America in World War I: A Signal Corps plant at the front (b/w photo)

A Signal Corps plant at the front. Communication of intelligence was in charge of Brigadier General Edgar Russel, Chief Signal Officer, A E F. It was divided into two fields: (1) Communication from the base ports up to the lines of combat. (2) Communication within and between the units of the fighting forces. This involved communication during active military operations at the front and the interception of enemy communications. In this field communication was carried on not only by telegraph, telephone and radio but by visual signaling and by means of pigeons. The unit for work at the front was a Signal Battalion consisting of 14 officers and 459 soldiers. The A E F Signal Corps wire plant at its maximum totaled 134,250 miles. The combat lines on pole and buried systems comprised 39,000 miles. The photograph shows men of B and C Companies. 117th F S Battalion (Missouri) installing telephones to the front line. Illustration for US Official Pictures of the World War, showing America's Participation, selected from the official files of the War Department by William E Moore and James C Russell (Pictoria Bureau, 1920). Gravure printed.