ADSEC

ADSEC was the Advance Section of the

Communications Zone {{Short description, Aspect of military theater of war operations Communications Zone is a US Army and NATO term which describes a part of the theater of war operations. The Communications Zone is the rear part of theater of operations (behind but ...

(COMZ),

European Theater of Operations The European Theater of Operations, United States Army (ETOUSA) was a Theater of Operations responsible for directing United States Army operations throughout the European theatre of World War II, from 1942 to 1945. It commanded Army Ground For ...

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

(ETOUSA), and was formally activated at Bristol, England in February 1944. It is commonly referred to as simply "ADSEC". Upon its creation, ADSEC was attached to the

U.S. First Army First Army is the oldest and longest-established field army of the United States Army. It served as a theater army, having seen service in both World War I and World War II, and supplied the US army with soldiers and equipment during the Kor ...

, but from the outset was one section (of ten) of the

(Com-Z, ETO) logistics organization, and was the first Army logistical agency on the continent. The section moved forward with the Armies and provided close support. ADSEC came into actual operation on 6 June 1944 with the invasion of Normandy,

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...

, and was operating on both U.S. beaches as soon as they were secure. As such, ADSEC did not have a "base" of operations because this support organization was designed to be on the move continuously. For example, major operations always had a designated "D" day or start date for operations. ADSEC units were moved into ''operating areas'' on or several days after a particular "D" day. They stayed until about D+40, at which time

FECOMZ FECOMZ is an acronym for "Forward Echelon, Communications Zone". FECOMZ was a headquarters, organized in World War II and authorized by the Allied Supreme Commander, to organize and control Services of Supply for the invasion forces after D-Day. ...

(Forward Echelon, Communications Zone) units would take over. ADSEC units then moved forward to the next "D" location. After the 6 June 1944 invasion ADSEC was detached from the U.S. First Army and took control of activities at the port of

Cherbourg Harbour Cherbourg Harbour (French: ''rade de Cherbourg''; literally, the "roadstead of Cherbourg"), is a harbour situated at the northern end of the Cotentin Peninsula, on the English Channel coastline, in Normandy, northwestern France. With a surface ...

, with engineering activities that included the beaches and landing zones; taking over command of the areas left behind as the First Army moved forward. Besides bringing in supplies for the advancing armies, ADSEC also rehabilitated railway rolling stock and provided transportation of POL (Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants) using rail and motor operations (see

Red Ball Express The Red Ball Express was a famed truck convoy system that supplied Allied forces moving quickly through Europe after breaking out from the D-Day beaches in Normandy in 1944. To expedite cargo shipment to the front, trucks emblazoned with red ...

). ADSEC units included

field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile Ar ...

s that lay near the rear areas of the advancing Armies. ADSEC also operated blood banks to store large quantities under refrigerated conditions for use at front line hospitals. This system of location of storage depots was flexible, so that in advance of a major military operation blood would be stored where needed, close to front line, but when the engagement was over then blood would be transported back to hospitals and other bases, or wherever it was needed. ADSEC also included Finance disbursement units. These units were employed to compute payrolls, travel vouchers, etc. and prepare disbursements and collections of monies. ADSEC coordinated disbursement of ordnance and munitions to keep the front lines supplied. ADSEC officials were responsible for overseeing

transportation activities within the Com-Z Transportation Section. ADSEC units had to anticipate the needs of the advancing armies and provide as close support as possible to the advancing armies as the situations demanded. These units also provided heavy maintenance work for the advancing armies. {{DEFAULTSORT:Adsec Military units and formations of the United States Army in World War II Sustainment and support units and formations of the United States Army