Evening star., 1938-07-30
ARMY DEFICIENT,
LYNCH DECLARES
Infantry Chief Advises
Radical Revision of
Tactics, Weapons.
Hy the Associated Press.

Fy the Associated Press.
The Arny's chief Of infantry has
recommended radical revision" Of
tactics and weapons to keep abreast
Of advances made by foreign powers
Maj Gen. George A. Lynch, chief Of
infantry, said in a survey made avail
able today for study by the Army's
$4,000 officers:
We are training under tactical
regulations and with materiel that are
almost wholly obsolete"
The revision. he advised, should be
followed by another, II need be. two
years hence. OF equipment, he re-
ported:
Our infantry regiment today Is
badly outmoded In comparison with
foreign regiments. 1t lacks the weapon
carriers, mortars, grenade tubes, anti
aircraft and anti-tank weapons, rolling
kitchens, voice radio. Our tank con-
tingent is inadequate.
Much time will elapse before these
DEFICIENCIES can be met. But most criti-
cal Of all Is the total unpreparedness
Of our industry to meet some Of our
most vital demands until more than q
year after mobilization.
Gen. Lynch's estimate was given
conf1dentially to the Command and
General Staff School at Fort Leaven-
worth, Kans.. and published for the
benefit of all Of the officers in the
semi official infantry journal.
The Army, he reported, Is starting
production Of the f1rst 18 Of q pro-
jected 1872 fast medium" tanks. He
said that many think 1t is the greatest
tank in existence" It weighs about
l6 tons, carries five or six men and
is vulnerable only to anti-tank shells
and artillery.
Although the Army has some 2ss
light tanks, Gen.M Lynch said q new
weapon was needed, weighing under
10 tons. but as heavily armored al
the larger vehicle.
Squad Of IL Urged.
1r line with developments abroad
he said it had been proposed to adc
a small group Of grenadiers to the
Army's infantry platoon, armed with
the rifle now in use, bayonet and
grenade tube.
Proposing a reorganization of in.
fantry units. Gen. Lynch suggested q
squad of IL instead of eight men, q
platoon Of 43 and company of moi
less than 200. the latter comprising
four rifle platons and one headquar-
ters platoon.
The War Department put seven Off.
GERS to work today on one problem
mentioned by Gen. Lynch-the gear.
ing Of industry to the Army's national
preparedness effort.
Congress appropriated $4,000 900 t<
be spent over five-year period 70,
educational orders to manufacturers
The Army group, headed by Brig. Gen
Harry A. Arnold. will advise on ex.
penditure of the money in an effort
10 eliminate what officers term q
bottle neck" in the production o1
munitions.
Would Forestall Long Delays.
AooAo SoAAAoOAl, <1ocloVdllU OCCISGdIy
OF War. said the objective was tc
forestall long delays in the supply OF
vital supplies in event of an emergency
He said the Army hoped to place
the first orders with automobile and
other manufacturers in September.
They will work out manufacturing
processes and make experimentally 8
few of the parts of projectiles anc
weapons which in wartime would be
required in immense quantities.
Members of the advisory group ir
addition to Gen. Arnold are: Coils
C. T. Harris, H. K. Rutherford and
James H. Burns, of the Ordnance
Corps; Col. John w. N. Schultz, OF
the Engineers, and Col. Leonard K
Sparks, Of the Field Artillery branch
Capt. w. r. Winslow, Of the Engineers
is recorder.