NWF - Valley of Fire Supply Instruction

Deputy Commissary-General

Commissariat & Transport Department

Chapmanabad Cantonment

India

General Staff

Kohl Field Force

Chapmanabad Cantonment

 

Supply & Reinforcement Instruction for Operations in the Kohl Valley

 

For the forthcoming Operation supply is broken down into the following classes:

General Supply Items.  These comprise Rations, Water, Forage, uniforms etc;

Small Arms Ammuniton.  This is specifically the ammunition required by individual soldiers and cavalry;

Specialist Ammunition.  This comprises the ammunition required for the Sections and Batteries of the Artillery  and that required for the Machine Gun detachments.

 

Supply Holdings for each element of the force are specified below:

The Main supply base at CHAPMANABAD will hold:

30 Units of General supply;

30 Units of Small Arms ammunition;

15 Units of Specialist Ammunition.

The Mobile Column train will hold:

15 Units of General supply;

15 Units of Small Arms ammunition;

15 Units of Specialist ammunition.

Each Fighting Column will be capable of holding a maximum of:

5 Units of General supply;

5 Units of Small Arms ammunition

5 Units of Specialist ammunition

 

The consumption of supply items is expected as follows:

1 Unit of General supply will be consumed by each 100 men or part thereof in each force per day.  This includes cavalry troops but not screen units.

1 Unit of Small Arms ammunition will be consumed by each 100 men or part thereof in each force per engagement fought per day.  This includes cavalry troops but not screen units.

1 Unit of Specialist Ammunition will be consumed by each section of 2 firing weapons, either Artillery or MG, per engagement fought per day.

 

Resupply arrangements.  Units and Forces may draw upon the supplies in either the mobile column or the main supply base by:

Passing through the location of supply base of mobile column.

Dispatching a supply column which itself will pass through the location of the supply base of mobile column and return to the main body.

The final method of supply is where the main supply base once sufficient reinforcements and supplies have arrived from Kohat will transport supplies forward.

 

CinC India has indicated that supplies will be released from Kohat to Chapmanabad as soon as possible.  The rate at which these supplies will move forward is variable.  The maximum level of supplies that will arrive per day is as follows:

2 – 12 Units of General Supply

2 – 12 Units of Small Arms ammunition

1 – 6 Units of Specialist ammunition.

 

Personnel replacements will be sent forward from Kohat to Chapmanabad as reinforcements.  The rate at which these troops will move forward is variable.  The maximum level of reinforcements that will arrive per day is as follows:

2 – 12 Infantry

1 – 6 Cavalry

1 Field Piece (Artillery or MG at GOC Kohl Field Force request).

Reinforcements may be called forward by GOC Kohl Field force and may either reinforce existing units or create new forces for deployment.  When on route to the Kohl Field Force they may be used as supply escort for any supplies being moved forward.  Units may not be reinforced above their starting strength.

 

I will do my best to ensure that the forces receive a consistent level of supply throughout the operation in accordance with the instructions I have received from both GOC Kohl Field Force and CinC India.

 

Signed:                                                                                                                                     4^th September 1887