Bicycle Troops

This report presents a history of the use of bicycles for transportation by combat troops prior to World War I, during World Wars I and II, and more recently the use of bicycles in guerrilla warfare. It was developed in the Vietnam War as a special study for the Pentagon and in this edition it has been enlarged and supplemented with new materials. The armament, mobility, speed, distance, design, and load-carrying capacity of bicycles for transportation in remote areas and guerrilla warfare are discussed, The effect of terrain on the utilization of bicycles, the organization, strength, and tactics of bicycle units, and the training of combat troops using the bicycles are also considered. This volume also contains a rich trove of anecdotes of cyclists in combat and detailed training exercises for bicycle units.