Army General Staff College Collection

The Army General Staff College (AGSC) collection is an open, processed collection of bound volumes, file folders and maps of curriculum material used at the AGSC in Langres, France from 1917-1918.  The collection is not a complete set of curriculum material for the 4 AGSC courses taught from November 1917-December 1918.

The material is organized by course.  The material for the first course consists of scanned copies of lecture material from books housed at the Military History Institute at Carlisle Barracks, PA.  It is found in 4 folders.  The second course material appears to be complete and is found in 5 bound volumes.  Third course material is not complete and consists of one bound volume of lectures.  Material for the fourth course is also incomplete.  This material belonged to 1Lt. Lansing B. Bailey of the 91st Infantry Division.  It consists of lectures and maps and a yearbook.  This material is found in one box and three map folders.  A separate finder's guide for this material is available.

When the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) arrived in France in 1917, AEF authorities decided to reorganize the Army's division and higher level staffs to be more in line with their French and British counterparts.  The reorganization required an increase in the number of officers trained for staff work.  The Army General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, had filled this function before the war.  This school was closed in 1916 as the war approached.

In order to meet the need for trained staff officers, a short and intensive course in staff training was established.  This course, known as the Army General Staff College (AGSC) was located at Carteret-Trecourt Barracks in Langres, France.  Four courses of instruction were held at the school beginning in November 1917 and ending in December 1918.  Each course consisted primarily of lectures and map problems.

In December 1918, the AGSC was dissolved.  The Fort Leavenworth school for staff officers was reestablished in 1920.

Other materials in the collection pertaining to the AGSC are found in the photo collection and the vertical file.  The photo material is a collection of photos reproduced from National Archives holdings.  It includes pictures of the school, staff and students.  The vertical file contains articles giving some background information on the school.

Researchers desiring further information should consult record group 120.3.5 at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.

The AGSC 4th course material is incomplete.  It consists of lectures and maps material used in the AGSC 4th course taught from October-December 1918.  The material originally belonged to 1Lt. Lansing B Bailey of the 9lst Infantry Division.  The lecture material is found in one box, along with the original folders and a yearbook of the 4th course.  The maps are located in drawers 4 & 5 of the old dark grey map case.

The material is organized according to a subject scheme found in a General Index published for the 4th Course.  Some of the material used in the 4th course was used in previous courses as well and the documents reflect this previous use (i.e. material used in the 3rd course are marked "3rd course").

There are 15 subject divisions: Administration and Supply; Artillery; British Army; Cavalry; General Literature; German Army; Intelligence; Machine Guns; Map Problems; Maps; Operations; Practical Problems; Staff ride and Tanks.

The collection also includes some administrative material from the 4th course, and some material from the Army Service School, which ILT Bailey apparently attended prior to attending the Army General Staff Course.  The administrative material includes the General Index of all lectures and map problems by subject.  It also includes the complete daily schedule for the course.

A yearbook prepared for members of the 4th course is also included with this material although it is unclear if this item belonged to 1LT. Bailey.

Contents
Folder 1 General Index
Folder 2 Course of Instruction

Administration and supply
Folder 1 Administrative duties
Folder 2 Administrative duties in Army & Corps Staff
Folder 3 Ammunition supply
Folder 4 Animals (G.O. 65, Headquarters, A.E.F., Apr. 30, 1918)
Folder 5 Animals (Horse management)
Folder 6 Animals (Notes on horse management in the field)
Folder 7 Burial
Folder 8 Communications and transportation
Folder 9 Entraining data for division
Folder 10 Evacuation (Medical)
Folder 11 March Graphics
Folder 12 Message Centers
Folder 13 Moves by bus
Folder 14 Moves by rail
Folder 15 Road moves
Folder 16 Administrative section in offensive operations
Folder 17 Administrative section in defensive operations
Folder 18 Orders
Folder 19 Tables and definitions
Folder 20 Road spaces (tables)
Folder 21 Traffic control

Artillery
Folder I Data on Artillery
Folder 2 Artillery in the defensive
Folder 3 Effects of, (Burst diagrams)
Folder 4 Artillery fire (outline of subject)
Folder 5 Artillery in the offensive
Folder 6 Artillery supplements

British Army
Folder 1 British intelligence
Folder 2 Organization of British Corps and Division

Cavalry
Folder 1 Cavalry

General Literature
Folder I Orders (G.O. 79)
Folder 2 Tables of Organization (Division Infantry)
Folder 3 Organization of Army Corps and Division (French Army)
Folder 4 Provisional Staff manual
Folder 5 Note book for the general staff officer
Folder 6 Staff organization (U.S. Army)
Folder 7 Flash and sound ranging
(NOTE: the following folders are not listed in the General Index, but were included with
the course material, they are listed in this section for convenience)
Folder 8 Accompanying fire of artillery
Folder 9 Chart (organization)
Folder 10 Comments on G- 1 work
Folder 11 Map problems
Folder 12 Stable routine-October 1918

German Army
Folder 1 Enemy identifications
Folder 2 German Army System

Intelligence
Folder I Intelligence service
Folder 2 General duties of officers of G-2 section of an army corps
Folder 3 Intelligence service in an infantry division
Folder 4 Notes regarding estimate of terrain and enemy
Folder 5 Samples of special maps

Machine Guns
Folder I Cooperation of various arms (machine guns)
Folder 2 Artillery and machine guns in support of infantry
Folder 3 Supplement to machine gun drill regulations.

Map Problems
Folder I Map Reading Exercise
Folder 2 Map Problem #1 - Move by road
Folder 3 Map Problem #2 - Estimate of terrain and enemy
Folder 4 Map Problem #3 - Move by bus and road
Folder 5 Map Problem #4 - Infantry plan
Folder 6 Map Problem #5 - Move by rail
Folder 7 Map Problem #7 - Relief of a division in the line
Folder 8 Map Problem #8 - Counter Battery Plan
Folder 9 Map Problem #9 - Defense Scheme
Folder 10 Map Problem #10 - Artillery and Machine Gun support for infantry
Folder 11 Map, Problem #1 I - Liaison plan
Folder 12 Map Problem #12 - Intelligence problem
Folder 13 Map Problem # 1 3 - Communication, supply and evacuation
Folder 14 Map Problem #14 - Raid
Folder 15 Map Problem # 1 5 - Area organization
Folder 16 Map Problem #16 - Exploiting a success
Folder 17 Map Problem #17 - Tactical withdrawal
Folder 18 Map, Problem # 1 8 - Counter attack
Folder 19 Map Problem # 1 9 - Advance to fill a gap
Folder 20 Map Problem #20 - Attack in open warfare
Folder 21 Map Problem #21 - Outpost and pursuit
Folder 22 Map Problem #22 - Division in attack

Maps
NOTE: Maps are filed in Map Drawer 120. The following
maps are present:
Beauvais NE 1:50,000
Beauvais SE 1:50,000
Chambley 1:20,000
Chateau Thierry 1:20,000
Commercy 1:80,000
Conde-en-Brie 1:20,000
Environs of Langres 1:50,000
Fismes 1:20,000
Langres 1:20,000
Laon NW 1:50,000
Laon SW 1:50,000
La Seille 1:20,000
Meaux 1:80,000
Metz 1:200,000
Metz 1:80,000
Montidier SE 1:50,000
Montmedy 1:80,000
Nomeny 1:20,000
Oulchy-le-Chateau 1:20,000
Sainte Aulde 1:20,000
Soissons 1:80,000
Stenay 1:20,000
Sud de la Somme 1:20,000
Verdun NE 1:50,000
Verdun SE 1:50,000

Operations
Folder 1 Instructions on defense
Folder 2 Plan of defense
Folder 3 Making the counterattack
Folder 4 Organization of liaison in command
Folder 5 Notes on the pigeon service
Folder 6 Signal Service

Practical Problems
Folder 1 Roster of Officers for practical problems 1, 2 & 3
Folder 2 Notes for practical problem no. 1
Folder 3 Plan of liaison
Folder 4 General situation problem no 2 & 3
Folder 5 Plan of communication, supply and evacuation
Folder 6 Notes on practical problems 1, 2 & 3

Staff Ride
Folder I Assignments
Folder 2 Part I, Chapter 1
Folder 4 Part 1, Chapter 3
Folder 5 Part I, Chapter 4
Folder 6 Part II
Folder 7 Part III
Folder 8 Part IV
Folder 9 Part V
Folder 10 Notes on attack of 33'd division
Folder 11 Victory of Verdun
Folder 12 German attack in the Verdun sector in 1916

NOTE: The maps and tracings for the staff ride are in 2 folders in Map Drawer 120. The following maps and tracings are present:

Contents of folder #1
Bar-le-Duc   1:80,000
Brandeville   1:20,000
Buzancy   1:20,000
Chalons   1:200,000
Connnercy   1:80,000
Dun-sur-Meuse   1:20,000 (2 maps)
Etain A   1:20,000
Foret d'Argonne   1:20,000
Le Chesne   1:20,000
Longwy   1:200,000
Marville   1:20,000
Metz   1:200,000
Metz   1:80,000
Metz   1:20,000
Mezieres   1:200,000
Mezieres   1:80,000
Mezieres SE    1:50,000
Mezieres    1:20,000
Raucourt    1:20,000
Verdun A    1:20,000
Verdun B    1:20,000
Vouzieres    1:20,000

Contents of folder #2
5 charts
4 tracings (hand drawn)

Tanks
Folder 1 Cooperation of the various arms/tanks
Folder 2 Light tanks in exploitation (lecture by COL George S. Patton Jr.)

Army School of the Line materials
Folder 1 Close shooting in the field by artillery
Folder 2 Lecture on trains
Folder 3 Plan of liaison-3rd regiment
Folder 4 Notes on the preparation of orders for an attack-trench warfare
Folder 5 Terrain exercise 32.

NOTE: The original folders used by LT. Bailey to store his materials are in the back of the box. There are some notations on them. For example, one folder has the grades he got on the map problems.

Return to Archival Resources