Evening star., 1938-09-17
REDS WILL SEEK
T0RECR0SS RIVER
Force Drive Over Little
Patuxent to Try to
Regain Position.
BY ROBERT A. ERWIN,
Star stan CORRESPONDENT.

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Nd,
Sept. 17.-Thc Little Patuxent River
became q center Of military opera
ttons today as the Red" forces Of
Third Corps Area troops, driven across
the stream in yesterdays maneuvers.
sought today to regain their former
position on the north side.
Army officers acting as umpires
in the annual test warfare on the
fort reservation dispatched reinforce
ments during the night to the Red"
contingent, composed chiefly of riders
Of the Sd Cavalry and the tank corps
of the 34th Infantry
The reinforcements were expected
to change the battle situation and
make it possible for the Reds" to
carry the battle to the opposing
Blues" in today's second stage of
the two-day.maneuver. The annual test
warfare will continue here through
next Friday. 1t has brought together
the 18th and 14th Infantries, the 18th
Field Artillery, the Sd Cavalry. the
Washington Provisional Brigade and
part Of the Sd Observation Air Squad
ron from Langley Field. Va.
Joint Test Continued.
Today's maneuvers continued the
joint test of the cavalry, one of the
Oldest arms of the Army, and the
tank corps, weapon of modern war;
fare. in counter-attack operations.
Light and fast. often speeding more
than 40 miles an hour, the new mo-
torized units sped up hill and down
dale over the roads and lightly-wooded
areas Of the Fort Meade reservation.
Last night was spent In the field
without benefit Of even pup tents for
more than 1000 soldiers They pitched
their Army blankets on the ground
for what sleep they were able to Sc
ure during nocturnal accommodating
and rearrangement of positions. They
were served supper and breakfast in
the field, deploying over the hilly
countryside in much the same FASH
ion that the Army operated in time
Of war
In the first stage of the battle yes
terday, the Reds under Col. Jona-
than Wainwright held their defensive
position on Dead Mans Hill against
the attacking Blues under Col.
Charles B. Elliott. Airplanes bearing
the colors Of their respective sides
zoomed high and low over the field.
while both sides used tanks In an
effort to reach their objectives. Aft
ernoon found the battle shifting to
the side Of the Blues, however, and
by nightfall the Reds had retreated
quietly through the fort reservation
and then took up their new position
on the south side Of the Little Patux-
ent.
Gen. Kruger Chief Umpire.
Brig. Gen. Walter Kruger Is chief
umpire of the battle, which Brig. Gen.
Dana T. Merrill of the Washington
Provisional Brigade has used to test
out his troopers on the field. Sol
diers Of this brigade are regularly
quartered at forts In the Washington
area.
AS the battle continued today, UNI
pires not only shifted the troops about
on the field but also determined the
fictitious number of casualties. occa-
sionally ordering wounded" soldiers
temporarily off the field.
Heaviest gun fire came from the 81
millimeter anti-tank guns which fire
one-inch protective designed to pen
citrate the armor of opposing tanks.
The soldiers also are using .5o-caliber
antl-tank guns and .30-caliber machine
guns.