------------------------ CONVOY PLANNING TEMPLATE ------------------------ This template is a preliminary version of a convoy planning template being developed for the 2nd Infantry Division in conjunction with their version of SCALP. When completed, it will prepare rail as well as road movement tables for a task force. The template requires that you already know the vehicles in your unit or task force which are moving by convoy, and prompts you to provide information about the convoy, which enables it to calculate for you the required speeds, intervals, etc. and display the arrival and departure times at the various checkpoints. If you find the template to be of interest, please provide your input to the SCALP Task Force, describing what specific functions you would like to see included in it. If you have a particular methodology in planning convoys which you would like to share with others, provide a flowchart or description of the steps involved in manually planning out the convoy. This will be of help in developing an automated version of same. For further information, call or write (just a hand-written note is enough) to: Mail: Commander Phone: AUTOVON 687-5339 US Army Logistics Center FTS 927-5339 ATTN: ATCL-LE (SCALP TF) Commercial Fort Lee, Virginia 23801-6000 (804) 734-5339 --------------------------------- HOW TO LOAD AND USE THIS TEMPLATE --------------------------------- I. System requirements. To run this template, you will need: a. IBM or 100% compatible personal computer such as the COMPAQ, AT&T, Columbia, Leading Edge, GRiD (MS-DOS), Zenith 150, Data General/One, Eagle PC, Tandy 1000/1200, Televideo, etc. b. LOTUS 1-2-3, a commercially available software package (Version 1A). c. 256k random access memory (RAM). (Recommend 640k, or as much as possible, as the full SCALP template and other large 1-2-3 files will require more memory). d. A printer, for the reports provided. II. Loading the template. a. IF YOU HAVE TWO FLOPPY DISK DRIVES: (1) Put the LOTUS 1-2-3 System Disk in Drive A and the template in Drive B. (2) Load LOTUS 1-2-3 using the instructions in your LOTUS user's manual. (3) Load the file named "START" by typing /frstart -------- and pressing the ENTER key. b. IF YOU HAVE ONLY ONE FLOPPY DISK DRIVE: (1) Put the LOTUS 1-2-3 System Disk in Drive A, and load LOTUS 1-2-3 using the instructions in your LOTUS user's manual. (2) Remove the LOTUS 1-2-3 System Disk from Drive A, and insert this template in Drive A. (3) Load the file named "START" by typing /frstart -------- and pressing the ENTER key. III. Using the template. The template will then display an initial Welcome screen. Pressing "ENTER" will bring a menu with further instructions and an explanation of what the template can do. 1. VEHICLE/SKIP MENU. First, you have the option to build your task force by identifying the vehicles which are involved. If you have not already done so, choose "VEHICLES". If you have already done so, and will not be making any changes, choose "SKIP" (which will skip step 2, below). 2. VEHICLE FILE. If you choose to identify the makeup of your unit's convoy, the template will go first to the file called "VEHICLES". In this file is a listing, by Line Identification Number and Noun Nomenclature, of the vehicles in the unit. By specifying the quantity of each vehicle actually involved in the convoy, you will be creating the list of convoy vehicles. When done, you continue by pressing and simultaneously. NOTE: To add or delete LIN's and NOMENCLATURE in this list, be sure to read the printout below, titled "Notes for programmers". 3. CONVOY. When vehicles have already been identified, the template then goes to the file called "CONVOY", which is the file used for identifying the convoy commander's guidance and "rules of the road". In this file, you will be specifying: a. Type of convoy (which determines the vehicle spacing and the convoy speed. b. When the lead serial is to depart (date and time). c. Guidance for columns (and serials within each column), including6the maximum # of vehicles per column (and serial), and the distance and time interval to be maintained between columns (and serials). d. The name of the unit or task force for which the convoy is being planned, and the coordinates of both the Start Point and the Release Point. e. And, if there is to be more than one serial, the # of vehicles per serial desired, the # of serials desired, and the # of columns desired in the convoy. 4. TABLE. When the above information has been provided, the template will then continue on to the preparation of the March Table. a. In the file called "TABLE", the convoy vehicles and quantities will be retrieved, then checked against a table of the same LIN's and Nomenclatures to find the vehicle lengths of each. This information is used along with the vehicle intervals to determine the length of each serial, which in turn affects the time it takes to cross a particular checkpoint along the route. b. After the vehicle data has been setup, the heading information is automatically filled in with the data provided by the CONVOY file. c. At this point, look at the layout of the March Table. At the top, the Convoy Unit Name, the Column #, and the Serial # are displayed on the left, and the Convoy Date is on the top right. At the middle left are the coordinates for the Start Point and the Destination ("From:" and "To:"). To the right are the estimated length of each serial("Serial Length"), the designated Vehicle Gap, the Total # of Vehicles in the entire convoy, and the Average # of Vehicles per Serial. At the bottom of the heading are the Route Distance, Rate of March, Total Time estimated from SP to RP, Start Time, total amount of time spent at rest halts ("Rest Time"), the amount of rest time drivers get per 24 hours of driving ("Daily Rest Rate"), and the standard for the Daily Rest Rate ("Rest Std"). Those figures which depend on how the route is laid out are already input as formulas, and may display a "0" at this time. d. The cursor will be brought to rest on the first checkpoint. You will be providing information about each segment of the convoy route, beginning with the segment from the SP (Start Point) to CP1 (Checkpoint #1). e. For the first leg (and each leg thereafter), you will indicate: (1) Whether this segment ends with a Rest Halt, or just a Checkpoint. If you indicate there will not be a Rest Halt, then a "0" will be placed in the column under "HALT". (2) If you indicate a Rest Halt, you will be asked how long this particular halt will be. The figure will placed in the column under "HALT". (3) Next, the Convoy Speed will be placed in the column under "SPEED", and you will be asked if your previously designated convoy speed is what you want for this segment. If not, you will be asked to provide the specific designated speed for this segment. That speed will be entered in place of the previously designated one. (4) Now you will be asked for the distance of this particular segment. (5) At this point you have entered all the data for this segment that is required. (6) Now you will be asked if the next segment is going to end in the Release Point, or will end with another normal checkpoint. (7) If you indicate "More Checkpoints", the template will recycle through steps (1) thru (6) again. f. If you indicate "Release Point", the letters "CP2" will be replaced with "RP" at both locations. Also, you will be preparing the template to stop after the next round of data, and to provide a printout of the March Table. g. The printout will be provided for Column 1, Serial 1. If there is only 1 serial in the convoy, the template will then exit the TABLE file, and go to an EXIT file. h. If there is more than 1 serial in the convoy, the subsequent printouts will be provided automatically. Changes will be made to the Column #, Serial #, and the Start Time for each subsequent serial.