Military Model Scene

Title: Clearing the Way
Author: Chris McNab
Publisher: Casemate
ISBN: 978-1-63624-386-3

U.S. Army Engineers in World War II, a new book from Casemate Books. A 194-page hard-cover book, though also available in e-book format.
The introduction gives us some background to the US Corps of Engineers, which was founded as far back as 1802, which gives us a good idea of just how important the role of the military engineer has been to the work of the US Army. Rapid expansion in WW1 was followed by reductions in size afterwards thanks to demobilisation, but after events in France in 1940, there was again a rapid expansion in their numbers. By the end of the war in 1945 the numbers in the corps had expanded to 3/4 of a million men. Their contribution to the war effort was vital, everywhere the US Army served. Their roles were set out in the Engineers Manual. Each of the 6 chapters has an introductory text, followed by a selection of extracts from the various Field Manuals that were published for them to follow. These chapters take us through Engineer Roles and Units: Basic Skills and Engineer Equipment: Roads, Bridges and Airfields: Fortifications and Defenses: Explosives, Mines and Demolitions: and a final one on the Combat Engineer. Throughout the book the extracts from the manuals include archive photos along with explanatory diagrams. Clearly there is way too much for me to even attempt to try and tell you everything you'll find in here, but just to give a flavour of it all, there are mobile laundry units to operate, an intelligence bulletin comparing them to the German Pioniertruppen, basic tools and how to use them, organisational equipment, construction sites, bridging equipment and how to build them, terrain factors for building fortifications, airfields and camouflage for them all, sandbag walls, operating amphibious equipment, how to lay and/or disarm mines and much much more, all from original wartime material.
The level of detail provided to the troops who had to perform these vital tasks was clearly extensive, and all these extracts make for some very interesting reading. A marvellous collection of reference material which I think could interest historians, modellers and wargamers alike. I suspect plenty of ex-sappers may also still find this fascinating reading.
Thanks to Casemate for the review copy.

Robin