Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-02-14
HE Doughboy
j with a Bayonet
Now, as With Cromwell and
Napoleon, Is the Backbone
Of an Army, According to
War Experts.

" al kIllly, ACCOLuA1lR W
War Experts.
Washington, Feb. l3.-ThI
"doughboy" with bayonet still j!
the basic con1batant unit in battle
ia the virtually unanimous judg
ment Of the army officially render
ed in cold postwar analysis. Air
craft. tanks, bombs, machine guns
cannon, merely are valuable auxili
aries for the infantry "man in tht
bulk" armed with rifle and bay
onet, and each foot soldier armor
ed only by his "own agility" anl
steel helmet.
For battle is normally deternin
ed by physical encounter with the
bayonet or the fear thereof" the of.
ficiaI conclusion of the army, made
public today, asserts. 1t is based
on answers to a widespread "ques-
tionnaire," sent recently through
the war department bureaus and
out through corps and divisional
areas, even down to the command
ers Of regiments, to lay the ground
work for the doctrines of tactics
and Of training" on which post
war building of the army shall pro-
ceed.
The answers were unmistakable.
There has been no change-soldiers
who fought in France believe the
age old gospel of cold stee" in
war. As it was with CronwelPs S
CRIME host bidding for victory
with push of pike; with Napo-
Icons old guard that dies but
never surrenders";; with Picketts
"flower of the south" at Gettys-
burg, so it was with Pershing S
"buddies" in France. Cold steel
was the ultimate arbiter of battle.
The conclusion follows "an ex-
haustive study of the influence that
modern scientific developments will
have upon the technique of war
fare, especially with regard to avia-
tion, motor transport and tank" !"
Chiefs of all combat branches had
their say on the QUESTIONABLE de-
signed Ito bring out the best mill
tary thought" both on basic prin-
ciples and as to changes in fighting
technique necessitated by new
weapons.
The departments statement ad-
n1its that the latter phase was ex-
pected to show "that specialists of
any kind, particularly in newly dis
covered agencies, will, in their en-
thusiasm. make some claims for
their specialties not safely to be
accepted except after the proof,
either of the results of war or of
special test under simulated war
conditions"
The expectation was realized and
as the research work goes on. tests
will be made ito solve debatabIe
questions" Among these is that
of "the comparative value of bomb
ing planes and fixed heavy guns in
sea coast defenSes.
1T is possible at this time" the
statement added, ITO announce the
of the war department
resulting from the answers to the
basic question, as to which there
was substantially unanimous agree
ment. It is concluded. and doc
trines of tactics and of training will
be based accordingly:
"That man remains the funda-
mental instrument in battle. and as
such cannot be replaced by any
imaginable instrument short OF a
more perfect thing than the human
body, including the mind.
"That man in the bulk-meaning
the greater portion of the armed
with greatest free
dom of action and with greatest
efficiency when on foot, not on
in a tank, in an airplane,
in a fixed fortification. etc, that
to achieve decisive action he is best
armed with the rifle and bayonet;
that man is rendered least vulner-
able where merely clothed against
the weather and armored by his
own agility and with steel helmet.
"That battle is normally deter
mined by physical encounter with
.he bayonet or the fear thereof; all
other agencies of destruction, as
machine guns and aircraft
a1e auxiliary in their effect, how
ever potent, and serve to make pos
;ible the advance Of the foot soldier
% hand-to-hand encounter.
"That infantry is the best COM
,atant arm upon whose success nor
nal7y depends the success of the
lrmy; the primary duty of other
rms, when associated with infan-
ry, is to assist the infantry to
lchieve its mission by protecting
md aiding it in every way and by
enemy resistance to its
fforts.
THAT no arm except infantry =.
an be expected under normal con-
itions to destroy an approximate
y equal force of enemy infantry,
rmed with rifle and bayonets.
THAT while infantry is normally )
he basic arm of war under certain
onditions or during certain phases,
avalTy may replace it as the basic
rn,. for example. in operations
gainst mounted forces or against
oot troops whose efficiency is be-
Nv normal for any reason"
Misconceptions arise in the pub
c mind, the state said, as to the
ossible effect of new agencies of a
ar and in making public results c
its studies, the war department /
homes ia insure that The heresv