
United States Camel Corps - samclemens
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Camel_Corps
======
provost
Camels were used during WW1, WW2, and are even used today for peacekeeping
missions in parts of Africa.

The following picture is of Dutch peacekeepers on camelback:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel_cavalry#/media/File:UN_S...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel_cavalry#/media/File:UN_Soldiers_in_Eritrea.jpeg)

Not to mention the anti-Taliban rebels in Afghanistan... Camel calvary are
still alive and well.

~~~
dmix
I read a great series about the Eastern Front in WW1 from the 'Axis'
perspective [1] and the use of donkeys and horses was a critical part of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire and later German armies offence (and later defence)
against the Russians.

Their entire front against Russia was eventually reliant on their ability to
drag heavy artillery and supplies through the dangerous mountain passes of the
Carpathian mountains. An example of what they went through for their country:
[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Wintersc...](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Winterschlacht_in_den_Karpaten.jpg?1502922470339)

Supply lines are the often unspoken critical pieces of the puzzles for any
great war before mid-WW2. Poor logistical planning in their invasion of Russia
was also was a major factor in why the Nazi's lost WW2 - which is where
Germany really lost the war, the "war of the Atlantic" and later western front
with the Americans was just the multi-year delayed wrapping up action where
they had very little odds from the beginning.

This second book [2] has a great overview about why the Nazi's had actually
lost the war by 1941 (and very obviously by 1942) due to poor logistical
planning of Operation Barbarossa, largely due to the strategic planners
overconfidence in the German superiority over Slavs after they swept the
French/British out of Europe. The next 3yrs were just Hitler's delusions
keeping it afloat.

[1] [https://www.amazon.com/Collision-Empires-Eastern-General-
Mil...](https://www.amazon.com/Collision-Empires-Eastern-General-
Military/dp/1472813189/)

[2] [https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Barbarossa-Germanys-
Cambrid...](https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Barbarossa-Germanys-Cambridge-
Histories-ebook/dp/B00B23DEBQ/)

~~~
vkou
The situation in WW2 wasn't any better then WW1.

If you think the roads in your town are poorly maintained, take a look at this
example of Rasputitsa in the USSR. [1]

Yes, the people in the photographs are trying to pull that car down the road.
Yes, that is indeed a road.

Soviet railroad gauges being incompatible with European rail gauges also did
little to help German logistics. And later in the war, due to fuel shortages,
more and more axis machinery had to be transported by draft-horse.

[1]
[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Bundesar...](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-1981-149-34A%2C_Russland%2C_Herausziehen_eines_Autos.jpg)

~~~
dmix
Agreed, I said mid WW2 because the later half of the war was in Europe where
more modern transport supported the supply lines (aircraft and railroad).

But the earlier half was largely a mix of WW1 esque supply logistics using
horses and german automobiles struggling over poor Russian roads. The poor
logistical planning I alluded to was largely underestimating how poor Russia's
infrastructure was and overestimating the capabilities of Germans to overcome
them.

------
gt5050
BSF Camel Corps (
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikaner_Camel_Corps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikaner_Camel_Corps)
) are probably the last forces still using camels for active duty.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqr0_PjPEIk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqr0_PjPEIk)

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nthcolumn
By the by and apropos of nothing, 'Camel Corps' is what we used to call
certain members of the British diplomatic service who had 'gone native' in the
Middle East and Arabian peninsula generally but more specifically to those
diplomats who had passed through the Middle East Centre for Arabic Studies
school in the Leb (and Oxford). FO had many Arabists for a time, not so sure
nowadays. There was of course a fairly impressive Imperial Camel Corps during
WWI comprised of actual camels and mainly Anzacs.

~~~
phillc73
This article in general reminded me of the role camels played in the European
exploration of Australia. There is now a reasonably large population of wild,
feral camels in Australia[1], and I thought this article might speak of
something similar in the US.

However, I'd never heard of the Imperial Camel Corps[2] and am now intrigued
to learn more. Thanks for the initial information.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_feral_camel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_feral_camel)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Camel_Corps](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Camel_Corps)

------
crikli
Jim Kjelgaard wrote a kid's fiction book, "Hi Jolly", about this that I
remember reading 30+ years ago:

[http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41700/41700-h/41700-h.htm](http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41700/41700-h/41700-h.htm)

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scentoni
A sort of homecoming, since camelids originated in North America, and
afterward spread to South America and Asia:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel#Evolution](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camel#Evolution)

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bexelbie
Why did the confederates write a receipt to the US government?

~~~
jackfoxy
Early in the rebellion the confederates were determined to establish the
legitimacy of their secession, which would include respecting property. The
camels were the property of the U.S. government.

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csours
Reminiscent of the hilarious story "Space Rats of the CCC" (Combat Camel Corp)
by Harry Harrison.

I highly recommend reading it if you can find it - my google-fu is failing.

~~~
k_sh
I found an archive of it:
[http://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/recording/kz0566](http://www.pacificaradioarchives.org/recording/kz0566)

> This recording is currently on a 1/4” reel tape and has not been digitally
> preserved. If you would like to contribute to the cost of transferring this
> recording, and receive your own personal copy on CD, please complete this
> form and we will return your request with pricing information.

------
jefflyon
"On June 4, 1855, Wayne departed New York City on board the USS Supply"

We weren't very good at naming ships back then.

