Thursday, June 5, 2014

Railroads and Operation Overlord - 70th Anniversary of D-Day - June 6, 1944





Three photos above from: http://web.mst.edu/~rogersda/umrcourses/ge342/Railroads%20WWII%20ETO.pdf

From: http://www.alu.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug12/70_Years_transportation_Corps.html

From: http://www.alu.army.mil/alog/issues/JulAug12/70_Years_transportation_Corps.html




Of all the documentary films and reading I have done on Operation Overlord, I don't remember any mention of  the role of rail transportation. The Allies were faced with the problem of supplying an invading army across a country whose rail infrastructure they had nearly destroyed with bombing raids. The answer was the famous Red Ball truck convoy system, that acted as a stop gap until the rail lines were restored.  Soon, though, the First Military Rail Service  would have fleets of American built 2-8-0' s operating in France.




Result of  June 6, 1944 bombing raid on Vire, Normandy





From:  http://militaryrailwayservice.blogspot.com/search/label/1st%20Military%20Railway%20Service

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