Evening star., 1938-04-24
AIR CORPSM
SEAB0ARD WAR
Mass Maneuvers to Find
Results of Invasion of
Industrial Area.
By the Associated Press.

industrial Area.
By the Associated Press.
HEMPSTEAD, N Y. April 23.-The
Army Air Corps, armed with the most
lethal aerial weapons known to modern
science, will determine in theory next
month what would happen If the mill
tary forces Of a foreign power tried
to invade the richest industrial area
in the United States.
For five days more than 200 air
planes and 1900 men will play at
war, attacking and defending the
Northeastern portion of the country.
The problem" assigned them is Sc
cret.
Not until they assemble from the
West Coast. the South, the Middle
West and the East at 20 designated
airports for General Headquarters Air
Force maneuvers will they get an
inkling of what they are expected
to do.
Tactical exercises will be carried on
Tor "a hours day from May IL to II.
The various units Of pursuit, attack
and bombardment aviation will begin
assembling In the East on May /.
To Test New Organization.
Though details Of the work to be
done are known only to Maj. Gen.
Frank M. Andrews, commanding the
G. H. O., and his immediate subordi-
mates, it was understood that the 200
odd machines would be divided I'D to
create an enemy" air force and q de-
Tending force
The purpose, as announced by the
War Department, is to solve large
scale tactical problems and to test
recently revised tables of organization
Tor alr-base establishments, intended
to give fighting air squadrons tactical
mobility.
The Army has hinted that the area
to be defended" is bounded by Wash
angton on the South and Pittsburgh
on the West.
1t will cover New York, Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey, the New England
States and parts of Maryland and
Delaware.
Those States are dotted with manu-
hcturing plants vital to defense in
wartime, including several aircraft
factories and the two aircraft motor
factories which supply almost all of
the engines used by the Army, Navy
and Marine Corps.
Enemy Air Ease.
The Army and Navy for long have
assumed that foreign power attempt
Ing to land an army on the Eastern
seaboard of the continent would strike
1rst in Canada or the New England
States.
The defenders in next months
make-believe war presumably will try
TO beat off an effort of the enemy to
establish an air base on American
shores.
From such base an enemy could
dispatch bombing planes whose mis-
sion would be to destroy manufactur-
Ing plants, including East Coast mu-
nltlons factories, drop explosives on
the National Capital and cut off New
york City from the hinterland.
Tll enemy's objectives around the
Nations biggest city would be RAILWAYS
roads and the man-made lakes and
aqueducts which supply the metrop-
oils with 970,000,0OO gallons of water
. day
Participating in the maneuvers will
be three general types of aircraft
pursuit, attack and bombardment, in
cluding the Air Corps big, four-mo-
tored flying fortresses, half dozen
OF which recently flew from Langley
Field, Va, to Buenos Aires.
Divided Into Wings.
Under the organization of the Army,
fourth type, observation aircraft,
Is assigned to ground forces for spot
ting artillery fire and carrying out
similar missions.
The G. H. O.. designated as a hiphlv
mobile, 'swift-striking air arm, is d.
3ected by its commanding general,
who. in turn. is responsible to the
Army chief of staff.
zen. Andrews warplanes are divided
into three wings" with headquarters
at Barksdale Field, Shreveport, La:
Langley Field. Va. and March Field.
Riverside, Calf.
The commanding officer of the first
wing on the West Coast, is Brig, Gen.
Oelos c. Emmons; of the second wing.
at Langley Field, Brig. Gen. Arnold
N. krogstad. and Of the third, at
Barksdale Field, Brig. Gen. F. L.
Martin.
Supervising the maneuvers under
Gen. Andrews will be Col w. H.
Frank. chief of staff Of the G. H. O.:
1t. Col. Ralph Cousins, Maj. James P.
Hodges, Col. w. G. Kilner and 1t, Col.
Joseph T. Mccartney.
Secret Night Movements.
The aircraft will assemble from
March Field, Hamilton Field, near San
Francisco; Langley Field, Barksdale
.F1eld, Mitchell Field, Long Island, and
selfridge Field, Mount Clemens, Mich
Mitchell Field, near here, will be Gen.
Andrews headquarters.
Combat trains" of mSre than 400
motor vehicles will supplement air.
planes in moving supplies.
The Air Corps has stored 400 oOo
gallons OF gasoline to fuel the air.
planes and land vehicles, 100000
pounds OF freight and supplies. and
expects to fly 100000 miles in all
during the exercises.
Indicative that secret night move
ments OF planes will occur is the des-
1gnation OF 253 airports in the area to
oe "defended" as possible operating
bases
Commercial air lines will be advised
OF military plane movements during
the maneuvers to guard against
collisions