European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1959, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Hin thousands of tons of military cargoes now ride barges from the big dutch seaport to pm centers in Germany and France by Ernie Weatherall staff writer the army transportation corps issuing an ancient Supply route once used by the romans when they ruled  is Europe s Busy water super Highway the Rhine River. Three years ago the army decided notto put All its logistical eggs in one Basket. Instead of continuing to depend on one or two ports in Europe to Supply its troops it was decided to use Rotterdam ii the Netherlands As an additional port of entry for cargo. Rotterdam is Europe s largest port. Itis second in the world to new York in the amount of tonnage handled. Being at the Mouth of the Rhine River has Given the port a strategic position in  the Bremerhaven port of embarkation established its booming sub Portal Rotterdam More than 18,000 Long tons of army cargo have been handled at the dutch port each month. Most of the cargo is transferred directly from Ocean freighters to barges. Then after a six or seven Day trip up the Rhine the barges tie up at Mannheim where the Yare unloaded and the cargo is shipped by truck to various warehouses and troop installations in Central and Southern Ger Many. Besides being shipped via Europe s most travelled Inland waterway some cargo from Rotterdam is routed to its destination Brail. Shipments to the huge quartermaster Supply centers at Metz France and Gies sen and Idar Oberstein Germany Are sent this  shipments go directly by truck such As the huge Rolls of newsprint used by the stars and stripes. Just what determines whether the cargo goes by water rail or truck depends on the rates Type of cargo and other considerations. The commander of  sub port it co Robert a Flint of Phoenix ariz., explained Why Bulky newsprint is not shipped by Barge newsprint can be easily damaged he said. If a Roll is dropped it can cause a lot of trouble on the press run by tearing or splitting. If we shipped newsprint by Barge i would have to be unloaded at Mannheim and trucked to Darmstadt. By sending it directly from Rotterdam by truck we eliminate another  most of the cargo shipped on the  of food and subsistence for the army bases. This Type of cargo is a natural for barges since much of it is Bulky and Light such As breakfast Cereal soap pow Der tissue paper and similar items. We have to handle this cargo like egg sin a Basket Flint explained. It s not packed for Export in order to save Money and it can be crushed pretty  Mannheim is a breakdown Point formations. Food shipments Are made up from the Stock delivered by barges to the warehouse and then trucked to the various army Supply areas. Vehicles Are another important Barge cargo. Tanks trucks and army air planes Are a familiar sight travelling on a Barge up the Rhine. Then we have our general cargo which. Includes everything from safety pins to penicillin Flint pointed out. You name it and we be shipped it almost half the Barge cargo returning to Rotterdam consists of convex containers filled with dependents household  military vehicles due for replace ment being shipped Back to the states also make up a Large part of the cargo. Recently the sub port got into the passenger business when the military sea transport service began booking space on the commercial liner Atlantic to transport army and air Force cos and their families to and from Europe. The Atlantic sails every 21 Days fro Amsterdam. A team from the Rotter dam sub port processes the passengers As they arrive and depart. Despite its huge operation the sub port at Rotterdam operates with Only 21 per sons including three officers and six enlisted men. All the loading shipping and other operations Are done by dutch Steve Dores and Barge contractors. All the military personnel live on the Economy in Amsterdam and at the re quest of the . Embassy in the nether lands Wear civilian clothes. They go to Bremerhaven periodically some 10 hours away where their Home unit is located to shoot on the Rifle Range or to perform other required military training. Flint insists that military personnel assigned to his command from Bremer Haven be married because there Are to Many distractions in Rotterdam for single  so far i be been proven right he added. We have a great Bunch of people Here. Our Community relations Are  i Don t think i know of any operation that operates 24 hours a Day with so few persons he pointed out. I think this is a compliment to All of our personnel we work at the Rotterdam  a tank is lifted off freighter for Barge shipment to Germany. Army helicopter is unloaded at Mannheim army cargoes Are loaded off freighters onto Rhine barges in Rotterdam Harbor. A tool Robert p. Flint left commands port  Germany Antwerp \v.v.\.wvfvv.v/.v.%\v.\v/av/av.v,. We Mem a Belgium Mannheim France household goods of personnel returning to the .make up bulk of military cargo shipped out of Rotterdam sub port v v a a ,.v.v.w to � t t t � to it it wow statute Miles  map the Mannheim terminal of the army s Rhine Supply line u Dost to major quartermaster storage installation. The stars and stripes Friday aug wet 21, 1959 the stars and stripes pa0t if