The Organization and Role of the Army Service Forces (United States Army in World War II: The Army Service Forces)

xx, 494 pp. Green cloth, gilt titles. Includes 3 tables, 7 charts, 8 illustrations, 9 appendices, bibliographical note, glossary, and index. "This work examines World War II from the viewpoint of the Commanding General of the Army Service Forces, Lt. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell. It is concerned with problems of materiel rather than manpower... Somervell's capacity as a manager was challenged not only by the vastness of his command but even more by the diversity of tasks and agencies for which it was responsible... This volume presents the most instructive experiment made by the Army before 1954 in centralizing the command of logistical operations (United States Army in World War II Reader's Guide, pp. 29-31). Includes discussion of wartime organization of the continental United States, centralization vs. decentralization, coordination of supply distribution between the zone of interior and theaters of operations, common vs. separate supply for ground, air, and sea forces, military and civilian authority, lend-lease, etc.