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Show Newest Developments in Fighting Equipment Are Tested Giant Maneuvers Held in Middle West. By WILLIAM C. UTLEY WAR has come to the Middle Wcst-a hypothetical war that raises no fear of ravage and pillage in the civilian population popula-tion but rather permits them to see what manner of defense th en-army en-army has prepared for then, But to the sole heryin W -consin Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia S Ts war in grim earnest for it is the basis for the August maneuvers ma-neuvers of the SECOND ARMY. The maneuvers represent iat a short period of time a complete com-plete cycle of mobilization, concentration, concen-tration, training, operation and demobilization. Major General Charles E. Kilbourne, commanding general, explained in outlining the purpose and plan of the field exercises. exer-cises. While the problem as a whole simulates a conflict between hypothetical hypo-thetical Red, Blue and Brown states, with Green as, a neutral, its principal purpose is to provide training, and not to be a formal test of training. Whatever units the umpires from time to time may declare, have won or lost a decision, deci-sion, all of the troops should benefit bene-fit greatly from the character of training these maneuvers make possible. Will Use Modern Methods In total number of troops involved in-volved and in territory covered, these exercises are the most extensive ex-tensive ever held in the Middle West in peace time, General Kilbourne Kil-bourne pointed out. The training problem involves the use of the most modern weapons and facilities facili-ties available and also is the first in this area to give special emphasis em-phasis to the employment of aviation avia-tion and mechanized units. Large numbers of Illinois and Wisconsin troops must be transported across Lake Michigan. Units charged with responsibility for supply and communications operate over longer long-er distances than in the field training train-ing of former years. Night operations opera-tions are being conducted and attention at-tention given throughout the exercises to the tactical value of the element of surprise. The entire maneuver is based on situations that are moving, rather than static. By provision of faster means of transportation and by reduction re-duction of weights carried, a ii 1 1 1 1 ii 1 1 Frequently called "the laboratory labora-tory of the army" the "Mechanized force" is the agency through which the United States army is keeping abreast of developments in mechanization mech-anization and motorization. Consisting of the mechanized First cavalry; the First battalion, Sixty-eighth field artillery (mechanized) (mech-anized) ; First battalion, Nineteenth field artillery (motorized), the Fifteenth Fif-teenth observation squadron, air corps; together with maintenance and supply units, the "Mechanized force" consists of a small compact organization of great mobility and striking power. This force is under the command of Col. Bruce Palmer, First cavalry. Artillery officers and commander of artillery is Lieut. Col. A. C. Sandeford, Sixty-eighth field artillery. artil-lery. The force as constituted for the maneuver includes 117 officers and 1,841 enlisted men. Its equipment equip-ment includes armored cars, combat com-bat cars (light, fast tanks), crosscountry cross-country personnel carriers armed with machine guns and automatic rifles. The tables of organization call for 88 combat vehicles for a mechanized cavalry regiment. The First cavalry, mechanized, has two combat car squadrons, each with two ten-car troops. It also has a machine gun troop of 16 cars armed with 53, .30 cal. guns and 13, .50 cal. guns, and a 16-car reconnaissance troop. Trend Is Toward Mobility Brig. Gen. C. D. Herron, chief of staff, in commenting on the employment of the Mechanized force in the army maneuvers points to the fact that the trend of all tactics today involves mechanization, mech-anization, motorization, greater speed and greater mobility. In order to keep abreast of developments de-velopments in foreign countries, u -L- I II NJRATION AREA " ui k i.n.g. b Cl u tftail ifejn l ( 38tNDiv. s 37Jh0iv. r 6 . l" lilrrr- fD ?) ' v (pw,Gr w.v.n.g. ThC 3i0RTKMOX 38th Div. 11111 sS CONCENTRATION AREA m,-;!? 1 SITUATION, AUGUST I. SCALE. " !)! O SO IOO 100 so MILES SECOND ARMY MANEUVERS - AUGUST 1936 Map Showing the Area Covered by the Maneuvers. systematic effort is being made to increase the mobility of troops, in action and behind the lines. The conditions set up for the maneuver assume that, after a period of strained relations, an outbreak out-break of hostilities occurs between Blue a state comprising Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia, and Red, an "enemy" state, including in-cluding Tennessee and Virginia and extending southeastward. Brown, a state which includes Pennsylvania and territory to the east and north, is friendly toward Red and later becomes its ally against Blue. Green, a large neutral state, comprises territory west of the Mississippi river. WiU Use 40,000 Troops In the first phase of the maneuver ma-neuver the V corps of the Second army (Blue) conducts an offensive of-fensive in the direction of Nashville, Nash-ville, the Red capital. In the second sec-ond phase the VI corps of the Blue army begins its offensive toward the Brown capital of Pittsburgh, ending its march at Camp Custer, near Battle Creek, Michigan. The principal elements of Red and Brown troops will be represented by units of the recently re-cently organized GHQ (General Headquarters) Air force and the new mechanized cavalry. Upwards of 40,000 troops are participating. It is the largest concentration of troops in the middle west since the World war, and represents the most extensive employment, under field conditions, of aviation and the Mechanized force ever witnessed In the United Stales. the army is experimenting with this mechanized force. Great progress has been made in developing de-veloping combat vehicles that can travel at high speed both on the road and across country. Mechanized units, however, are sensitive to ground conditions. Streams form serious obstacles. Destruction of bridges and critical road points greatly hinders such a force. And always a mechanized or motorized unit is dependent on the gasoline supply. In spite of these limiting factors the Mechanized force, with its heavily armed vehicles, each capable capa-ble of tremendous shock and fire power are of growing importance in the development of our national defense. Constant radio communication from car to car gives the commander com-mander a complete picture of the location of his force at all times and permits complete control of the unit. Mechanized forces can make deep incursions into enemy territory terri-tory as illustrated in the rapid movement of the unit from the Fort Knox, Kentucky, area to Camp Custer. Study Aircraft Effectiv eness Much interest is being shown in the effectiveness of the participating participat-ing aircraft and the anti-aircraft defenses. Until actually tested by war, it is impossible to state whetner the attack by aircraft or the defense against such attack has made the most progress. In war every development of method or material for otlVnsiw operations automatically loads to the development of means fense against attack by SUch ods or with such materials J! point out. ' P'Xi In the beginning of the K , war aviation was utilized ZU entirely for observation mi!?" Gradually, however, its poZ 3i for the offensive was cnu ujwuras me end of the V war the attack on installat cities and troops on the a, became daily occurrences Efforts to. develop a del against these attacks, other T with aircraft, were decidedly ht until the closing months of the when improvements in anti-airc artil'ery and the establishment balloon barrages seemed to hi" had a considerable deterring "JU- --it jv r f c -.".' i AX; - i - One of the New "Motorized Armj" I ' Units. "' Is feet, and the percentage of plaK i brought down was rapidly j. creasing. Following the World war gi; emphasis was given both to fa . development of aircraft for d fensive operations and to the df- fensive means. These defensive means are now divided into .. active defense and a passive d; fense. In Europe and in Japsr training of civilians in the .& called passive defense against i; attack is being undertaken. V read of cities being darkened dir. ing simulated bombardment fro- 1: the air; of civilians being require: 81 to use gas masks ; of fire depsr.- ji ments and other civil organization being drilled in protection of pro;- ei iy iinu personnel, ana insird .fli tions as to methods of prepare effective cover. These exercise a are apparently made very re;l q The object is not only to save live. .( but to organize and drill the peoi! so that panic may not add to ti .j. actual danger of an attack. Active Defense Elaborate The active defense agar. enemy aircraft consists of purs'. : m airplanes to attack the bombers :! r an enemy, of anti-aircraft fir.: -fJ machine guns and searchlights ) st be disposed around installation ;: ,fl fering a proper objective for v j-attack, j-attack, and an aircraft ware: service consisting of a net of pr:;-erly pr:;-erly equipped observation stati::: pi with a system of communic;::: insuring that the aircraft and a anti-aircraft services are alerteo: time to meet threatened attack. Much has been written of v. .! great advance in aviation and a '-t weapons installed on military craft. These improvements exte:: l of course, to the aircraft desip: for operations especially sga 5 bombers. :) Less is generally known o! t- . development of the anti-aircr:' i;f artillery. There has been nut ,. improvement in the type of j aircraft guns. The three-inch ip . , can maintain a fire at the rate - ,; twenty shots a minute, rf effective altitude of over hre: thousand feet. The fifty cab-; machine gun, firing six huw--- rounds a minute, is e"eCl"; ,. against any aircraft operating -low or medium altitudes. New Gun Perfected ;! Another automatic weapon- !; anti-aircraft use, the 37-rrollii- gun, has been perfected but ments have not, as yet, beer i . plied with them. This gun iw ', maximum vertical range on--. feet, fires a shell that will on contact with the fabric J :t airplane. It fires at the r.K - eighty rounds a minute. ... The searchlights used are - , hundred million candle P :j Their range is, of course, , : ent upon the state of the .... ' However, the greatest ... r: ment of material has been (( development of instrument of operation, which contro , tricity the setting of U ... that the projectile wiU plane in flight and also w . the fuse setter to insure ;. projectile bursts at the r4- . stant. . ,-3r. ; s. Until actually tes ed W 4 is impossible to state m attack by aircraft , or , ; against such attack, ",) ; ' most progress. We can , assurance, however, uia vastly more efficient than , , close of the World war. it |
