Tim Gosling looks at the disposal of the vast number of surplus vehicles left by the US Army in France following the end of World War One
With the armistice signed, the German troops occupying France and Belgium slowly withdrew into Germany and across the Rhine. Following closely behind them came the British, French and US forces which would occupy the Rhineland to ensure the German Army disarmed and disbanded as per the armistice terms.
The centre of occupation for the US forces would be the city of Coblenz where a bridgehead across the Rhine would be established. To undertake this task the Third Army was formed which comprised approximately 230,000 officers and men.
At the time the armistice was signed the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) comprised approximately two million personnel. As the Third Army marched into Germany the remaining First and Second Armies withdrew from the front line and looked forward to a speedy return home. This would, however, not be the case.
The build-up had taken nearly 18 months and reversing it would not be a quick or easy task. One problem which also had to be considered was what to do with the vast quantities of equipment and vehicles that were now surplus. The c…
