The Motor in Warfare

Progress, Volume X, Issue 3, 1 November 1914, Page 102

The Motor in Warfare

ITS USES IN THE PRESENT CAMPAIGN

No event that could possibly have happened in the world's history could have forced the superiority of the motor and motor traction so prominently into the limelight as the present European War. Although this is a big statement to make, every individual reading the daily war news who has thought deeply- enough to get even slightly below the surface of things, must admit that some wonderful results have already been obtained on the Continent that would have been beyond conception but for its employment. The flexibility of this new unit in warfare was first evidenced by the rapidity with which the mobilisation of the various fleets of motors was carried out throughout England and Scotland. The English Army Service Corps had at the beginning of this year only nineteen Mechanical Transport Companies as a standing strength, and a large proportion of these companies consisted of steam tractors, admirably suited for the haulage of heavy supplies from a near base, but at a tremendous discount in situations where the active line extends for a distance of perhaps 60 miles from the nearest railhead.

Such a situation was of course practically impossible in any series of army manoeuvres carried out in England, but fortunately the War Office authorities foresaw the possibility of such an occasion arising, and realizing that the only type of vehicle that could hope to cope with the situation would be the self-contained petrol motor, they took steps to ensure that these vehicles should be available when occasion arose.

With this in view a scheme of subsidisation was carefully worked out which was available to all those owners of fleets of motors, whose machines came within the Army standards, and who cared to avail themselves of it. Needless to say, as events have proved, every mercantile firm of any importance in the British Isles came into line and placed their motors under War Office orders.

This subsidy idea was an excellent one, for although in times of stress such as the present, the War Office have of course the power to commandeer any vehicle, yet the acceptance of the subsidy, small as it was, made it imperative that the owner of the vehicles should keep his motors in serviceable condition, should have certain spares and equipment, and should be subject to War Office inspection, at any and every unexpected moment.

As an illustration of the smoothness with which this Army scheme worked when put to the test we quote one or two examples of efficiency at the time of mobilisation. Messrs. Waring and Gillow Ltd.,

are a large firm of house furnishers in London, who make a boast that every load of furniture purchased, is delivered in any part of the Provinces by their own motors without rehandling. This meant of course that on the night of August 4th last their large fleet was scattered all over the provinces as usual delivering goods.

"Within 20 hours of the receipt of notice from the War Office every machine had been recalled, altered to Army requirements, fully equipped, and despatched to its appointed rendezvous. One machine incidentally had to make a non-stop run of 102 miles to get to its base in order to leave with the other machines. Messrs. Carter Paterson the large London carriers were equally prompt, and delivered no less than 57 motor vehicles to the rendezvous in an equally short time, though as they operate mostly within London, they were nearer their. base when the order

Already we know that but for the employment of these machines it would have been impossible to rush our men to just where they were wanted at the right time, and naturally it would have been equally impossible to keep them supplied with ammunition and food while in those advanced positions, for it must be remembered that the fighting has been carried out along a line of immense length, and at a distance from the main base that would have made horse service impossible even had the horses survived.

But these are after all what might be called more or less legitimate duties for motors on the field and it is only when one realizes the extraordinary duties motors are performing that the wonder grows. Many of the transport motors have been covered with armoured bodies and carry both light field guns and machine quick-firing guns, and the value of

was received. Thirty-five single decker motor busses were converted to ambulances and despatched to Chatham within 26 hours of their being stopped on the road. With such capable handling as this, it is not to be wondered at that the transport service on the continent has been so admirably handled. There would seem to be no use in warfare that the motor has been put to, where it has not acquitted itself better than the horse, except for actual cavalry purposes, and even in this connection it is said that never have horses in the field been so well cared for, owing to the facility with which fodder is taken up to the lines. Of the actual many uses that have been found for the motors at the front it is of course impossible to enumerate the whole, for apart from its recognised uses it must be remembered that some of the finest motor designers and mechanics in England are at the front, and doubtless motors will be put at unique duties unpictured by us at home, but even so, the recognised duties that we do know of are numerous enough.

these may be pictured when a dash has to be made to hold a position against foot and horse troops. Then for night work there is the invaluable type of motor that runs into position, couples up the the motor to a dynamo, and runs a powerful searchlight mounted on the rear end of the chassis. Aerial guns also are universally mounted on motors in order that the movements of air craft may be followed as far as possible, and even on occasion where the roads are good, the horses are unlimbered and the field guns hitched on behind the motors, and rushed to new positions at a pace that the ordnance factory surely never anticipated. Then there are the wireless telegraph outfits fo’* use in the field, each driven with the motor that propels the car, and last but most important, the travelling workshops and armourer’s shops, fully equipped with all machine tools for necessary repairs, and each in itself a self-contained unit depending on no outside agency for either its operating or propelling power.