Railways were the only feasible way to carry the bulk stores required. By 1918 each division of about 12,000 men needed about 1,000 tons of supplies every day. This was the equivalent of two fifty-truck trains, each of which could carry as much as 150 lorries. Problems began about 7 miles from the front, which was within the range of enemy artillery, so main supply dumps had to be established before this point was reached, partly because the gap could not be filled reasonably with horse-drawn transport, as horses could not maintain a daily round trip to and from the railheads. Mechanical
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