(1) Tonnages Handled. During FY 1955, BPOE and the 11th Transportation Port Command B handled 1,073,000 long tons of stock, or 289,000 long tons less than the previous fiscal year. BPOE alone handled some 231,000 tons less than during FY 1954, mainly shipments of general cargo and bulk POL. The tonnage of the 11th Transportation Port Command B also dropped by some 58,000 tons. The total decrease in tonnage receipts, however, was actually 77,000 tons for the French ports since shipments outloaded increased by 19,000 tons over FY 1954. Although plans under Concept C called for a shift to the LOFC in France, BPOE continued to handle a major share of tonnages. During FY 1955 the monthly average for BPOE was approximately 70,000 tons, whereas that for the entire COMZ port complex under the 11th Transportation Port Command B was only 17,000 tons. Much remained to be accomplished before USAREUR could achieve the 70-30 ratio envisaged under Concept C. (72) Table 14 shows the monthly cargo tonnages handled by both BPOE and the 11th Transportation Port Command B for FY 1955.

(2) Personnel Movements. During FY 1955 396,692 personnel of all categories were shipped through both port commands, an increase of 16,701 persons over the previous fiscal year. Although BPOE handled some 10,843 more persons, the significant increase was at the 11th Transportation Port Command B, which saw an increase of 5,858 persons over the FY 1954 total of only 301 persons. Shipments of personnel through French ports occurred during only four months -- July and December, 1954, and January and February, 1955. At BPOE the major portion of the increase was in personnel embarking for the United States. (73)

B. NODEX Operations, 1954-1955. New offshore discharge exercises (NODEX) were begun in November 1954 after the original offshore discharge exercises (ODEX) had been stopped in February 1954. USAREUR planned to use certain new items of equipment in these exercises, such as landing craft utility (LCU), the 10,000-pound rough terrain forklift, the cargo resupply amphibious barge (BARC), and an aerial tramway. (74) In all, a total of 4 exercises were begun, with 3 of them being completed during the fiscal year. NODEX No. 1 began with the arrival of the Greece Victory on 1 November 1954 and terminated with the completion of discharge of cargo from the Lt. Robinson on 27 November. During the exercise, held at Le Verdon on the Gironde Estuary, a total of 7,832.8 long tons of cargo was unloaded from the participating ships. NODEX No. 2, began on 1 February 1955 at Le Verdon; No. 3 on 11 April at Le Verdon; and No. 4 on 27 June 1955 at La Repente, near La Pallice. (75)

In December 1954 the French Government had nominated five sites at which soil tests could be made for the selection of a permanent NODEX beach site. These included Le Verdon, Benedat Bay, La Foret de Fouesnant, Rade de Quiberon, and Rade de La Pallice. During March 1955 Base Section, COMZ, recommended Le Verdon as a permanent NODEX beach site, with negotiations to be continued for an alternate site. The only obstacle to using Le Verdon on a permanent basis was that the private property at the beach site would have to be purchased. (76)

(72) (1) USAREUR Quarterly Review of Log Actvs, 30 Jun 55, p. 80. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED). (2) USAREUR Plan and Dir, 31 Mar 55, sub: Concept C, Goals for Implementation, pp. 6-9. Prepared by the USAREUR ACOFS G4. GLD 65-1. SECRET. In USAREUR Hist Div Doc Br.
(73) USAREUR Quarterly Review of Log Actvs, 30 Jun 55, p. 79. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED).
(74) USAREUR CINC's Wkly Stf Conf 14, 2 Nov 54, p. 5. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED). In USAREUR Hist Div Doc Br.
(75) (1) USAREUR CINC's Wkly Stf Conf 17, 14 Dec 54, p. 7. SECRET (information used UNCLASSIFIED). (2) Memos, USAREUR ACOFS G4 to USAREUR COFS, 1 Feb, 1 Apr, 1 Jun 55, sub: Monthly Report of Important Planning Projects Pending within G4 Division. UNCLASSIFIED. In USAREUR ACOFS G4 Cen files, 319.1 (1955), Vol, I.
(76) Memo, USAREUR ACOFS G4 to USAREUR COFS, 1 Feb, 1 Apr 55, cited above.