Evening star., 1939-10-04
Army 10 Test
Light Mines
As Tank Traps
Post Graduate War
Comes Open Tonight
At Fort Meade
~ Stan Correspondent of The Star.

~ stan Correspondent Of The Star.
FORT GEORGE G.. MEADE, Md,
Oct. Anew mechanical warfare
implements that will be given a try
out in the United States Army post
graduate" war games here this week
include a recently adapted, light,
and more easily installed anti-tank
mine, Army authorities revealed to-
day.
The mines-like all explosives used
In mock battles-are dummy, but
umpires will be close by to stop tanks
treading on the wooden limitations.
And much can be learned, staff Of
flcers say, by the effectiveness of the
comparatively quick blockades which
can be set up.
Complete details of the light mines
are not available. For peace time
war games, like the gruesome reality
they strive to initiate, have their
code of limited censorship. But it
is acknowledged that the new mines
weigh only about 10 pounds each
and can be placed in tall grass. They
do not have to be buried, as did the
bigger anti-tank mines used in the
World War.
The mines are not designed to de-
stroy tank or to kill the operators
within. Instead, their objectives are
tank treads. The mines are supposed
to break or so cripple the treads as
to stop a trank almost in its tracks.
Being more readily placed and less
expensive than heavier charged
anti-tank mines, more of them can
be used.
Equal in Numbers.
These mines, together with anti
tank guns and other obstacles to
mechanical forces, are to be used
by the Washington Provisional
Brigade and other troops constitut-
ing the some 1000 Blues" in the
maneuvers.
The Blacks" of about the same
numerical strength, but who have
tank battalion instead of cavalry,
and whose artillery is motor drawn
rather than horse drawn, have
let slip that they have few new
tricks to unfold.
Here again details are scant, but
leaders of the mechanical troops
admit that they are going to attempt
new experiments in combined in
fantry, artillery and tank attacks.
These experiments, they say, are
to be based on observations of me-
chanized war games at Manassas,
Va, and at Plattsburg, N. Y, in
August. This fact, plus the projected
participation of only Regular Army
men (National Guardsmen Joined
in both the New York and the Vir-
ginia games), has caused military
experts to dub this weeks activities
at Fort Meade post graduate"
mechanized war game.
Warm Up Operations.
Both Blues and Blacks planned to
complete by mid-afternoon today
two-day warm up field operations
devised by their stats, headed by
Brig. Gen. Maxwell Murray and Col
Gilbert S. Brown, respectively. Each
side was assigned half of the f.
mile-square reservation and told to
do what they pleased. Both-for
whatever light it may throw on their
scheduled make-believe combats to-
morrow and Friday-chose to prac-
tice offensive tactics.
Tonight at Z o'clock, it will be
assumed that advance units of the
Blues and Blacks have met on an
800-yard front running from north
to south just east of the Fort Meade
post headquarters. In the darkness,
whatever deployment or scouting the
two armies do is strictly up to their
commanders. But, as is generally
the case in real war, actual fighting
will not begin until daybreak.
On Friday, the same forces are to
clash again on front to the north
Of the post headquarters, and the
Blacks are to face east, rather than
west as they will tomorrow.
Scout planes will be furnished
each side from squadron of Lang
ley Field (Va) flyers. The strength
In infantry and artillery is as nearly
equal as staff experts can figure out.
So the main test will be between
horse mounted soldiers of the Blues
and motorized troops of the Blacks.
Which can move the fastest and do
the most after it gets to an objec-
tive? Which can be deployed to best
advantage in wooded areas, over
rough ground and whatever nature
has to offer on the battlefront?