Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-24
DRILL TESTS HELD
AT CAMP R|TCH|E
District Guardsmen to Break
Camp Tomorrow and
Return Home.
BY a Stan Correspondent of The Star.

By Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
CAMP ALBERT c. RITcHIE, August
24.-The drill competitions, which will
end this afternoon with presentation Of
awards, closing the two-week annual
encampment Of the District National
Guard, were begun this morning. Camp
will be struck tomorrow morning and
the troops will return to their homes.
Today Is District day and shortly
after breakfast this morning the Wis
itors began arriving. The forenoon was
given over to exhibitions of close -order
drill, pack rolling. tent pitching, dis
play of equipment and battalion in
spections, and the drill contests.
Yesterday the tactical problem, which
has engaged the members of the 29th
Division staff for two days, was brought
to an end with the launching of
theoretical Blue offensive against Red
troops holding the mountain passes of
velopment Of the action swaS controlled
by 1919 prepared messages issued to
Maj. Gen. Anton Stephan, command
ing general of the 29th Division, and
his staff by Lieut.. Col. Charles B. FL
lott, senior Federal instructor. These
messages called for estimates of the
situation and action by the staff in
order to carry out the mission as
signed, which was to secure the passes.
Plan Of Action Outlined.
The plan of action of the 29th Dr.
vision was to envelope the enemy's left
flank and drive him to the south. The
attack was held up after the Blues had
penetrated to the Reds second line of
defense. At that time large Red re-
Enforcement was expected to arrive Just
before dark.
Instructions were received from corps
headquarters that 1t was absolutely
necessary that the divisions mission be
carried out not later than the next
morning and that it would be REIN
forced by another Infantry regiment
and the remainder of the 1st Cavalry At
this point the problem was suspended
and all the officers were required to
submit papers giving their actions as
members of the division staff in the
engagement which would follow, the
tactical end of the exercise having
ended and the problem becoming prin-
cipally one Of control Of troops and
supplies.
These papers will be gone over by
Col. Elliott after returning to Washing
ton and corrections and suggestions
made.
During the course of the battle air
planes flew over the camp, dropping
officers, Col. John A. Cutchins, chief of
staff, and Lieut.. Coils. Richard M. Bid
good, Edwin p. Conquest, George Hen
derson and Peyton G. hewitt, became
casualties, and retired to a first-aid sta
ton for treatment of minor wounds,
necesSitating their absence from the
problem from 80 minutes to an hour.
Col. Elliott explained that he could not
have the general wounded, since there
was no brigadier general present to
take his place.
Practice March Taken.
The practice march of the 121st En-
gineers yesterday was brought to
conclusion without single man in the
regiment being forced to drop out of
ranks. The sky was overcast dulGng
the hike, but the rain did not fall until
after the troops reached camp, about
noon. Then there was light shower.
The rifle team left camp yesterday
for Washington, where it is to en-
train this afternoon for Camp Perry,
Ohio, the scene of the national matches.
The team is composed of Capt. Just c.
Jensen, Lieut.. Thaddeus A. Riley,
coach; Lieut.. Joseph F. Fitzgerald.
range officer; Capt. Fletcher F. Berns-
dorff, Lieut.. Edward A. Mcmahon,
Lieut.. Walter A. Stokes, Corps. Louis
A. Robertson, Eugene A. Ross and
Donald A. Falk, and Pvts. Arthur A.
Tomeldon, Thomas A. Reneau. Philip
c. Geraci, Elmore w. Seeds, Theodore
L. Harrell and Harry B. Parsons.
Because Of the distance they have 10
travel, the 29th Signal Company OF
Norfolk, Va, broke camp this morning
and entrained for its home station.
The rest of the troops will remain here
until tomorrow morning.