Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Military Applications Geology
Military Applications Geology
BY
,.
A paper presented to the Kansas Academy of Science Symposium held
at Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia; Kansas, 1 May 1964 .
'
by
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PREFACE
This paper was prepar ed by Major Joseph S. C. Smit h, CE,
author- instructor, Department of Division Operati ons, United
States Army Command and General Staff College for presentation
to the Kansas Academy of Science Geology Symposium on 1 May 1964
at Kansas State Teachers College, Emporia, Kansas .
While pre
mater~als
Two members
ii.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
PREFACE - - - - -
ii
INTRODUOI'ION-
10
' 11
I
J~ld
-~
---
_,;..
17
18
21
23
25
Trafficability studies- - - - -
34
C~nclusions -
- - - - - - -
"'-....-
1~
\2
. -;
"\ -
iii
35
. .' .
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..,. .
...
. .,
Page
MILITARY GIDLOGY IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AFTER WORLD
WAR I I TO THE PRESENT
The Challenge -
36
36
- - - - -
37
38
39
Water
su~ply -
40
- .- -
General construction- -
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40
Special problems - -
41
42
42
42
Terraip detachment - - - - - - -
44
44
CONCLUSION- - - -
45
LITERATURE CITED
47
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ILLUSTRATIONS
1 . Figure 1 - Organization of the Military Geology
Unit as of January 1945 .- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
22
27
28
29
iv
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INTROOOCTION
During peacetime the United States Army has, for a long
time, applied the science of geology
struction problems.
~o
c. ,
They provide
concerning the properties of the ground over which the army must
move , shoot, and communicate.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss various direct
applications of geol ogy to the solution of military problems.
Greatest emphasis is pl aced on the use of geology during World
War II; for it was in this war that t'he science .o f geology gained
a permanent place as a useful tool in military operations .
g~ology
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2.
This was because geology was still a relatively new science and
was neither ful ly appreciated nor being extensively applied by
the engineering sciences.
He recognized that:
"The
character of the soil, which is known by the geology, greatly inf l uei_l.ces the passability of a region and the.r efore indicates the
difficulties which armies must overcome in their marches." 2
Another French engineer officer, Major 0 . Barre, an eminent
geologist,
e~aborately
\
.
This
Both
'
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.(
3Ibid, p. 90 .
4'
Another
Both of these
Colonel
' .
structur~
highlands~
These ex
~rooks, p. 91 .
-:;
1.\
of World War I.
definit~ly
S:srooks, p. 91 .
'
, 9Ib.;d,
...
p. 86
Geology
6 .
or.oper~tions
involving
'great loss of time., energy, and life whi'ch could have been avoided
by the application of a basic knowledge of geology.
During the great Battle of Verdun, an order was given for a
body of troops to "dig in" on the high plateau of the Cotes de
Meuse which ended in disaster and needless loss of life.
A casual
glance at the available geologic map would have shown that the
plateau was underlain by hard limestone with less than a foot of
soil cover.
Road
Hospitals and
airfield~
were
<:;
~\
lLl.
Ib d, P
87
i
I
-~,
.J
"
"~
.,,
intellig~nce
on or near
the front.
As the war progressed and stabilized into static trench war
fare greater use was made of the geologic information available .
The geologic staffs of the various armies were increased; and, in
certain of the
a~ies,
'
In
May~
1915, the
He was attached to
'
officers; but this was not a handicap for among the mining compan
ies many of the officers were trained geologists.
The success of
12 .
Ibid.
l3Ibid, p . 93.
14
Ibid, p . 87.
1
ftid, P 95
16
Ibid.
a~vanced
the course of World War I, about 250 army geologists were assigned
to all fronts, some with offices just behind the front lines.l7
One of the first duties of the German geologist detailed to
the St. Mihiel sector was to collect data on the results achieved
by the witch-hazel stick in locating sources of ground water .
This was done to destroy the confidence of the authorities in the
witch-hazel stick.l8
Military geology in the United States Army.
The American
The geologic
......
;;.
18
Brooks, p. 87.
".J
l9Ibid, p. 88.
20Ibid, p. 94 .
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10
Provision was
A total of
organize a geologic staff, as such, during the war and gave but
little definite recognition to the military applications of the
science. 2 3 There was, on the other hand, probably a greater use
22Brooks, p.
94 .
2 3Ibid, p. 92.
11 .
pleted many years before the war, and French engineers had long
been trained to use it for certain
of information .
kind~
Also,
since the French were fighting on their own land and were
thoroughly familiar with its physical features, the services of
geolpgists were less important to them than to their allies.
Although the French gave no recognition to the use of professional
geologists, they by no means ignored the application of geology
to military problems.
"Tank Maps"
the forerunner
t~e
Geolo
gists were attached to the Austrian Army and this action probably
closely paralleled the organization of the geologic corps in
the German Army.
24rb.;d
... ' p. 93
12 .
geolo~ \ of
the
mat~e
coun~~. 25
'
Although the
25Ibid.
26Ernest F. Fox, The Use of Military Geologists in the Corps of
Enfineers, (Preliminary Study for the Chief of Engineers, June
19 9), p. 3
13
in World War I.
Those students
ac~demies
It is be
27Ibid .
.
28wbitmore, The Military Engineer, p. 212.
14
11
hydr~logy,
road and
'
transport routes, deposits of road metal and ball ast, and the re
sults of seismic surveys . 3
The application of geology to the military arts and science
did not fare too well in the United States during this period.
This should not be too disconcerting, however, for it only reflects
the general attitude that prevailed toward the military profes
sion.
Who could think about geology when the Army was conducting
We
29Ibid, p . 213.
31 Ibid.
15 .
the Japanese were open- handed with geologic data on their home
land; but in 1937, they stopped exchangirlg this data with other
countries .
They invited
16 .
German Armies .
i~
applying geology
Our
ront;
a,
Ge~ <;
I
p\~ons
were
"
!
',
33Fox, p. 4.
34Ibid.
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17
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i~portance
of geology
s.
.,
'I,
'f
18
Stal~s Geological~
w~
to get
. t o ac t10n 1n
. the war 35 There was
. +~~ 1n
geo1 og1s
. !
minds .
~he
t~e
USGS had
nations' s
~ common
under
immediat~ : meeting
-~ -
As
of
~,
36
19
.
'MGU to prepare a report on the terrain and water supply in Sicily.
The MGU originated a new type of report which marked a turning
point in the application of geology to
u.
S. military operations .
The practical
37
MGU.
DlVlSlon
. 39 The team con
.
sect 1on,
sisted of one soils scientist and four geologists, who were
37Ibid, p. 3 .
38Ibid.
, :p. 7 .
'-.
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20
4oibid.
4libid.
~ssigned
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42Ibid.
to army
\\
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21
Org~ni -
~
~
th~
"
Su~~
to fill the\
1 sources with
fied individuals; workers were recruited from maclr
colleges and universities leading the list.
'!
'
Besid\s geologists,
"scie~ists
1
1
Besides having a
Other
The
22
1 -
GEOLOGIST IN CHARGE
I
RESEARCH
SUPERVISORS
CHIEF EDITOR
CHIEF ILLUSTRATOR
'
RE~IEWING
OF~ ICE
I JVERSEAS
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BIBLIOGRAPHERS
PHOTOGRAPHERS
'
TEAMS
'
SOUTHWEST Pt\ CIFIC
AREA I
\
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"
CENTRAL PACIFIC " "'
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AREA
\
PHOTO
PROCUREMENT
PROJECT TEAMS
...
TERRAIN
SPECIALISTS
ILLUSTRATORS
EDITORS
...
TYPISTS
EUROPEAN THEATER
OF OPERATIONS
INTERSERVICE TOPOGRAPHIC
DEPARTMENT
- - - -- - - - -- - -
Figure 1.
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~vailable
if the
In addition
140
24
44Ibid, p. 323.
\
4 5Ibid, p . 308 .
.
.....
A "'~
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24
;
tl '
in Washington,
I
tactical
\
Th(.j
\
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1
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the field for Theater Headquarters and lower echelons and their
"-.
fi~ld
l:.
tegic folios .
The considerable contribution of the Military Geology Unit
was possible largely because its staff consisted of highly com
"1
25
one area of work accomplished by the MGU was the most important
to the war effort.
of their' .
I
the parameters of the planning level for which the~ were intended, '
the amount of information available, and the time available for
preparation.
At the beginning of each folio are a summary of the terrain
situation, a listing of the principal sources of information,
a statement of the method of compilation, terrain diagrams, and
the reliability of the data.
26 .
de
However, know
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28
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Figure
30
relief that are not shown on topographic maps , to estimate conditions on stream banks and bottoms, and to predict ground con
ditions that will affect movement and excavation .
Charles B.
I
1
1
I
to ter.r ain
appreciation ~
In
.I
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31
of
~ua~.ity
of the water in the area and includes not on~. the existing ..
~ld be develo~~O
.t
potable water .
...
~
32
In select
construction ~
1lnes
Slt es ln
were being bombed by planes from a hidden German airfield which
the Allied planes were unable to find .
fields against possible sites, the Luftwaffe hide - out was pin
pointed and destroyed.
33
Fue~s,
Vegetation,
It included
Some of
the maps of the folio were reproduced by field units and issued
to troops .
To meet this
These -studies
51 rbid, p. 309.
52MGU,
p.
13.
35
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On
January 16, 1945, the unit received a request ~om the Euro-
.I
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36
Yne
civilian make -up of the Military Geology Unit does not appear
to have been a great handicap to the successful completion of
its mission .
H~wever,
From our
In
37
vre
were
We are
We
have been confronted with this enemy in Korea, Viet Nam, Laos,
Cuba, Berlin, the Congo, Greece and Venezuela - just to mention
a few of the locales involved.
Geologic information is in -
39 .
(b)
Study of rivers.
(d)
amphibious operations.
2.
3.
Construction Possibilities.
4.
Tactical and
It may be expected
40
Furnishing an adequate
When wat er
methods is to drill many feet into the ice cap and use steam
to melt the ice .
4l
2.
'3
5.
Some of these
de~ecting,
etc .
42
4.
Mili
saw service in World Har II has continued .to work in the post
war years on geologic studies for the Army .
~nis
reconnaissance was
44
Geology Branch.
Branch includes
ar~
'
obtained under
Army in the Pacific area and in Europe are still being provided.
Terrain detachment.
It is
The
In 1960 there
The applications
46
The reliance on a
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47
LITERATURE CITED
s.
48
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