This drawing by Richard Knötel shows a Prussian Munitionswagen crossing a pontoon bridge. When the German armies had advanced deeper into France the Train became very important indeed in view of the fact that the French railway network was blocked in some places by French-held fortresses, and in others by demolitions. At times some columns had to make long journeys every day in order to meet the demand for supplies. There was also the constant danger in many areas of attacks by franc-tireurs, although their overall impact was less than might have been expected. Overall however the German supply system coped very well.

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© Martin Tomcczak 2002