Evening star., 1936-08-17
D. c. GUARD STARTS
TO BATTLE FRONT
10th Division in First Phase
: of War Drill in Penn
syIvania.
BY WILLIAM S. TARVER,
S.nH HnrreSrnnndenL of The Star.

17-ACCOmpAnleQ ny IuhlpAAle a.
lery. tanks, airplaneS, ambulances ana
supply trains. the goth National Guard
Division. some 5000 strong, pulled out
nf camp TODAY for the first phase OF
its four-day theoretical warfare. Tne
movement marked the first time the
entire division has taken the neId
since the World War.
With the mission of holding back
the enemy until the Blue Army pours
through the mountains from the north
and forms itself in battle array, the
division marched toward the south
west to organize a defensive position,
where it will be called upon tomor-
row to roll back Red Army thrustS
toward the mountain passes.
The movement, in two columns, got
under way at 9:15 am. Brig. Gen.
S. Gardner Waller, commanding the
alst Virginia Infantry Brigade, was
on the right and Brig. Gen. wash
ington Bowie, jr.. with his 58th Mary
land Infantry Brigade, was on the
left At pm, both forces were 10
converge at the assembly area between
Granville and East Hanover, about
miles from Indiantown Gap, and there
receive a field order from their COM
mander. Mai. Gen. Milton A. Reck-
ord. for disposition of their forces.
Blue Versus Red.
According to the general situation,
two small States, Blue to the north
and Red to the south, were at war.
The boundary between them was the
Lebanon Valley branch of the Penn
Eylvania & Reading Railroad.
With Blue army concentrating
north of Blue Mountain to invade
Red territory. the Red forces occupied
the high ground to the south in the
vicinity of Mount Gretna and was
expected to advance with the inten-
tion of closing the passes through
the mountains.
The 28th and 29th Blue divisions
already had come through the gaps
and the 28th was holding the high
ground directly north of Mount Gretna
and between Annville and Lebanon,
covering the debouchment of the Blue
Army from Indiantown and Swatara
Gaps
This morning Gen, Reckord sup
posedlv received a message from the
Blue Army commander, appriSing him
that the 28th Division and the Red
Army we're in contact south OF Ann
vile and that a Red attack was ex-
pected tomorrow. With Red Cav
airy division bivouscked at Middle
town. to the southwest, and enemy
fnI q
HummelStoWn. the right flank OF the
28th Division was being threatened.
Accordingly. Gen. Reckord received
the following instructions:
Your 29th Division will organize
and defend a position on the Grant
vile Ridge, between Blue Mountain
and Swatara Greek, until the Blue
Army has debouched from Indiantown
Gap and Swatara Gap on August 1e.
Establish division command post vi
cinity of East Hanover
With Gen. Waller and his Virginia
Infantry marched the 11lth Field Ar
tillery. also of Virginia: the 176th
Field Artillery of Pennsylvania, the
goth Division Tank Company, Dan
vile, Va; one platoon of the 1f3th
Collection Company, which will evac-
uate the wounded. and the 1loth Am
bulance Company, less one platoon.
Following the Maryland brigade
we're the 54th Field Artillery Brigade,
less the ll1th and 176th, under COM
mand of Brig. Gen. J. Craig Nolan
ahan; Washington's 12lst Engineers,
under command of Col. John w. Och
mann; the 1l3th Collection Company.
less one platoon, and one platoon OF
the 10th Ambulance Company.
Gen. Reckord ordered division avia-
ton squadron to furnish him with
hourly reports on the enemy. and
With messages every half hour con-
cerning the movement and location of
his own troops.
To the 121st Engineers was given
the task of destroying the three
bridges across the unfordable Swat
ara Creek so as TO impede the enemy
advance.
Familiar with the terrain to be de-
Tended. since he and his staff have
conducted almost daily reconnaissances
during the past week, Gen. Reckord
had his order for organization OF his
divisions position prepared in advance
1t called for placement of the 91st
brigade on the right and the 58th or
the left. with the 1l1th Field Artillery
supporting the Virginians, and the
10th the Maryland troops. In the
center and in rear of both of the other
artillery regiments was to be located
the 176th Field Artillery, with the
engineers and the 1o4th Medical Regi-
nlent still farther to the rear and in
the left defensive sector The tanks
were kept in division reserve.
Battle to Begin Tomorrow.
With nightfall. the troops will g0
into oivouac, their slumber protected
by outposts, and tomorrow the battle
is expected to begin. Tomorrow night
will be spent back in camp and We'd
nesday morning the division will move
out again for another overnight
maneuver.
Yesterday was given over TO re-
lgious services and rest. Thousands
Of visitors hocked into camp for the
occasion. Only one serious accident
marred the day. The wife of Sergt.
August Tribull. 18th Abulance Com
pany, Baltimore, was reported serious
ly injured when her car ran of an
embankment near York, Pa.
She is in the hospital there. She
was en- route to camp to visit her
husband
An enraged bull routed several divi-
sion staff officers making a reconnais-
sance yesterday. The officers escaped
over fence. Later. they refused to
make known their identities.
The unusual spectacle of q camp
Baptism was afforded visitors during
the afternoon. The child was the
infant son of Capt. John S. Martin,
lo4th Medical Regiment, and Mrs
Martin.