Evening star., 1936-08-18
GUARDSMEN FACE
SURPRISE ATTACK
Red Army Sends Motorized
Column at Left Flank
of 29th Division.
BY WILLIAM S. TARVER,
Cfo9 HOrrae r,rn liant ~ IvHa Nf A.

of 29th Division.
BY WILLIAM S. TARvER.
STAFF Correspondent Of The Star.
INDIANTOWN GAP, Ps.. August
1S.-In q daring effort to roll up the
left fiank Of the 29th Division In the
mimic warfare here today. the Red
Army sent . column Of armored cars
charging straight through the heart
Of the entrenched National Guard
force.
The Red enemy, which had been
thought only nake-believe. material
lied Unexpectedly a. Q fiesh-and- blood
regiment. which struck suddenly
against the left front, held by the
seth Maryland Infantry Brigade.
As Red rihemen maintained a
steady fire, . train of station wagons,
representing Red armored cars, sped
through the brigade and It's support
ing artillery. The blow obviously was
intended to throw the Blues into con-
fusion and permit the main Red force
to administer crushing blow.
Washinston's 12lst Engineers COM
prised the Red, or enemy, force. Each
Of the two engineer battalions repre-
sented q cavalry brigade. In COM
mand OF the Red division was Maj.
William T. Roy, who. in camp. COM
mands the 2sth Division special
troops. and In civil life ID assistant
parliamentarian Of the House of Rep
resentAtives.
Cars Swathed in Red.
Each armored car was swathed in
red with wide bands of bunting across
the top and around all four sides.
Maj. Roy wore an improvised Sam
Browne belt of red and his troops
wore wide red hat bands.
The four rifles in each car repre-
sented machine guns and -millimeter
guns, considered immune from small
arms attack, so that the cars we're
able TO pass unharmed through the
Infantry lines.
The 29th moved from camp here
yesterday into the position along the
Granville Ridge between Swatara
Greek and Blue Mountain, which it
was ordered to defend to permit the
main Blue Army TO pass unmolested
through Indiantown and Swatara Gaps
for an invasion of Red territory.
Mai. Gen. Milton A. Reckord, COM
manding the 29th Division, had been
warned to expect a Red attack today,
since the enemy was anxious to close
the mountain passes before the Blue
forces debouched into the valley.
So closely guarded was the secret
that there would be real opposing
force. not even the Engineers knew
the part they were to play until Maj
Roy drove into their bivouac at sun
rise today with 10 trucks and Il
service wagons.
One battalion. commanded by Lieut.
Cooper B. Rhodes. YVES placed directly
TO the front OF the 5Sth Brigade and
the other, led by Capt Louis S. Cos.
orn, was aligned on the brigade's left
flank. The ist Battalion opened fire
| at am. the 2nd at $50. The
armored cars took of on their dash at
10 O'Clock. Maj. Roy himself COM
manded the piercing column.
Result Not Known.
Not until the war game Is COM
pleted and the referees have rendered
their decision will it be known
whether the ruse was successful.
Throughout the battle, Infantry
kept up a continuous fire with rif1es
and machine guns. while the Artillery
fired salvo after salvo. Only blanks
were used.
Under command of Mai. Charles
A. Mason, the 104th Observation
Squadron, 29th Division Aviation,
scared overhead furnishing informa-
ton of the enemy and the effect OF
shell fire
Most Of the Guardsmen spent the
night with nothing above them but
the stars, although units to the rear
pitched pup tents. The movement
from field assembly into defensive
positions was conducted under cover
of darkness. and the entire division
was under orders to be ready for ac-
ton at dawn. which came at 4:20
Under command Of Col. John w.
Ooehmann, building inspector Of the
District, the 121st Engineers prepared
maps yesterday showing the condition
Of all roads and the locations of COM
mand posts and defensive areas.
To the 1st Battalion Of the regi-
ment was assigned the task of SIM
ulating the destruction of the three
bridges across the theoretical unford-
able Swatara Greek, which lay in The
path Of the main enemy advance.
Supported by Artillery.
Supporting the 58th Brigade was
the 10th Field Artillery Of Maryland.
while the 91st Virginia Infantry Bri-
gsde. on the right, was supported by
the 11lth Field Artillery Of Virginia.
The 176th Field Artillery of Penn
sylvania constituted the general sup
port and straddled the dividing line
between the two other Artillery regi-
mentS.
Despite the trend toward military
mechanization. Gen. Reckord and his
staff used horses as they inspected
the various bivouacs last night.
The troops we're fed from rolling
kitchens while in the field. They
were to return to the permanent
camp here tonight and 60 out to-
morrow for another overnight ma
neuver.