| Show U. U S. S Army's Blitzkrieg Maneuvers Will Train Biggest Time Peace Force By MILTON R R. KENTON Released by Western Newspaper Union Unton AMERICA ERICA MERICA will be struck r A rby by a blitzkrieg in August Augut Au- Au mobilize gut gust as troops throughout the country for forthe forthe the he biggest war maneuvers in peacetime history Army experts are determined determined determined deter deter- mined invading armies shall sweep across this country country country coun coun- try as they swept through many European nations To meet this challenge more than members of the regular regular regular regu regu- lar army National Guard and Reserve corps are being called to the colors for intensive intensive intensive sive training under actual conditions of warfare New methods of at war will be tried out in four tour sections of the country More than troops from 12 states will gather near Plattsburg N. N Y from August 5 to 25 to prepare pre pare for tor an invasion coming up the St. St Lawrence river valley Biggest War Area Other large armies will mobilize In Louisiana Minnesota and Washington Wash ington from August 4 to 24 At Camp McCoy Wisconsin troops will put into practice all the new methods of modern warfare from panzer divisions to foot infantry Infantry In in- fantry for three weeks beginning August 11 on a 1000 square mile mUe battlefield This will be the biggest of the war areas American military authorities do donot donot donot not believe that the great success of the German army resulted solely from the use of at dive bombers and massed tanks They point out that while these are important the human human hu hu- hu man machine of flesh and blood is still the ultimate factor in battle They refuse to put sole sale reliance on mechanized divisions but believe that soldiers armed with rifles and machine guns are still sable Gen Stanley K H. Ford who will be in charge at Camp McCoy declared that despite talk of streamlined tactics and the large number of trucks and passenger cars available during these concentrations concentrations concen concen- doughboys will still fight on foot and must be able to march Annihilation ensues when a motor convoy of troops Is caught under artillery fire tire and air all bombs Areas of from 6 0 to 10 miles from the front from frontline line Une are within artillery range anc and must be covered on foot In approach march formations Mechanization Mechanisation Vital Motorized and mechanized divisions divisions divi are not being neglected how bow ever More than motorized units will participate in the Wisconsin Wiscon Wiscon- sin maneuvers Equally large numbers numbers num num- bers of mechanized units will participate participate par par- in the other camps Even this Ws large number of motor vehicles does not mean that horses have been entirely replaced because about two thousand animals are used In the third Fifty-third and fourth Fifty-fourth National r r. r i t Nationwide U U. S. S army man maneuvers fin en testing Sling the he alU lat lal- eit U developments development in blitzkrieg warfare ill call men to fa the colon col 01 on or during August Above Abote are shown hulLn Brig Drig Gen Adne K n. Chaffee recently appointed op ap pointed commander of the scale Ian fan army army's first firs big zer xer corps corp c t. t I II I x t w c 1 i i 1 1 40 7 Guard Cavalry brigades The artillery artil lery and supply units are entirely motorized some of the units changed over from horses and mules within the past few months No army can succeed unless s it is directed intelligently by well trained officers The movement of troops has been a problem of at tremendous importance to commanders of all ranks throughout military history Valuable experience In directing this movement will be given officers In charge of maneuvers In all an parts of at the country Officers Officer in charge of these maneuvers have been thoroughly thor thoro schooled in solving logistical problems dealing with movement of at troops supply and arid evacuation Every method of at transportation except hiking will be used in effecting effecting effect effect- ing the tile concentration at the various camps Units will arrive by air motor and rail at the rate of 75 detachments each 24 hours bours during the three days the army will be concentrating concentrating con con- at Camp McCoy One of the more spectacular movements will be the march of the mechanized Seventh Cavalry brigade for miles mUes over the highways highways high high- ways from Fort Knox Ky to Camp McCoy The brigade will form a column of more than 1000 vehicles approximately 60 miles long Brig Gen Adna R R. R Chaffee commander of the brigade was recently named commander of at the army's first big bir scale panzer corps The column will be composed of almost every kind of vehicle used in a modern army There will be combat cars similar to the light infantry tank mobile machine shops half halt track prime movers to tow ow 75 mm howitzers gasoline tank trucks rucks 40 scout cars and a large number of at Infantry tanks o Problems Problem Involved An army officer explained that transporting large numbers of troops to a point of concentration presented resented just a few more problems than nan finding cars for a Sunday Sc School School ool picnic A total of troops will move to Wisconsin maneuvers by motor convoys They will bivouac overnight where necessary The troops moving by rail will be carried on 78 regular and special trains No stops will be made for tor meals but the men willbe willbe will willae be ae served from field kitchens set up in the baggage cars In addition to this about 1200 tons ton of National Guard equipment including tanks combat cars and ambulances will willbe willbe willbe be transported by rail from tram more than different stations It is estimated that by the time the maneuvers maneuver have ended each vehicle will have traveled 1 1260 1250 miles More than a million gallons of at gasoline will have been burned If It this fuel were concentrated at atone atone atone one point railroad tank cars would be required to hold It Even though modem modern troops troop are carried in transport trucks military experts It still III believe that an army marches on its stomach American soldiers long known as a. the fed best-fed in the world still receive three square meals a day every day during dur duro ing tog the maneuvers But Dut chefs working In separate kitchens at Camp McCoy will be allowed al al- lowed to spend only 38 cents daily for supplies to feed each soldier The small allowance is stretched a along along along long way through the purchase of at such small quantities of food tood as eggs pounds of sugar sugar su suo su- su gar pounds of at salt lemons and 16 tons of corned beef During the three week period the army in Wisconsin will also eat 85 83 tons of fresh beef a carload of hot dogs 12 tons of macaroni and a carload of roasting chickens Real Operations Plans have been carefully laid to provide for efficient handling of the food supply The entire supply tern tem will function exactly as in real operations General Ford stated This phase of the training will be extremely important The ration is ample menus are balanced and well diversified The war maneuvers will provide the best opportunity the army has had to try tryout out its newly motorized equipment on a large scale While individual units unit have received considerable considerable con can experience this will be bethe bethe bethe the first time that all the units attending attending attending at at- tending the maneuvers have operated operate ed cd together under battle conditions Operating a military motor convoy convoy con can voy of hundreds of at vehicles at night without lights requires special train lag ing General Ford explained It Itis Itis Itis is possible that during the Wisconsin Wiscon sin In maneuvers the state of at this special cial training may prove to be a avital avital avital vital factor in the success of tactical motor movements movement The 1000 square mile maneuver area will permit mechanized units to operate in wide encircling raids raid exactly as they do In real opera Commanding generals in the field often become lost in the fog of war war without constant tion with other units engaging Inthe In Inthe inthe the battle To prevent this situation situa lion tion special attention is being given to rapid communications Approximately Approximately 2000 miles of wire will be laid in the Wisconsin battlefield alone connecting telephones during the grand concluding maneu ver This equipment will mark a anew anew anew new development in telephony because because because be be- cause the wires wire are used for simultaneous simultaneous simul simul- transmission of telephone and code telegraphy messages o |
