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Show AMERICA IN ACTION ' r 'HITTING THE BEACH' Typical of U. S. participation in forthcoming Allied offensives are the training, weapons and equipment equip-ment of unified U. S. amphibious forces composed of picked army and navy officers and men, now being welded into invasion units at bases along both American ' coasts. Developed from experience in actual ac-tual battle practice, the U. S. pattern pat-tern of invasion runs something like the following: In the darkness a wave of square-nosed square-nosed U. S. -manufactured boats glides silently toward the enemj shore. Nothing shows above their hulks except one dim blob, part oi the coxswain's helmet. The boats hit the beach, crunching against obstacles ob-stacles probably concrete piles and rows of barbed wire. The boat ramps fall. Out swarm quick-working men who have learned the tactics of surprise and how to leap while keeping their equipment dry. Concrete piles are blown up with American-made "bangalore torpedoes" long metal pipes filled with explosive. Wires are slashed with special-U. S.-made cutters, or else the soldiers surge over them or American chicken-wire mats. Assault As-sault troops carrying light American Ameri-can machine guns as well as rifles-fan rifles-fan out over the beach. The boats back away quickly to keep the beach clear. Communications Communica-tions men relay the first messages through American five-pound walkie-talkie walkie-talkie field radios. Engineers in hip boots pole the water for sand bars, or dangerous holes, switching on signal lights for approaches red, blue and green for corresponding boats in incoming waves. Day breaks, as little barrage balloons bal-loons rise from oncoming boats. When the boats hit the beaches, the balloons are installed for protection pro-tection against dive bombers and strafing planes. More boats unload more men, as well as U. S. antitank anti-tank guns, artillery, concentrated rations, and medical supplies. Shock troops drive farther inland, while amphibian rudder-equipped jeeps, like bathtubs on wheels, carry extended ex-tended communications equipment ashore. The beachhead is organized, small flags indicating points of supply for water, gasoline, fuel. A "pint-size" bulldozer built, perhaps, in Dallas Dal-las or Detroit starts up the newly made U. S. wire-mesh road across the beach to prepare the way for heavier, latest model U. S. tanks to follow. "Ducks" roll ashore with permanent field supplies and equipment equip-ment Visual and radio communication communi-cation between shore parties, landing land-ing craft, naval vessels providing supporting gunfire, and covering aircraft, air-craft, is firmly established. Released by Western Newspaper Union. |