Evening star., 1937-01-10
ARTILLERY SCHOOL
STARTED IN GUARD
Lleutenants and Enlisted
Men Ordered to Attend
Sessions.

aminations, for promotion to the rank
Of second lieutenant.
Orders issued by Lieut.. Col. Walter
w. Burns, commander OF the 260th
Regiment Of Coast Artillery, direct
that all officers of that rank attend
the schools except those assigned to
staff duties or in command OF bat
teries and detachments.
The first session Of the school was
held last week, and the others will be
held on February 4, March 4, April l,
Nav 6 and June g. Capt. William j.
Heale. Headquarters Detachment and
Combat Train, 1st Battalion, 260th
Coast Artillery, has been named as
Instructor. The sessions will begin at
T:30 o'clock on each date set for the
school to meet, and they win be held
In the Pennsylvania Avenue Armory
Of the Guard, it was announced by
Col. Burns.
For the purpose of acquainting the
Guard with the difficulties found by
Regular Army observers in the course
Of their inspections, the National
Guard Bureau of the War Depart
ment has announced its intention OF
getting out regular circular so that
the Guard units might take steps to
correct them.
The suggestion has been thrown out
to Guard organizations that no more
troops be assembled for training dur
ing one period than can be effectively
trained. It was said that at many
camps there is not sufficient terrain
to permit simultaneous training OF
part of the command in musketry
and small arms firing and others in
field exercises. Only few camps
have sufficient areas for the service
firing of more than one regiment Of
field artillery at time.
It called attention of the Guard
officers to the all-important duty of
higher commanders and staff officers
In supervision of armory training.
adding that arrangements should be
made and officers detailed to super
wise training at the time the schedule
Is published.
The suggestion also was made that
o conference on training be held by
the Guard units just before the ter
mination of camp each year with a
view of publishing the armory train
ing program Immediately following
each camp, and the field training pro-
gram within the first two months Of
each calendar year. The only sug-
gestion made for the correction of the
deficiencies in company training
schedules is that greater supervision
be given by battalion commanders, to
insure proper balance between dis
ciplinary drill and technical and tao
tical instruction.
The Army authorities say that many
brigade and regimental commanders
have failed to take advantage of the
command post exercises on the ter
rain. 1t has been noted by the Army
observers that some commanders failed
to conduct such exercises in prepara-
ton for scheduled regimental field
exercises or for participation in bri-
sade or division command post ex-
ercises.
Supply and administrative matters,
1t was pointed out, are too often ne
elected. The Guard authorities were
told that in carrying out command
post exercises, commanders should in
sist that each officer perform the du-
ties that pertain to his assignment
and take all necessary action, in
cluding the issuance of all orders and
the submission of all papers that
would be necessary we're the troops
engaged in actual conflict.
1t was asserted that too many
Guard officers fail to appreciate the
influence of terrain on combat. 1t
was added that in all command post
and field exercises and during ma
neuvers, the outstanding terrain fea-
lures and the influence of these fea-
lures on the conduct Of the problem
should be impressed upon the COM
missioned personnel.
Attention was called to the fact
that it was observed during the
maneuvers last Summer that in many
instances the troops failed to take
cover from air observation or make
proper defense against air attack.
The bureau criticized the fact that
there was a general lack of informa-
ton among all ranks as to what the
situation was at any given time. No
one seemed to know what the prob
lem was or what the commander was
trying to accomplish. A very serious
fault, 1t was said, was the massing of
trucks, in many instances, loaded with
personnel and supplies, very far for
ward. in some instances with the ad-
vance guard, where in actual opera
tions they would inevitably have been
destroyed. In many instances the
location OF higher headquarters was
not marked and was entirely un-
known to either officers or men of the
lower echelons. There was a lack of
necessary follow-up to see that orders
were carried out after they had been
issued. 1t was found that orders were
often issued too late at night for ex-
ercises that were to take place at day.
light. The bureau pointed out that
this results in improperly prepared
plans and orders by the subordinate
commanders and little or no under
standing of the situation by the
troops. This inevitably results in
poor morale and loss of interest and
cooperation on the part of the men
In the ranks.
A large percentage of the rifle units
failed to engage in musketry exer-
cises on field targets even where range
facilities were available. Also many
machine gun companies and troops
neglected direct-laying exercises. The
bureau said that these were serious
defects and should be corrected dur
ing the next succeeding field training
period.
The observers found that, while in
general the care Of equipment in the
armories is satisfactory, there is q
tendency to neglect the care of equip
ment in the field. In many cases ac-