts and existing shortages result from lack of shipping facilities. Steamers which previously brought iron ore from Cuba are being used to transport fully assembled locomotives which are put to work immediately on arrival in France. Thirty-four are carried in each load, and the space around them effectively utilized for other cargo. Much railway material is at our ports awaiting shipment.
MEDICAL
Medical supplies fall into five main classes, in all of which the procurement programs are progressing well. It is clear that resources can be developed that will be adequate for an army largely in excess of the present numbers.
Bedding and Garments
In this group of hospital supplies, blankets and sheets have been secured in excess of requirements, while deliveries of mattresses, pillows, and pajamas are well up.
Surgical Dressings
No serious deficiencies are expected. There is at present a considerable shortage in gauze, but this is being rapidly made up.
Surgical Instruments
Deliveries are in excess of requirements for most kinds. There is some shortage of general operating sets.
Among items not falling strictly within the foregoing classifications, there are serious shortages in rubber gloves, rubber sheets, and surgical needles.
Ambulances
These are of substantially uniform type with General Motors chassis. Requirements to date are 3600, and there are 2900 on hand, which are in reality adequate to meet present needs.
Gas Masks
Production is rapidly increasing. Troops abroad are provided in part with British masks and in part with our own. It is expected that production will soon be adequate to supply masks to England and France besides meeting our own needs. At the present rate of increase, production will soon reach 145,000 per week.
Medicines
Some medicines are being procured abroad. There is an ample supply of practically every kind.
PERSONNEL
Forces and Resources
There are now under arms 1,920,000 American soldiers. One-third of this force has been embarked for the western front. One-sixth are men not yet fully trained or organized into units. The remaining one-half are to a large extent organized and trained. Divisional organizations account for 400,000 of the troops remaining in this country. Detached infantry, cavalry, and artillery units number 143,000 men and supply and special troops, such as engineer and aviation units, are another 400,000. The May draft of 317,000 men will bring the total forces over the 2,200,000 mark. All divisional units can be filled to authorized strength and new divisions will be formed.
Embarkation
About 190,000 troops have been embarked during the month of May, and it is anticipated that the figure will reach 225,000 before the end of the month. With a June embarkation of 200,000, the forces overseas will reach the 1,000,000 mark before the end of July. Of the 488,000 men landed overseas by May 10, 62 per cent were combat troops. There were serving and in training with the British 45,000 and with the French 20,000. By May 16 more than 500,000 men had reached the other side.
SHIPS
Transport Operation
Thousands of men and thousand of tons of cargo sent each month
Men Cargo
1917
June 8 16
July 15 12
August 18 19
September 33 53
October 45 115
November 23 78
December 48 179
1918
January 44 122
February 48 228
March 84 289
April 117 373
May 225* 400*
*Estimated
In October and November the turnaround of troop ships averaged 60 days and it has now been reduced to 36 days. That of cargo ships was 106 days and now is 65 days.
Per Capita Data
Fifty pounds of cargo per man per day is taken as a basis for computing tonnage requirements. To the first of May 49 pounds of cargo have been shipped for each day that each American soldier has been in France. This means that 2 ½ tons of cargo shipping must be in continuous operation for each soldier maintained abroad. A 10,000 ton cargo ship will maintain 4,000 men. The Army now has in operation 1,421,000 tons of cargo shipping, or enough to support 568,400 men. Few more ships can be taken from our merchant fleet.
Shipbuilding
The cargo, collier, and passenger ships completed and accepted by the Emergency Fleet Corporation in the first four months of 1918 amounted to 407,000 deadweight tons. If this were all cargo tonnage, and all permanently allotted to army use, it would support 162,800 men abroad.
It is computed that in the month of May construction of new ships by Allied and neutral nations reached a rate which will from now on be in excess of destruction by submarines and marine risk.
RAW MATERIALS
Critical Raw Materials Few
Of raw materials so defined, a very few only need be regarded as factors limiting the size of the Army we can place in France in the sense that we are limited by lack of ships or artillery or airplanes. Nitrates, platinum, and the coal by-products, -- all used in explosives, -- must be watched with unceasing vigilance. To this class of potential limiting factors might possibly also be added manganese ore for the steel trade.
Shortage of Other Raw Materials
This may cause inconvenience or even hardship to the civilian population but need not limit the number of troops which can be raised and dispatched to France. There is a shortage of wool and of leather, of tin and of copper, of quebracho and of walnut, and yet the military program cannot be said to hang upon any one of these materials. Given intelligent administration, the raw materials required to equip ever-increasing armies can be called into being as fast as the new plants can be built in which the materials will be fabricated. It is lack of factories rather than lack of materials which delays equipping the army. Indeed, so large are supplies in comparison with military necessities that imports of many raw materials might be restricted more than has yet been proposed.
WAR DEPARTMENT
Page
Ordnance………….. 1
Quartermaster……. 1
Signal……………… 2
Engineer…………... 3
Medical…………… 3
Personnel………… 4
Ships……………… 4
Raw Materials…… 5
No. 1 Statistics Branch
May 25, 1918 General Staff
ORDNANCE
Mobile Artillery
Guns secured from the French and English will be largely relied on to equip the first 1,000,000 men. Fifteen 10” seacoast guns, six 12” mortars, and two 6” seacoast guns have been shipped from this side. Twenty-four 8” howitzers will be shipped overseas before June 1. The 18 pounder model of the 75 mm. gun is getting into production, 134 guns having been completed to May 11.
Artillery Ammunition
The French and British will supply ammunition needs for the present. We have shipped large quantities of 75 mm. shrapnel recently. The most pressing need is for 155 mm. gun high explosive and gas shell which cannot be supplied in quantity before early fall.
Machine Guns
The standard American guns will be the Browning heavy machine gun and the Browning automatic rifle. Production has begun on the heavy gun at a rate in excess of 1,000 per month or enough to equip more than 200,000 troops. The machine rifle is coming forward somewhat more slowly. Troops sailing in June will be equipped with Browning machine guns. The troops in France are now fully equipped with Vickers guns made here, the Hotchkiss French gun, and the Chauchat machine rifle.
Small Arms
Production of the Enfield rifle is sufficient to meet all needs and production on the Springfield has been slowed down. Pistol production is behind but new facilities are being created.
Small Arms Ammunition
Production is adequate for use. Reserves are not yet large.
Trench Warfare
Trench warfare materials are being largely secured abroad. Production here is well started.
Explosives
Powder and explosives are ahead of requirements but there will be a shortage of powder when shell production starts in quantity.
QUARTERMASTER
Clothing
There are 20 principle articles of clothing, in all of which deliveries are in excess of present requirements. There is some shortage threatened in cotton clothing, but production is increasing. Recent changes in specifications for wool clothing and shoes have improved the quality; and producing capacity appears fully adequate.
Tents
Deliveries of shelter tents vary from 100,000 to 150,000 per week, while those for pyramidal tents are from 6,000 to 7,000 per week, and are in excess of requirements.
Gasoline and Kerosene
Overseas shipments of gasoline are proceeding at the rate of 350,000 gallons per day, and will shortly meet all requirements. Shipments of kerosene have for the present been suspended by General Pershing.
Horses and Mules
General Pershing has succeeded in purchasing abroad all the horses and mules required for the present, and shipments have been suspended. Animal ships are being used as cargo carriers. Purchases of horses and mules in this country have practically ceased.
SIGNAL
Combat Airplanes
Two types of combat airplanes are in production, -- the De Haviland 4 and the Bristol Fighter. Deliveries of De Haviland 4’s began with 11 in February and continued at approximately the same rate until May. From May 1 to May 18 the production rose to 75, or more than four times the record for the entire month of April. One hundred and seven De Haviland 4’s have been produced to date; 21 have been shipped overseas; and 64 are at ports or in transit.
The first Bristol Fighter was delivered in April, and six more were delivered to May 18. None has been shipped overseas.
Combat Engines -- Liberty Motors -- Production to May 18
To Feb. Feb. March April May1-18 Total
Army type 0 50 72 209 230 561
Navy type 46 25 71 148 190 480
Total 46 75 143 357 420 1041
To May 18 there were shipped overseas 31 Liberty motors for the American Expeditionary Force, and 165 for foreign governments. On May 18 there were 99 at or in transit to ports.
Primary and Advanced Training Airplanes
The supply of primary training airplanes is ample for present needs. There is a serious shortage of advanced training airplanes.
ENGINEER
General Engineer Materials
These are mainly such as would be used by a large contracting firm, and the capacity of the country is adequate to meet all demands. Shortages in France are not serious, and such as exist result from limits of shipping facilities rather than from shortage of materials.
Military Railways
Material is being sent in large amounts and existing shortages result from lack of shipping facilities. Steamers which previously brought iron ore from Cuba are being used to transport fully assembled locomotives which are put to work immediately on arrival in France. Thirty-four are carried in each load, and the space around them effectively utilized for other cargo. Much railway material is at our ports awaiting shipment.
MEDICAL
Medical supplies fall into five main classes, in all of which the procurement programs are progressing well. It is clear that resources can be developed that will be adequate for an army largely in excess of the present numbers.
Bedding and Garments
In this group of hospital supplies, blankets and sheets have been secured in excess of requirements, while deliveries of mattresses, pillows, and pajamas are well up.
Surgical Dressings
No serious deficiencies are expected. There is at present a considerable shortage in gauze, but this is being rapidly made up.
Surgical Instruments
Deliveries are in excess of requirements for most kinds. There is some shortage of general operating sets.
Among items not falling strictly within the foregoing classifications, there are serious shortages in rubber gloves, rubber sheets, and surgical needles.
Ambulances
These are of substantially uniform type with General Motors chassis. Requirements to date are 3600, and there are 2900 on hand, which are in reality adequate to meet present needs.
Gas Masks
Production is rapidly increasing. Troops abroad are provided in part with British masks and in part with our own. It is expected that production will soon be adequate to supply masks to England and France besides meeting our own needs. At the present rate of increase, production will soon reach 145,000 per week.
Medicines
Some medicines are being procured abroad. There is an ample supply of practically every kind.
PERSONNEL
Forces and Resources
There are now under arms 1,920,000 American soldiers. One-third of this force has been embarked for the western front. One-sixth are men not yet fully trained or organized into units. The remaining one-half are to a large extent organized and trained. Divisional organizations account for 400,000 of the troops remaining in this country. Detached infantry, cavalry, and artillery units number 143,000 men and supply and special troops, such as engineer and aviation units, are another 400,000. The May draft of 317,000 men will bring the total forces over the 2,200,000 mark. All divisional units can be filled to authorized strength and new divisions will be formed.
Embarkation
About 190,000 troops have been embarked during the month of May, and it is anticipated that the figure will reach 225,000 before the end of the month. With a June embarkation of 200,000, the forces overseas will reach the 1,000,000 mark before the end of July. Of the 488,000 men landed overseas by May 10, 62 per cent were combat troops. There were serving and in training with the British 45,000 and with the French 20,000. By May 16 more than 500,000 men had reached the other side.
SHIPS
Transport Operation
Thousands of men and thousand of tons of cargo sent each month
Men Cargo
1917
June 8 16
July 15 12
August 18 19
September 33 53
October 45 115
November 23 78
December 48 179
1918
January 44 122
February 48 228
March 84 289
April 117 373
May 225* 400*
*Estimated
In October and November the turnaround of troop ships averaged 60 days and it has now been reduced to 36 days. That of cargo ships was 106 days and now is 65 days.
Per Capita Data
Fifty pounds of cargo per man per day is taken as a basis for computing tonnage requirements. To the first of May 49 pounds of cargo have been shipped for each day that each American soldier has been in France. This means that 2 ½ tons of cargo shipping must be in continuous operation for each soldier maintained abroad. A 10,000 ton cargo ship will maintain 4,000 men. The Army now has in operation 1,421,000 tons of cargo shipping, or enough to support 568,400 men. Few more ships can be taken from our merchant fleet.
Shipbuilding
The cargo, collier, and passenger ships completed and accepted by the Emergency Fleet Corporation in the first four months of 1918 amounted to 407,000 deadweight tons. If this were all cargo tonnage, and all permanently allotted to army use, it would support 162,800 men abroad.
It is computed that in the month of May construction of new ships by Allied and neutral nations reached a rate which will from now on be in excess of destruction by submarines and marine risk.
RAW MATERIALS
Critical Raw Materials Few
Of raw materials so defined, a very few only need be regarded as factors limiting the size of the Army we can place in France in the sense that we are limited by lack of ships or artillery or airplanes. Nitrates, platinum, and the coal by-products, -- all used in explosives, -- must be watched with unceasing vigilance. To this class of potential limiting factors might possibly also be added manganese ore for the steel trade.
Shortage of Other Raw Materials
This may cause inconvenience or even hardship to the civilian population but need not limit the number of troops which can be raised and dispatched to France. There is a shortage of wool and of leather, of tin and of copper, of quebracho and of walnut, and yet the military program cannot be said to hang upon any one of these materials. Given intelligent administration, the raw materials required to equip ever-increasing armies can be called into being as fast as the new plants can be built in which the materials will be fabricated. It is lack of factories rather than lack of materials which delays equipping the army. Indeed, so large are supplies in comparison with military necessities that imports of many raw materials might be restricted more than has yet been proposed.
Original Format
Report
Files
Collection
Citation
United States. War Department. General staff, “Weekly Summary No. 1,” 1918 May 25, WWP25054, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.