Military Police contains information about military police functions in maneuver and mobility support, area security, law and order, internment/resettlement, and police intelligence operations.
Issue link: https://militarypolice.epubxp.com/i/383260
MILITARY POLICE
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19-14-2
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in, through, or around Oran were policed and escorted by the
platoon; and all were accomplished without any accidents.
During the same period, 1,772 traffc violators were cited.
There was an average of 144 vehicles per day in the two
parking lots operated by the platoon.
5
In addition to their traffc posts and convoy escort duties,
the platoon was also tasked with the responsibility for
escorting visiting dignitaries, including President Franklin
D. Roosevelt, Lieutenant General Eisenhower, General
George C. Marshall, Admiral Ernest J. King, Lieutenant
General Mark W. Clark, and Lieutenant General George
S. Patton. Foreign dignitaries included French General
Charles de Gaulle and General Georges Catroux, governor
general of Algeria.
During December 1942, reports from concerned
commanders were compiled to critique Operation Torch,
with the intention of correcting plans for future similar
operations. Reports relating to military police operations
concluded that—
y The strength of the division headquarters company military
police platoon was inadequate. It was recommended that
a military police platoon be added to the headquarters
company of each infantry regiment.
y T h e m o t o r e q u ip m e nt s e t up i n m i l it a r y p ol i c e
table-of-organization units was at least 50 percent
inadequate for any operation.
y Corps and division military police companies were not
organized to allow operation as prisoner-of-war escort
guard companies, so such units must be provided in troop
lists of participating units in actions such as Operation
Torch.
y Sand on the bolt face of the .45-caliber M1 submachine
gun prevented the bolt from closing completely, thereby
causing misfres. Reports also stated that the gun was too
heavy and, therefore, handicapped military police Soldiers
in performing their duties.
6
The provost marshal for the North African Theater of
Operations, U.S. Army (NATOUSA), during the time of the
6685th Military Police Platoon service was Colonel Joseph
Vincent DePaul Dillon, a career military police offcer. As
the war progressed, he served as provost marshal general
for the Services of Supply, NATOUSA. After the invasion
of Italy, he moved on to provost marshal general for the
Communications Zone,
Mediterranean Theater
of Operations. By war's
end, he moved to the same
position for the entire
European Theater of
Operations.
7
Endnotes:
1
A combat command was
a combined arms military
organization, comparable in
size to a brigade or regiment,
employed by armored forces
of the U.S. Army from 1942
until 1963.
2
"Report of the Com-
mander in Chief Allied
Forces to the Combined
Chiefs of Staff on Operations in Northwest Africa",