Weekly Summary No. 10
Title
Weekly Summary No. 10
Creator
United States. War Department. General staff
Identifier
WWP25078
Date
1918 July 30
Description
Secret report on the wartime strength of the United States.
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
World War, 1914-1918--Chile
Contributor
Danna Faulds
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
Secret
WEEKLY SUMMARY
Page
Ordnance ……………………. 1
Quartermaster ………………. 2
Aircraft ……………………….. 2
Engineer ……………………... 3
Chemical Warfare …………… 3
Medical ……………………….. 3
Ships ………………………….. 3
Raw Materials ………………... 3
Personnel ……………………… 4
No. 10 Statistics Branch
July 30, 1918 General Staff
ORDNANCE
Anti-Aircraft Artillery
First 3” A.A. guns accepted during week ended July 13. First mounts for these are expected before the close of this month.
Divisional Artillery
75 mm. Guns -- Production of American model and British model continues at about usual rate. American model carriage has been approved after tests in France. Forty have been produced to date.
155 mm. howitzers -- A record production of 36 guns was made during week ended July 13. First carriages are expected before close of this month.
Heavy Artillery
First 155 mm. gun of American manufacture accepted during week July 6-13. First carriage of this caliber expected next month.
Artillery Ammunition
Manufacturing difficulties which have delayed complete rounds are being overcome on the smaller calibers first. Shell for the 75 mm. gun is now under way with a weekly rate of about 50,000 rounds. There is improvement in shell of the 4.7” size.
Machine Guns
Heavy Browning -- Production during week ended July 13, 1,149, somewhat above previous best record. Priority request from General Pershing for July shipment is 1,000.
Browning Machine Rifle -- Production 2,080 for week ended July 13, 400 more than previous best record two weeks ago. Priority request from General Pershing for July shipment is 5,000. More than 10,000 have been completed.
Lewis, Marlin, and Vickers -- Production satisfactory.
Small Arms and Small Arms Ammunition
Rifles -- Production running about 50,000 a week, nearly enough to equip three divisions.
Pistols and Revolvers -- Need still greater than supply.
Ball Cartridges, Cal. 30 -- 61,000,000 rounds accepted during week ended July 13, enough to maintain 36 divisions a week on the firing line.
QUARTERMASTER
Clothing and Equipage
Recent estimates place the cost of maintaining a soldier in clothing for one year at $117 for service in this country and $184 for service overseas.
Subsistence
On July 15 a supply of meat for 62 days, of fruit for 81 days, of flour for 93 days, and of beans for 189 days was on hand at depots overseas. This is an increase over the supply on June 30.
Remount
During the week ended July 13, more animals were purchased overseas than during any previous week, including over 8,000 draft horses, or almost enough to equip an army corps.
AIRCRAFT
Service Planes
Deliveries of De Havilland 4 planes will reach the 1000 mark within a few days. Fisher Body Corporation has begun production in addition to the Dayton-Wright Co. Manufacture of wooden parts for Handley Page night bombing machines progresses slowly, parts for 45 planes having been completed. Production of certain kinds of metal parts is progressing rapidly but of others very slowly. The contract for Bristol Fighter planes has been cancelled because of the unsatisfactory performance of the plane with the liberty engine.
Service Engines
Deliveries of army type liberty engines from July 1 to July 26 are about 61 per cent of the estimate of June 1. Nordyke-Marmon Company delivered their first output this week -- 5 engines. Orders for 28,000 liberty engines have recently been authorized. This will bring the total orders placed since the beginning up to 50,000. Orders have been authorized for 6000 additional 180 H.P. and 7000 additional 300 H.P. Hispano-Suiza engines.
Squadrons at the Front
If the production schedule approved July 12, 1918, is carried out, the following squadrons of American made planes should be in service at the front next year:
Observation Bombing Pursuit Total
January, 1919 33 20 0 53
July, 1919 40 69 38 147
September, 1919 40 77 57 174
Training Planes and Engines
Production of elementary training planes satisfactory. Shortage of special types for advanced training.
ENGINEER
Records of car needs at French ports seem to indicate that there is now less congestion than there was some weeks ago. More freight cars were shipped overseas July 11 to 20 than during the entire month of June.
CHEMICAL WARFARE
Production of gas masks reached its maximum during the week ended July 20; 125,000 were produced at the Government plant alone. A heavy demand for extra canisters (mask air-filters) exceeds possible supply this month.
MEDICAL
No serious shortages.
SHIPS
The latest index figures on turnarounds are 35 days for troop transports and 70 days for cargo transports. It is reported that the Tippecanoe, a cargo transport of 9,000 DWT, has been torpedoed on her outward voyage. Confirmation of the sinking of the vessel has not yet been received.
The troop movement continues uninterruptedly and the indication is that the shipment for July will exceed June’s high record of 278,000.
The cargo shipment for the month will approximate 525,000 short tons. As a result of energetic efforts to obtain new shipping, it is now expected that the Army will be able to ship 700,000 tons of cargo in August. This will represent an increase of 250,000 tons a month over the amounts shipped in May and June, and an increase of 125,000 tons over the amount which the Shipping Control Committee estimated on July 9 that it would be possible to ship for the Army in August.
RAW MATERIALS
Chilian Fuel Oil Embargo
The War Trade Board’s embargo on fuel oil shipments to Chili which has been in force since May 14 still continues. There is about enough oil in Chili to last until August 5. Efforts are being made through the State Department to get assurances from the Chilian Government that oil sent to Chili will not be subject to attachment by Gildemeister. Meantime the Board has licensed shipments of oil to Peruvian ports to be held there for release to Chili on receipt of satisfactory assurances. It is estimated that 275,000 barrels are now actually in Peru or en route.
The situation continues to be serious with the danger of the shutting down of the nitrate works imminent. There are considerable stocks of nitrate in Chili which might furnish cargoes for the nitrate vessels during any lull in production, but these stocks are largely in the interior and the railroads require oil to bring them to the coast.
PERSONNEL
Successive reports from the A.E.F. show that the proportion of combat troops to service of supply troops is steadily increasing, so that on July 10 the ratio was 76 combat to 24 service of supply as compared with 57 to 43 on March 19.
Estimates of the draft status on August 1 indicate that there will be 581,000 men of Class I available for fall service. This figure is made up as follows:
Class I, first draft ……………………. 91,000
Previously in deferred classes……..125,000
Porto Rico……………………………. 15,000
From registration of June 5, 1918....350,000
Total …………………………………..581,000
WEEKLY SUMMARY
Page
Ordnance ……………………. 1
Quartermaster ………………. 2
Aircraft ……………………….. 2
Engineer ……………………... 3
Chemical Warfare …………… 3
Medical ……………………….. 3
Ships ………………………….. 3
Raw Materials ………………... 3
Personnel ……………………… 4
No. 10 Statistics Branch
July 30, 1918 General Staff
ORDNANCE
Anti-Aircraft Artillery
First 3” A.A. guns accepted during week ended July 13. First mounts for these are expected before the close of this month.
Divisional Artillery
75 mm. Guns -- Production of American model and British model continues at about usual rate. American model carriage has been approved after tests in France. Forty have been produced to date.
155 mm. howitzers -- A record production of 36 guns was made during week ended July 13. First carriages are expected before close of this month.
Heavy Artillery
First 155 mm. gun of American manufacture accepted during week July 6-13. First carriage of this caliber expected next month.
Artillery Ammunition
Manufacturing difficulties which have delayed complete rounds are being overcome on the smaller calibers first. Shell for the 75 mm. gun is now under way with a weekly rate of about 50,000 rounds. There is improvement in shell of the 4.7” size.
Machine Guns
Heavy Browning -- Production during week ended July 13, 1,149, somewhat above previous best record. Priority request from General Pershing for July shipment is 1,000.
Browning Machine Rifle -- Production 2,080 for week ended July 13, 400 more than previous best record two weeks ago. Priority request from General Pershing for July shipment is 5,000. More than 10,000 have been completed.
Lewis, Marlin, and Vickers -- Production satisfactory.
Small Arms and Small Arms Ammunition
Rifles -- Production running about 50,000 a week, nearly enough to equip three divisions.
Pistols and Revolvers -- Need still greater than supply.
Ball Cartridges, Cal. 30 -- 61,000,000 rounds accepted during week ended July 13, enough to maintain 36 divisions a week on the firing line.
QUARTERMASTER
Clothing and Equipage
Recent estimates place the cost of maintaining a soldier in clothing for one year at $117 for service in this country and $184 for service overseas.
Subsistence
On July 15 a supply of meat for 62 days, of fruit for 81 days, of flour for 93 days, and of beans for 189 days was on hand at depots overseas. This is an increase over the supply on June 30.
Remount
During the week ended July 13, more animals were purchased overseas than during any previous week, including over 8,000 draft horses, or almost enough to equip an army corps.
AIRCRAFT
Service Planes
Deliveries of De Havilland 4 planes will reach the 1000 mark within a few days. Fisher Body Corporation has begun production in addition to the Dayton-Wright Co. Manufacture of wooden parts for Handley Page night bombing machines progresses slowly, parts for 45 planes having been completed. Production of certain kinds of metal parts is progressing rapidly but of others very slowly. The contract for Bristol Fighter planes has been cancelled because of the unsatisfactory performance of the plane with the liberty engine.
Service Engines
Deliveries of army type liberty engines from July 1 to July 26 are about 61 per cent of the estimate of June 1. Nordyke-Marmon Company delivered their first output this week -- 5 engines. Orders for 28,000 liberty engines have recently been authorized. This will bring the total orders placed since the beginning up to 50,000. Orders have been authorized for 6000 additional 180 H.P. and 7000 additional 300 H.P. Hispano-Suiza engines.
Squadrons at the Front
If the production schedule approved July 12, 1918, is carried out, the following squadrons of American made planes should be in service at the front next year:
Observation Bombing Pursuit Total
January, 1919 33 20 0 53
July, 1919 40 69 38 147
September, 1919 40 77 57 174
Training Planes and Engines
Production of elementary training planes satisfactory. Shortage of special types for advanced training.
ENGINEER
Records of car needs at French ports seem to indicate that there is now less congestion than there was some weeks ago. More freight cars were shipped overseas July 11 to 20 than during the entire month of June.
CHEMICAL WARFARE
Production of gas masks reached its maximum during the week ended July 20; 125,000 were produced at the Government plant alone. A heavy demand for extra canisters (mask air-filters) exceeds possible supply this month.
MEDICAL
No serious shortages.
SHIPS
The latest index figures on turnarounds are 35 days for troop transports and 70 days for cargo transports. It is reported that the Tippecanoe, a cargo transport of 9,000 DWT, has been torpedoed on her outward voyage. Confirmation of the sinking of the vessel has not yet been received.
The troop movement continues uninterruptedly and the indication is that the shipment for July will exceed June’s high record of 278,000.
The cargo shipment for the month will approximate 525,000 short tons. As a result of energetic efforts to obtain new shipping, it is now expected that the Army will be able to ship 700,000 tons of cargo in August. This will represent an increase of 250,000 tons a month over the amounts shipped in May and June, and an increase of 125,000 tons over the amount which the Shipping Control Committee estimated on July 9 that it would be possible to ship for the Army in August.
RAW MATERIALS
Chilian Fuel Oil Embargo
The War Trade Board’s embargo on fuel oil shipments to Chili which has been in force since May 14 still continues. There is about enough oil in Chili to last until August 5. Efforts are being made through the State Department to get assurances from the Chilian Government that oil sent to Chili will not be subject to attachment by Gildemeister. Meantime the Board has licensed shipments of oil to Peruvian ports to be held there for release to Chili on receipt of satisfactory assurances. It is estimated that 275,000 barrels are now actually in Peru or en route.
The situation continues to be serious with the danger of the shutting down of the nitrate works imminent. There are considerable stocks of nitrate in Chili which might furnish cargoes for the nitrate vessels during any lull in production, but these stocks are largely in the interior and the railroads require oil to bring them to the coast.
PERSONNEL
Successive reports from the A.E.F. show that the proportion of combat troops to service of supply troops is steadily increasing, so that on July 10 the ratio was 76 combat to 24 service of supply as compared with 57 to 43 on March 19.
Estimates of the draft status on August 1 indicate that there will be 581,000 men of Class I available for fall service. This figure is made up as follows:
Class I, first draft ……………………. 91,000
Previously in deferred classes……..125,000
Porto Rico……………………………. 15,000
From registration of June 5, 1918....350,000
Total …………………………………..581,000
Original Format
Report
Files
Collection
Citation
United States. War Department. General staff, “Weekly Summary No. 10,” 1918 July 30, WWP25078, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.