THE MOTOR

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 102, 2 May 1919, Page 11

THE MOTOR

ROADS OVEB. THE ALPS

USE IN THE GREAT WAR

(By " Chassis.")

On the top of the Pass of Montgenevre, between France and Italy, there is a massive stone column commemorating the passage of Napoleon's armies over the Alps into Italy. If any- similar monument were erected to commemorate the war of 1914-1918, it should be placed on the top of Mont Cenis, by the side of the road which acted as the main communication between the two countries. The importance of these roads over the Alps has never been fully realised by the general public. Between France and Italy there are two railroad lines, one going. through Mont Cenis, and the other crossing the frontier at Vintimille, near the' shores of the Mediterranean. The' Simplon Pass, going through Switzerland, could not be used for Allied war' traffic. Thus practically' all our traffic with Italy, and by the overland route to Salonika and Egypt, had to be by way of the Mont Cenis Pass.

As this line was altogether inadequate to meet war requirements, steps were taken to use the roads as much as possible. Very early in'the war Italy became an important supplier of motor vehicles to the Allies, and particularly the French Armies. _ Most of these cars and lorries were delivered by road over the Alps. One company, as the most important of the- Italian suppliers, ran regular and daily convoys o£ 20 to 60 cars or lorries from Turin over t the Mont Cenis Pass toj Modane, on the Italian side of the Alps. The distance from Turin to Modane is only 80 miles, but 21 miles of this are steady climbing, and the altitude attained is about 7000 feet. One set of drivers was kept exclusively on this work; and as the men were thoroughly experienced and well acquainted with the roads, some thousands of cars were delivered over the Alps, notwithstanding the exceedingly difficult nature of the country.

: Usually from the end of November- to the month of May all the better roads over the Alps are snowed up. The> authorities realised that they could not allow these roads to .be lost to them, and during the winter of 1916-1917 they put several thousand men on the Mont Cenis Pass ■ and on the Montgenevre Pass, in order to keep the roads free from snow. The same thing was done during the winter of 19174918, and had the war continued, 3000 German or Austrian prisoners would have been employed clearing snow off the Mont Cenis Pass during the winter of 1918-1919.

After the Caporetto disaster in November, 1917, the traffic across the Alps was nearly all from France' to Italy. All civilian traffic was stopped, and for several weeks an unending stream of military trains passed over the Mont Cenis and the Vintimille lines carrying English and French reinforcements who gave temporary aid to Italy.

Every road over the Alps was made nso of at this critical period. The French employed the Mont Gem's Pass and the Montgenevre Pass, while the English took the easier but longer route by way of the Mediterranean shores. Even at this time of the year the passe 3 were beginning to be snowed up, but by the aid of territorial troops and prisoners, the roads were kept open on all the passes until the necessary aid had been supplied to the Italian Army. Practically all the aeroplanes which, one company supplied to tho French and American armies in France were delivered under their own power over the Alps. As the highest^ peak is ten .thousand feet above sea level, it was .-necessary for the 'planes to cross an altitude .of not. less than 14,000 feet. As a precaution, against a, forced landing, a big aerodrome was prepared on the, top of Mont Cenis, 70C0 feet above sea level. The aeroplanes climbed to the necessary height while above the plains, but if any accident did happen while they were over the mountains, they were able to glide down to the Mont Cenis landing ground, tho position of which was clearly defined by a' huge white cross in the ground.