Armies, from the time of the Roman Empire, have recognized the requirement to have dedicated personnel to repair equipment.

The introduction, through the years, of more sophisticated and complex equipment has resulted in a need for highly trained maintenance specialists.

During the Second World War a specialist corps, The Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME), was created on 15 May 1944. The corps, was subsequently replaced by the Land Ordnance Engineering (LORE) Branch and is now the Land Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (LEME) Branch. The EME system has evolved to satisfy the increasingly complex needs of those it supports.

The aim of " Maintenance in Battle", is to describe how Land Electrical and Mechanical Engineers support the army in battle.

The first chapter describes the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) System in general. Chapters 2 and 3 outline the army organizations within an Area of Operations and describe the EME System in greater detail, discussing the types of activities that occur at all organizational levels. Chapters 4 to 6 describe the EME organizations and the method of operation at each level. Chapter 7 describes the deployment and tactical handling of EME organizations. Chapter 8 discusses EME operations in extreme environments.

Contents of this informative guide:

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION

Section 1 – General

  • Introduction

Section 2 – Role and Tasks of the EME

  • Role of the EME System
  • Tasks and Scope of the EME System

Section 3 – Maintenance

  • Level of Maintenance
  • Lines of Maintenance
  • Relationship of Line to Levels of Maintenance

Section 4 – Principles of EME Operation

  • Introduction
  • Foresight
  • Flexibility
  • Co–ordination
  • Co–operation
  • Economy
  • Stability
  • Simplicity
  • Protection
  • Self–Sufficiency

CHAPTER 2 – THE EME SYSTEM

Section 1 – Introduction

  • General
  • The Battlefield
  • Formations
  • EME Line Organizations
  • EME Staff Organizations

Section 2 – Technical Control

  • Introduction

Section 3 – EME Operations

  • Introduction
  • Equipment Casualty Classification
  • Movement of Equipment Casualties

CHAPTER 3 – ORGANIZATIONS

Section 1 – Introduction

  • General
  • Administration Areas

Section 2 – Structuring of EME Units

  • Introduction
  • Structure

Section 3 – EME Resources

  • Introduction
  • Manpower
  • Vehicles
  • Technical Equipment
  • Repair Parts
  • Unit Stores and Equipment

Section 4 – Battlefield Recovery

  • Introduction
  • The Battlefield Recovery System

CHAPTER 4 – UNIT MAINTENANCE

Section 1 – Introduction

  • General
  • Role and Scope

Section 2 – Organizational Factors

  • Introduction
  • Maintenance Platoon/Troop
  • Characteristics
  • Organizational Factors

Section 3 – Resources

  • General
  • Manpower
  • Vehicles
  • Technical Equipment
  • Repair Parts
  • Unit Stores and Equipment

Section 4 – Command and Control

  • Centralized and Decentralized Maintenance
  • Chain of Command Within a Unit
  • Key Appointments
  • Communications

Section 5 – EME Operations at Unit Level

  • Unit Level Repairs
  • Repair Parts
  • Unit Recovery
  • Technical Inspections
  • Modifications

Section 6 – Combat, Combat Support and Combat Service Support Unit Maintenance
General

  • Infantry Battalion Maintenance Platoon
  • Armoured Regiment Maintenance Troop
  • Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment Maintenance Troop
  • Artillery Regiment Maintenance Troop
  • Anti–Armour Regiment Maintenance Platoon
  • Field Engineer Maintenance Troop
  • Headquarters and Signals Regiment Maintenance Troop
  • Tactical Aviation Squadron Land Maintenance Section
  • Service Battalion Unit Maintenance Platoon or Section
  • Field Ambulance Maintenance Section
  • Military Police Company Maintenance Section
  • Battle Group Maintenance Support

CHAPTER 5 – SECOND LINE EME SUPPORT

Section 1 – General

  • Introduction
  • Responsibilities of Second Line EME Organizations
  • Organizational Factors
  • Method of Operation

Section 2 – The DISGP Service Battalion

  • Introduction
  • Organization
  • Capabilities

Section 3 – The Brigade Group Service Battalion Maintenance Company

  • Introduction
  • Organization and Capabilities

Section 4 – The DISGP Maintenance Battalion

  • Introduction
  • Organization and Capabilities

Section 5 – Brigade and Division EME Staffs

  • Introduction
  • Brigade G4 Maintenance Staff
  • Division G4 Maintenance Staff
  • DISGP Headquarters G4 Maintenance Staff

CHAPTER 6 – THE COSCOM MAINTENANCE BRIGADE

Section 1 – General

  • Introduction
  • Responsibilities of a Third Line EME Organization
  • Organizational Factors
  • Methods of Operation

Section 2 – Third Line EME Organization

  • Introduction
  • Organization
  • The Maintenance Brigade Headquarters
  • The Heavy Workshop Battalion
  • The COSCOM Medium Workshop Battalion
  • The Recovery Battalion
  • The Engineering and Technical Training Battalion

Section 3 – Corps and COSCOM Headquarters EME Staffs

  • Introduction
  • Corps Headquarters EME Staff
  • The COSCOM Headquarters EME Staff

CHAPTER 7 – DEPLOYMENT AND TACTICAL HANDLING OF EME ORGANIZATIONS

Section 1 – General

Section 2 – Layout of EME Organizations

  • Introduction
  • Layout of a Unit Maintenance
  • Platoon or Troop
  • Layout of a DISGP Service Battalion
  • Maintenance Company
  • Layout of a Brigade Group Service Battalion Maintenance Company
  • Layout of a DISGP Maintenance Battalion
  • Layout of a COSCOM Maintenance Brigade

Section 3 – Types of Operations

  • Introduction
  • Defence
  • Offence
  • Withdrawal

CHAPTER 8 – MAINTENANCE IN VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTS

Section 1 – General

  • Introduction
  • Desert Operations
  • Jungle Operations
  • Mountain Operations
  • Northern Operations
  • NBCW Operations
  • Contamination of Equipment
  • Decontamination
  • NBC Policy in EME Units