Documentary backdrop image for Motor Convoy (2015)

201525 minPGdocumentary

Motor Convoy

201525 minPGdocumentary

In 1919, the United States Army's transcontinental convoy trip highlighted the logistical challenges of military travel across diverse terrains like the Blue Ridge Mountains and Sierra Nevada.

Genres

Channel: US National Archives

Motor Convoy

2015• 25 minPG

Synopsis

In 1919, the United States Army's transcontinental convoy trip highlighted the logistical challenges of military travel across diverse terrains like the Blue Ridge Mountains and Sierra Nevada.

Synopsis

In 1919, the United States Army conducted a transcontinental convoy to demonstrate the necessity for enhanced military logistics. The expedition commenced with a dedication ceremony at the Zero Milestone in Washington, D.C., attended by Secretary of War Newton D. Baker and Representative Julius Kahn. The convoy navigated diverse terrains, including the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Salt Lake Desert, and the Sierra Nevada, encountering significant challenges such as overturned trucks and muddy roads. This operation underscored the logistical obstacles of cross-country travel in the early 20th century.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918 to September 1, 1919, 1st Division (2018)

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918 to September 1, 1919, 1st Division

In Montabaur, Germany, the 1st Division of the U.S. Army conducts military maneuvers, inspections, and community events from December 1918 to September 1919.

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918 to September 1, 1919, 1st Division

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918 to September 1, 1919, 3rd Army Headquarters (2018)

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918 to September 1, 1919, 3rd Army Headquarters

Coblenz, Germany, in 1919 showcases U.S. Army activities, including troop inspections, horse care, and military ceremonies following World War I.

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918 to September 1, 1919, 3rd Army Headquarters

American Army Students at French Schools----Spring of 1919 (2017)

American Army Students at French Schools----Spring of 1919

In Spring 1919, American soldiers attended classes at the University of Beaune, engaging in various educational and agricultural activities under the supervision of General Pershing.

American Army Students at French Schools----Spring of 1919

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918, to September 1, 1919, 90th Division (2018)

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918, to September 1, 1919, 90th Division

In 1919, the 90th Division's activities in Germany are documented, showcasing troop movements, military decorations, and local events in Mehren and Berncastle.

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918, to September 1, 1919, 90th Division

Training Activities of the (83rd) Division, Camp Sherman, Ohio (2016)

Training Activities of the (83rd) Division, Camp Sherman, Ohio

Camp Sherman in Ohio served as a training ground for draftees during World War I, showcasing various military activities and daily life from 1917 to 1918.

Training Activities of the (83rd) Division, Camp Sherman, Ohio

Draft and Mobilization Activities (2013)

Draft and Mobilization Activities

In 1917-1918, prominent figures such as President Wilson and General Enoch H. Crowder participated in the draft process, showcasing recruitment and internment activities during World War I.

Draft and Mobilization Activities

Base Section No. 5 (Brest), Troop Arrival and Rest Camp Scenes [1918] (2018)

Base Section No. 5 (Brest), Troop Arrival and Rest Camp Scenes [1918]

Brest's harbor in 1918 showcases the arrival of U.S. troops, including the 304th Field Artillery and 61st Infantry, as they debark from various transports and set up camp.

Base Section No. 5 (Brest), Troop Arrival and Rest Camp Scenes [1918]

Patton's Rapid Campaign Across Europe *Marathon (2026)

Patton's Rapid Campaign Across Europe *Marathon

General George S. Patton's armored campaigns across Europe played a crucial role in U.S. forces' rapid offensives that contributed to the Allied victory in World War II.

Patton's Rapid Campaign Across Europe *Marathon

Occupation of the Ansauville Sector (Lorraine), Jan. 15-April 3, 1918, First Division (2017)

Occupation of the Ansauville Sector (Lorraine), Jan. 15-April 3, 1918, First Division

In Lorraine from January 15 to April 3, 1918, U.S. troops, including the 18th Infantry and 6th Field Artillery, engaged in trench warfare and logistical operations during World War I.

Occupation of the Ansauville Sector (Lorraine), Jan. 15-April 3, 1918, First Division

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918, to September 1, 1919, 2nd Division (2018)

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918, to September 1, 1919, 2nd Division

In post-World War I Germany, the 2nd Division of the U.S. Army conducts military exercises, inspections, and community interactions from December 1918 to September 1919.

The Army of Occupation, December 1, 1918, to September 1, 1919, 2nd Division

The Air Force Missile Mission (2015)

The Air Force Missile Mission

James Stewart narrates a detailed overview of the U.S. Air Force's missile program and its strategic importance during the Cold War era.

The Air Force Missile Mission

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History (2019)

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History

The 1918 influenza pandemic killed more people worldwide than combat during World War One.

Influenza: The Hundred Year Hunt to Cure the Deadliest Disease in History

Explore Motor Convoy

Where else to watch

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip (2003)

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip

2003•1h47m•★7.7TMDB

A 20-horsepower Winton car carries Dr. Horatio Nelson Jackson and his companions on the first cross-country automobile trip in the summer of 1903.

Horatio's Drive: America's First Road Trip

Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels (2000)

Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels

2000•57m•★9.0TMDB

The 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps completed a 2000-mile bicycle trip from Montana to St. Louis in 1897.

Bicycle Corps: America's Black Army on Wheels

Combat Trains (2015)

Combat Trains

2015•44m•★5.5TMDB

Locomotives played a crucial role in wartime from the American Civil War to World War II, featuring rare archival footage and veteran accounts.

Gun Trucks of Vietnam (2018)

Gun Trucks of Vietnam

Five-ton gun trucks, built by teenage soldiers, defended U.S. Army convoys during the Vietnam War against enemy attacks.

Gun Trucks of Vietnam

Sherman's March (2007)

Sherman's March

62,000 Union troops marched over 650 miles in less than 100 days during General William Tecumseh Sherman's campaign through the South.

Sherman's March

Myanmar Diaries (2022)

Myanmar Diaries

2022•1h10m•★7.3TMDB

Following the February 1, 2021 coup, citizens of Myanmar express their struggles against military rule through personal stories and artistic expression.

Myanmar Diaries

Browse more like this

Patton's Rapid Campaign Across Europe *Marathon (2026)

Patton's Rapid Campaign Across Europe *Marathon

General George S. Patton's armored campaigns across Europe played a crucial role in U.S. forces' rapid offensives that contributed to the Allied victory in World War II.

Patton's Rapid Campaign Across Europe *Marathon

No digital watch option in your country

America on the Move 1876-2000 (2003)

America on the Move 1876-2000

2003•1h27m•★10.0TMDB

An actual piece of Route 66 allows visitors to walk on a tangible part of American transportation history in this 87-minute documentary.

America on the Move 1876-2000

WW1 - War on Two Wheels (2021)

WW1 - War on Two Wheels

2021•51m•★8.5TMDB

Bicycles played a crucial role in World War I, used for reconnaissance and transporting ammunition across the front lines.

WW1 - War on Two Wheels

Army 250 Parade (2025)

Army 250 Parade

A military parade commemorating the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army takes place in Washington D.C., honoring veterans and active-duty troops.

Army 250 Parade

The Lincoln Highway: Across America on the First Transcontinental Motor Route (2023)

The Lincoln Highway: Across America on the First Transcontinental Motor Route

A 451-minute travelogue traces the original 1913 route of the Lincoln Highway across 14 states, from San Francisco to New York City.

The Lincoln Highway: Across America on the First Transcontinental Motor Route

A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway (2008)

A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway

Thirteen states are traversed by the Lincoln Highway, America’s first coast-to-coast paved road established in 1913.

A Ride Along the Lincoln Highway

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film (1998)

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film

1998•1h28m•★7.6TMDB

Abraham Zapruder's footage of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963, is digitally remastered to reveal new details and its impact on public perception.

Image of an Assassination: A New Look at the Zapruder Film

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →