Red Ball Express

The Red Ball Express was a logistics system set up by the US Army in August 1944 to support the rapid advance of Allied forces in Europe after the Normandy landings. It consisted of an organized network of road convoys operating 24 hours a day to transport fuel, ammunition, food, and equipment from ports and depots in the rear to combat units at the front, particularly when the rail network was destroyed or saturated. The majority of soldiers assigned to this system were African American.

The Red Ball Express was activated following the Allied breakthrough in Normandy and the advance to the Seine and beyond, during which time American forces found themselves far from their traditional supply lines. The convoys, consisting mainly of trucks, traveled on dedicated roads to ensure a constant flow of supplies to the advancing armies, including the Third Army and other units engaged in the liberation of France and the advance into Germany.

The Red Ball Express units were organized to minimize waiting times and optimize traffic on roads that were sometimes damaged or congested. They were deployed to the German border and participated in the logistics of all major American operations from August 25 to November 16, 1944, for a total of 83 days, after which the opening of additional ports in France and Belgium, notably Antwerp, and the repair of rail infrastructure allowed American logistics to resume normal operations.

The Red Ball Express's service record covers the entire campaign in France and Belgium in 1944, with a central role in transporting fuel, ammunition, and supplies to the advanced American forces. It supported the Allied offensive after the Normandy landings and until the first operations in Belgium, ensuring logistical continuity under conditions of exceptional mobility and speed.