July 26, ie a 10 day mobilization Prussian army, began the movement of parts of its manned. By August 3, all contributing to a first strike, were drop¹ to certain items, and August 4, had already crossed the French border.
One can not but notice that every movement of the Prussian troops were fired from an extraordinary Art: it occurs simultaneously on five parallel lines, railways and even in such a way that the front part of the troops landed at 5 or 6 crossings of the border, where and moved in good order, every minute available to meet the enemy. We know that from the beginning to mobilize the Prussian troops until their encampment on the Rhine, not just the army but also the whole of Germany were quite convinced that the French will certainly open up offensive move for the Rhine.
Because of this confidence to meet the enemy on the right bank of the Rhine, all movement of the Prussian corps to the French border were considerations in a manner that part, coming on foot, served as avant-garde and cover the five columns that moved on rail tracks. As we approach the same parts of the frontier to the border and transported by rail troops landed close to it, so that one of the batteries 1 Corps, coming from Koenigsberg, landed with a train railway in Saarbryukene and immediately went into battle.
The distribution of shells on armies, the Rhine was prinimaemo point in the direction of the ways in which they followed to the border, such as: 7 building (from Münster) and 8 corpus (from Cologne) making up initially, the heads of General Shteynmetsa, 1 Army, were mostly on foot, only 23 to 26 July, some of them were transported to the northern ends of two railway lines. Then, from 26 July to 3 August were transportation, for the three northern parallel lines, following the shells, the army is 2 Prince Friedrich Karl Prussian: 3 guards and an army corps - from Berlin, 4 army - from Magdeburg, 10 army - from Hannover and 12 Army (Saxon) - from Dresden.
At the same time, same with the carriage of the said army shells 2, two parallel lines of the southern part of the movement committed 3 Prussian army of Crown Prince: 5 Army Corps - from Pozena, and 11 army - from Darmstadt and Frankfurt am Main.
At the same time, Bavaria, Baden Vyurtembergskim and railways were drop 1 and 2, Bavarian corps and the combined vyurtembergsko Baden, also part of the 3 Army².
Since August 3, at the end of the carriage aforesaid shells, and when a positive clear already that it was nothing to fear from interfering in the war on the part of Austria - were to move in two northern lines - 1 Army Corps of Koenigsberg, the army reinforcements 1, the two middle lines 2 arco - from Pomerania, and 9 th from Hamburg, the army reinforcements 2; on the same line of the south was transferred from 6 arco Breslavlya, the army reinforcements 3. Lastly, when shipment was completed and these shells move landvernyh were five divisions, originally destined for a conquered province in the rear of the army.
Moving all the names of the troops were committed - as already noted above - with unusual precision and in perfect order, which, incidentally, have contributed a lot in advance taken for this measure.
For the enforcement of assumptions troop movements on the French border in Berlin was organized, so-called executive committee of officials of the General Staff and the Ministry of Public Works and Communications; etoyu commissions were designed as all plans carriage (Fahr Plan), and concerns about Volume - to what lines of railways and how much should be nip rolling stock in known locations, in order to raise intended to movement of military forces.
It should be noted that in drawing up, the executive committee, plans to transport traffic along the railway has not been particularly strengthened against the ordinary: for each line in a path designated for only 12 troop trains a day to one side and 12 is the inverse of trains empty wagons, on the lines in two ways appointed for the traffic to 18 trains per day, in one or the other way. In addition, for the transport of food supplies, sent every day along the path of one of four to five trains, and on lines in two ways - from six to seven trains a day.
For the enforcement of the Commission's plans for the transport of troops on different lines, the lines of linear commissions have been formed from officers of the General Staff and members from the offices of the railways. Based on these plans, Linear commission did all the necessary orders, with an accuracy to all the details specified in the plans, and deviate from them only in those cases where, on local circumstances, it was absolutely necessary.
Troop trains were, usually, very strong - one of 100 axes, ie, 50 cars, and where steep rises demanded by the road - used a double traction, ie, the two locomotive - one in front and the other rear, move a huge train.
In each train were transported: or infantry battalion, or 1 1 / 2 cavalry squadron, or a battery of artillery, with belonging to the symposium parts of the baggage³.
Because, along with parts of troops sent only the most essential part of their Obozov, then the rest wagon, in 1300 the number of carts (consisting called Train colonne and Munition colonne, in charge of the management corps), was sent in special trains, but also , Followed not directly part of the troops and went into two separate groups, so that the first was transported to the first number of dispatched troops to the border, while the second group was for those four buildings, which were transported on the Rhine after 3 August.
Believing that to raise an army corps is in its composition, from two infantry divisions, with businesses owned by him, cavalry, artillery and baggage must be 90 trains to 50 cars and platforms for everyone - it turns out that the movement of the whole German army, so e. 15 liners during the 14 days it took to put on the railways around 1300 trains carrying troops and the same back - empty.
Food that huge masses of troops transported by rail, was arranged in such a way that each line has been elected a few paragraphs, called food, in which troops have hot food and coffee. These items were designated crossing points and trains coming from the troops, with trains returning back.
If consistent all of the difficulties associated with the simultaneous movement of such huge numbers of trains - although these difficulties were overcome, to some extent, so that all lines, which occurred on the transport of troops, was suspended on the movement of passenger trains for 10 days, as commodity for a month - then one can not but wonder of the foresight and accuracy with which it was calculated and enforced this movement.
It should be noted that despite increased and uninterrupted movement by rail, and the fatigue of the rail road service - was only one case of a collision of trains, it is with Nordgauzene, with the number of deaths and injuries was very low.
So it is clear that the movement of the Prussian troops to the French border, everything was seriously designed, calculated and prepared, most transportation of hundreds of thousands of people and horses and the masses of artillery and baggage was carried out with unusual precision and skill.
Let's see now - how to commit such an operation is in the French army, and for that turn to the same brochure - «Des causes qui ont amene la capitulation de Sedan» attributed to an Emperor, to enter into the original, players command armies: «Emperor I consider it possible to reach such an important outcome⁴, but in doing so, he bitterly mistaken, as well as all those who thought that using the railways, the concentration of so many people, horses and military goods, may commit in the proper manner and with precision, without advance Orders vigilant administration ».
These words, as they say, the Emperor, former Chief of French forces, most argue that on the movement of troops - in France, nothing has been prepared and implemented.

 

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1) Except for those, like this will be mentioned below, which were to move to the borders on foot.

2) With the exception of those parts which, because of their proximity to the borders were pododvinuty to the Rhine on foot.

3) It should be noted that in the Prussian army, where troops are only the most essential part of troop stuff, but all the rest wagon corps: - proviantsky, artillery and sanitation - gathers in a separate fleet, composed in the conduct of corps headquarters. Neprikosnovennaya portion of diets and transported in a special Park (Train Colonne); care of collected in 12 field offices, hospitals and in their reserves, ammunition, administered by artillery bosses, transported, along with artillery shells and other accessories as well as with the march BUILDING - in a park.
Proviantsky train consists of 150 big four vans in this war was even formed a special semiregular fleet of 300 vans covered.
On top of this stuff, mobilization, in conjunction with a device point lines formed landmark wagon, is divided into mobile (Fuhrenpark colonne) and station (Stations fuhrenpark). The first consists of 600 irregular parokonnyh carts for each shell, but if necessary, so the number may be increased to double the number. Station landmark park is organized by order of the Inspector phases, as required, on which depends the size of it.

4) TE crossing the Rhine and offensive movements against the German army.