Evening star., 1938-03-27
@ RESERVES SEE
NEW ARMY TRICKS
18th Infantry Demonstrates
Latest in Tactics at
Fort Washington.

nfantrys newest bag of. tricks was
opened before 556 officers of the Or
ganized Reserves from the local area
by the 18th Infantry at Fort Wash
ington, Md, yesterday afternoon in
q series of demonstrations covering
range of weapons from the time-hon-
ofed bayonet and trench knife to the
latest in anti-tank guns.
Acting as host for the third of
series of monthly contact camps"
intended to familiariZe Reserve Off
GERS with the latest developments in
every branch of the military service,
the 18th Infantry showed tactics
ranging from barenanded defense
against bayonet attack to the scaling
Of a defended wall against rifle fire
and smoke.
The demonstrations covered the en-
ployment under battle conditions of
the new automatic rifles, which within
q few years will become the standard
weapon of the infantryman, replac-
ing entirely the time honored rifles
which have been the reliance of the
American doughboy for decades. Spe-
cialized types of infantry mortars and
field guns recently perfected also were
shown in action.
Field Kitchen Put I'd Use.
The program opened with exhibi-
tion of a company field kitchen in
operation and closed with the feed
ing Of the visiting reservists in the
field, via the famous Chow line"
There were exhibitions of 3 battalion
aid station, the weapons and field
equipment of rifle company, machine
gun company and howitzer company,
the field equipment of an infantry
officer, the field equipment of a bat
talon headquarters, battalion trains
In bivouac and types of entrench-
ments and barbedwire entanglements.
The demonstrations, in a Steep
sided ravine under the walls of his
toric Fort Washington, began with
the establishment of field communi-
cations by the communications platoon
OF the Headquarters Company of the
18th Infantry. The platoon set up
telephone service. airplane panels,
signal flare projectors and COM
munications center.
war strength rifle company COM
posed Of troops of Companies 1. K
and L OF the 18th Infantry, in heavy
marching order, occupied a section
OF an active" front, where the Sd
Platoon lightened packs, drew am
munition and went into simulated
battle to demonstrate the advance
by section columns, squad columns
and scouts, under enemy gas and
fire.
Marksmen Show Their Skill.
Firing the new "1,0OO-inch" course
developed for machine-gun and rifle
training, Company NJ underwent a
test OF skill and accuracy with the
.3O-caliber machine gun on a COM
plcated target against a 12-second
time limit. The company, which has
stood first in the regiment for the
last two years. qualified 80 per cent
OF its personnel as expert marksmen
last year. Their fire test closed with
an attack on an enemy line" painted
on a scenic background, with such
accuracy that a painted machine
gun nest was cut completely out of
the painting.
Demonstra tions of hand and cart
carried machine guns were followed
by the firing of a new .50-caliber
anti-tank machine gun against a tar
get of armor plate donated by the
Washington Navy Yard, equipped with
tank gun turrets. One turret was
demolished and the plate riddled in a
short burst of fire.
The Howitzer Platoon of the Head
quarters Co. demonstrated the fire of
q .37-millimeter gun on carriage and
portable 3-inch trench mortar. An
unexpected touch of danger and drama
came when the second trench mortar
shell misf1red and had to be removed
by hand, an operation which has
earned the designation, suicide squad"
Tor the mortar men. The unfired shell,
safety pin removed, with a greater
explosive force than a .75-millimeter
artillery shell, was extracted by hand
and "safetied."
Bayonet Record Broken.
The deadly accuracy of the we'll
trained American infantryman with
the rifle was demonstrated by Co. K,
which riddled a number of small
targets with rapid and slow fire, sew
eral of the targets coming back with