ABSTRACT
During the Great War, the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) managed to develop a highly efficient and effective administrative infrastructure. By the summer of 1918, it became capable of supporting simultaneous offensive action by multiple British armies. On 1 January 1918 the BEFs commanders and administrators faced the task of preparing their units and formations for the assumed German spring offensive. The BEF expended an enormous quantity of ammunition in the spring. September 1918 proved a difficult month for the BEF, as the continued advance threw an increasing strain on the lines of communication. Bad weather slowed shipments to France, and the further the BEF advanced from their base ports, the more the logistic equaliser came into play. The serious logistic strain on the British continued in October, as all the British armies remained active and advancing.
