Evening star., 1933-08-11
WEATHER SPO|[S
eUARDSMEN'S WAR
Movement in Field Hampered
by Mud and Rain-Worked
Out Indoors.
By q STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
CAMP ALBERT C. RITCHIE, CaScad

By q Stan Correspondent of The Star.
CAMP ALBERT C. RITCHIE, Cascade,
Md, August 11.-Raw, wet weather
that blanketed the camp and surround
ing hills forced the District National
Guardsmen indoors today and brought
an end to the field war game opera
tions of the 29th Division staff.
With rain falling intermittently, the
staff officers gathered in division head
quarters and worked out on paper the
problems they were to have solved IN
the field near Gettysburg. Pa, where
an elaborate communications system
had been installed by the 29th Signal
Company of Norfolk. The scene OF
operations yesterday was drenched oy
a near cloudburst which left the roads
nearly impossible, flooding them In
some places with 2 feet of water.
Trucks and automobiles were stallei
and mired, but this morning all but
two of the largest trucks had been
gotten back to camp.
Transportation Halted.
Almost 400 officers and enlisted men,
composing the division staff and at
tached troops, had pitched shelter
tents. installed field kitchens and gen.
orally settled themselves for an over
night stay away from the permanent
camp when the storm struck. bitches
around tents were quickly flooded, men
were soaked to the skin and all auto
motive transportation halted. The
wire communications system continued
to function, however, up to the time
it carried the message from Col. John
c. Cutchins. chief of staff, to his
shivering men to return to Camp
Ritchie.
With the exception of a guard left
over the equipment, every one left the
scene of operations as soon as auto
mobiles and trucks could be extracted
from the mire. In some cases, how
ever, this was not until late afternoon.
Mai. L. Med. Sylvester. Regular
Army instructor, expressed himself as
we'll pleased with the conduct of the
problem despite the rain. and particu-
larly commended the spirit displayed by
the enlisted men.
Attack Pushed Far.
He said the theoretical attack yes
terday was pushed as far as if it had
been a dry day. Today the simulated
attack on the red enemy force was
worked out on paper and maps to its
conclusion and the enemy driven back
across the Susquehanna River.
The 12lst Engineers, meanwhile, were
working on a rainy-day schedule, all
work with the exception Of brief pc
riod of setting-up exercises being in
doors.
Grouped in the mess shacks the men
were instructed in engineering, nomen-
clature of the rifle, given practice in
the use of flrst-aid packets and interior
guard duty. During the afternoon the
regular officer and non commissioned
officer schools we're to be held.
Range Firing Postponed.
The men of the I'd Battalion, who
have not been on the rifle range this
year, were to have fired today, but this
was postponed because of the weather.
Despite the weather yesterday the
division air service continued to
function in the maneuvers up to the
time they were ended. The dozen
planes flew here from their base at
Frederick. Md. and co-operated with
the staff officers in bearing messages
and in reconnaissance. Although the
flyers were forced to keep low because