The Detroit times., 1912-10-07
AUTOMOBILE
IS HELPING
WAR SCIENCE
Promises to Furnish Impetus
Greater Than Rapid
Firing Guns
VALUE OF CARS is
SHOWN IN MIMIC WAR
One Automobile In Recent Play
Fight in California Brought
Interesting Results

What Gen. Sherman called war in
his time Is well known. What war
Is today Is another matter. From
what was popularly supposed TO be a
sort Of pocket edition Of Hades, war
has developed into largely scientific
treatise on how best to overcome the
enemy by killing OF his army. The
automobile promises to furnish al
impetus to scientific warfare, even
greater than the development OF
rapid-fring, long-range and vastly
more powerful guns, guncotton,
smokeless powder and other recent
inventions. With the aeroplane, the
automobile gives promise of chang.
ing the whole complexion of future
battle problems.
The value OF the automobile was
thoroughly demonstrated during the
recent mimic warfare in California
when more than 10000 troops, divided
into red and blue" armies, at.
tempted the theoretical invasion and
defense OF our Pacific ea-board. Only
one automobile was allowed within
the "fghting" zone. which covered
several square miles of territory, and
the value Of the motor car I'm war.
The automobile was put to score
Of uses; work which otherwise would
have to be done by horses Besides
providing much more rapid movement
than horses or mules. the automobile
rendered services OF which horse or
mule is entirely incapable.
The car was constantly In use dur
ing the maneuvers. and following are
some Of It's tasks. II was used as an
ambulance in at least two emergency
cases; II took the place Of five horses
In transporting four officers and an
orderly to whatever part OF the fight
ing zone their duties called them; II
hauled supplies and ammunition tn
various parts OF the camp and to far
outlying points where troops were on
outpost duty; II brought officers from
far distances when unexpected or
ders came for sudden moves in the
war game; its gas tank, attached for
the occasion, made the task of pitch
ing camp after nightfall much easier
than II would otherwise have been I;
it's owner. an oficer, lighted his tent
from the electric lighting and start
Ing system; visitors to the camp and
battlefield We're transported with
such speed that they could watch the
working out OF an entire big war
problem.
The machine used in the war game
was an American Underslung Model
56, owned by Capt. F. A. Marriott.
quartermaster OF the Fifth California
infantry and was attached to the regi-
ment, which was part Of the Red" or
defending army.
At the opening of the maneuvers,
the machine carried Capt. Marriott
from his home in San Rafael TO
Salinas, the base OF operations. while
the remainder OF the Red" army was
being transported on trains. At
Salinas Gen. Robert Wankowski and
other officers In charge OF the maneuy-
were met and taken out 10 Ell Toro,
the site OF the first camp.
The troops did not arrive until aft
or dark and the motor car was driven
about from place to place, that It's
big powerful headlights might fur
nish illumination for pitching shelter
tents. The work thus was performed
expeditiously and the men were snug
ly established much sooner than they
would have been had they to work In
the dark.
Several times that night the car
made trips over the five miles back
TO Salinas, carrying officers who had
duties TO perform there. The next
day IL became an official adjunct OF
the Red" army.
All during the maneuvers the car
was used in connection with the
wagon trains OF the defending forces
and as official special dispatch wagon
of Gen. wankowski. Col. Smith, OF the
Fifth California, and other officers
OF the brigade
Capt. Marriott, Lieut.. w. G.. Lank
OF the same regiment, the regiment
Quartermaster sergeant, the regiment
al commissary sergeant and an order
ly used the car constantly In their
work. II thus displaced five horses,
gave a great saving in time In trans
acting business, and did away with
the necessity of the officers caring for
their mounts before they could at.
tend their own wants after each days
movements.
Good and bad roads and trackless
cross-country routes, sometimes In
cluding large plowed fields, were trav'
ersed by the car. On several occa-
sions the officers rode ahead oi
marching troops, supplying ammuni'
tion for the advance guard or carry
ing rations for the men on march or
picket duty.
Several times the car was used as
a conveyance for scouting details, &C
complishing a speed and facility oil
movement that proved disastrous to
''the enemy" and which could not pos
sibly have been accomplished by
horses or mules. A picture taken ot
the car on one OF these occasions
shows a scouting detail OF thirteen
men surprising a body OF the oppos-
Ing force and pouring a destructive
FIRE into the ranks OF the astounded
enemy"
Capt. NJ. Herman, one OF the Red
officers met with an accident In which
his leg was broken. He was placed
in the car and rushed TO the general
hospital at the Preside OF San Fran
cisco. On another occasion a prs
Yates foot was crushed while he was
helping build a temporary bridge foT
the movement of troops. The cal
..aa arfvan acroaa n aOff heat aold