CHAPTER XII 

 THE AMERICAN FOREST ENGINEERS IN FRANCE 



By W. B. Gheelet 

 Formerly lAeut.-Col. 20lh Engineers, A. E. F. 



Timber in Modern Warfare (p. 336). The Wood Used by Two Million American 

 Soldiers, A War of Transportation, Forest Preparedness in France. 



The Organization of Forest Engineers (p. 338). American Woodsmen Called to 

 the Colors, The Man Behind the Sawmills, A Division of Forestry Troops. 



The Forestry Section op the Expeditionary Force (p. 340). Its Military Or- 

 ganization, Geographical Distribution of Forestry Operations, District Managers, The 

 Headquarters Staff — Equipping the Sawmills, Strategy in Mihtary Lumbering, Sales 

 and Traffic Department, The Timberland Department. 



Sawmills and Logging Equipment (p. 343). Early Makeshifts, The Heavy Saw- 

 mill, The Light Sawmill, The Flying Sawmill, Heavy and Light Artillery in Timber War- 

 f.are. The Transport Problem, Value of French Highways, Motor Trucks and Caterpil- 

 lars, Log^g Railways. 



The Production op Fuel Wood (p. 347). An Enormous Problem in Itself, Fuel 

 Wood Cut by the Forest Engineers, The Special Fuel Supply Service. 



What the Forest Engineers Accomplished (p. 348). The Beginning and the End, 

 The Spirit of the Forestry Troops, Winning the War with Limiber. 



Cooperation with the Forest Agencies op France (p. 351). French Organiza- 

 tion of Timber Supphes for the War, Early Negotiations with the French Government, 

 The Interallied Timber Committee, Forest Acquisition in the War Zone, Scouting France 

 for Timber, Cutting Requirements Imposed by the French, Restrictions Upon the 

 Amount of Timber Cut, Meeting French Foresters on Their Own Groimd, The French 

 View of American Operations, French Difficulties in Supplying American Require- 

 ments, Effectiveness of French Cooperation. 



Forest Troops Loaned to French and British Armies (p. 367). 



What the American Woodsmen Learned in France (p. 358). 



The War a Vindication op French Forestry (p. 358). 



Timber in Modem Warfare. — That timber is an essential munition 

 of war is demonstrated forcibly by the enormous quantities of wood which 

 were required by the allied armies in almost every phase of military 

 operations in France. The great military bases behind the lines con- 

 sumed lumber in vast amounts for camps, hospitals, shops, and ware- 

 houses. No advance could be undertaken without large supplies of 

 railroad ties for extending railheads into conquered territory, of bridge 

 timbers and road plank for throwing forward quickly built roads over 

 streams and shell-torn ground, and of lumber, logs, and pickets for con- 

 structing fortifications. 



336 



