Evening star., 1927-04-24

| tensive ever attempted by the Army
| with 100 airplanes seeking TO ex.
| terminate division of Infantry, viii
| be staged at Fort Sam Houston, Tex
from May II TO 81. The air fleet
will be drawn from all the flying
fields OF the country and viii begin
/ to move under their own power
toward the Texas battle-ground by
| Nav /. To meet the attack of the
| air armada the I'd Division has been
engaged in extensive exercises for the
| mast month perfecting its defense.
The combined manuvers OF the
| land and air forces will be witnessed
by a distinguished group of War De
| ma artment and other Government offi-
cials. many of whom will be trans
norted to the scene of the exercises
| in transport planes from Washington.
These include Secretary of war DAVIS.
| Mai. Gen. Mason NJ. Patrick, chiet
of the Air Corps; Senator Reed OF
| Pennsylvania. the new chairman OF
the Senate military airalrs commlItee'
Representative James, ranking He-
| nublican member on the House COM
mittee on military affairs; Representa-
tive Wainwright, former Assistant
Secretary of War and member OF the
| House committee on military airairs,
aud f. Trubee Dawson, Assistant
| Secretary Of War for Air. A number
of military attaches from the foreign
embassy and legation stafrs mere VIII
| also attend the war games, many OIL
them also going by air.
Commanders OF Forces.
The I'd Division forces will be com
manded by Mai. Gen. Wiliiam ~
| Connor, and will INCLUDE approXlmate'
I'D anIfCfon
sonnel. constituting the only Regular
ARMY division in the United states
whose units are garrisoned at the
same post, The Air Corps forces
which will comprise the largest mum
her az planes ever assembled In TINS
country for manuvers, will be com
n,anded bv Brig. Gen. James r.
Fachet assistant chief of the AIT
Corps in charge of training.
Mai. Gen. Ernest Kinds, commander
of the Sth Corps Area, will be IN sn-
preme command of the combined ma
neuvers. The division commanoer'
Gen. Connor, will have as his chleL as.
sistants Col. John c. McArthur' chieL
of staff, and Brig. Gen. n. 81 flske
of the Infantry and Brig. Gen. PAU ..
Malone Of the Artillery. Gen. Fechet's
staff includes Mai. II. c. Pratt, chief
of staff; Maj. John H. Jouett. Maj. Jo'
seph T. McNarney, Maj. Carl Spatz
and Can't. Ralph H. Wooten.
From the earth to the moon ana
hack ia the distance to be covered by
the Army planes which will particl-
pate in the maneuvers. From the TINS
the aerial forces leave their home sta
tions in Michigan, Illinois, Kansas, AT.
kansas. Virginia, Washington and
Texas until they return they viii have
covered more than 476,00O miies---a
distance twice that which separates
the earth from the moon. Incidental
Iy, residents of more than 20 States
viii have an opportunity to see the
Nations warbirds en- route TO ana
from the training ground.
Two Phases OF Maneuvers.
There will be two phases Of the ma
neuvers. The first phase will involve
the participation of all ground and air
forces on the same side, and Is design.
ed to develop staff functioning and the
conduct of operations Of large units in
pursuance of the general plan OF the
commanding general. In the second
phase a part of the air units will op-
crate in the attack of the ground
troops and positions, special attention
being given to the conduct OF such at
tacks and the counter measures taken
by the ground and defensive air forces.
With reference to the participation
Of the Air Corps in the war games,
Assistant Secretary Dawson said
''These maneuvers have four dis
tinct purposes so far as the Air Corps
is concerned. First, to give staff off,
GERS opportunity to handle air units
composed of all types of combat
planes. Secondly, to enable the per-
sonnel Of one air unit class to study
the effectiveness of other types. Third
ly, to test adequacy Of bombing and
attack formations by having them at.
tackled by pursuit formations. Fourth
ly, to give air and ground forces an
opportunity to study their respective
methods Of operation.
Another important object is to
ascertain how well several groups OF
planes can carry out cross-country
flights ranging from 1900 to 2,100
miles on pre-arranged timetables. The
movements as planned run on express
schedule, with but narrow margins
for possible favorable weather and
other obstacles. In war such obstacles
would be dfsregarded, but in ma
neuYers the program will not permit
practices that unduly endanger lives
or property. For this reason the pro-
posed time schedule. will be delayed
il weather conditions should prove
unfavorable."
viii Stage Exhibitions.
Prior to the San Antonio maneuvers
groups Of Air Corps forces will stage
flying exhibitions at the four service
schools at Fort Riley, Kans.; Fort Sill,
Okla; Fort Leavenworth, Kans., and
Fort Benning, Ca, for the benefit OF
officers attending the schools. The
Air Corps personnel will include 80
officers and 145 enlisted men. Types
of airplanes will be distributed, as
follows: Thirty pursuit, 20 lombard
ment, 20 attack, IL observation and
13 transports. Planes and pilots from
the 1st Pursuit Group, at Selfridge
Field, Mich; the I'd Bombardment
Group, at Langley Field, Va, and
the Sd Attack Group, at Fort Crockett,
Tex, will engage in these prelim.
mary exercises.
Twelve airplanes from the Sd Attack
Group with 1S officers and 25 enlisted
men, will proceed eastward from Fort
Crockett, via New Orleans, La, and
Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Ala, to
Fort Benning, where they will be met
| by four pursuit airplanes and their
complement Of officers from Selfridge
Field. and like number of lombard.
ment airplanes and personnel from
| Langley Field. The demonstration at
this station on May will be observed
| by representatives of the Infantry,
Cavalry, Field Artillery and Coast Ar.
! tiIlery, and is planned to exhibit the
| possibilities of attack aviation. Thirty
lO0pound bombs and two hundred 25-