Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-19
Fort Knox BOOMING;
Spirits High al Army's
Biggest Tank Town
Armored Force Shows Off
Its Hord-Hitting Power
With Real Bullets
BY NELSON Nj. SHEPARD,
Star Staff CnrreSnnndent


FORT KNOX, KY, Nov. l9.-Here
at this cradle and headquarters of
the United States armored force is
the Army's largest tank town, a
busting, boisterous boom town,
rarln' to 60 places.
That's the spirit of the armored
personnel CockSWeness, determi-
nation and a "here-We-c come spirit
fairly ooZe from their sWeaty pores
For they sweat at their job in this
place and like it. They know that
these fast riding, hard-hitting
"Panzer" units are the answer to
most Americans prayers.
Maybe that accounts for the fact
that the esprit de corps of these
modern knights in arnor is con-
taglous. One cannot escape it.
There's no century of tradition be-
hind it. This armored force is the
baby of the service-a husky, de-
mandlng baby-and the men who
are nursing it along now have SUI
preme confidence in its future.
A Practice March.
That satisfaction in getting some
where fast was evidenced today in
the zeal and comments of Mai. Gen.
Charles l., Scott hard driving Ala
hamian. who is acting chief of the
srmored force. as he viewed a DEM
onstration march of the LIST Division,
its hundreds of tanks, motorcycle.
armored machine gun and infantry
units rolling along at 40 miles an
hour.
The high tone Of the enlisted
morale was nowhere more APPLY
illustrated than III the enthusiasm
of driver just SIX months out of
liked being in this mans outfit. he
grinned in reply: L like it. You
know, when people ask YOU that
they expect you to say so anyway.
But I mean to tell you, mister, do
like it"
A short while ago Fort Knox was
a quiet military post, Only the prac-
tlce maneuverS of a single mechan-
lied cavalry brigade broke into the
routine Of Army life. In the span
Of four months it has more than
trebled in size and garrison strength.
Now 1t fairly shrieks, Watch us
grow" A thousand or more men
from the South and Middle Western
farms and city selectees who will be
turned into skilled mechanics are
coming in the first and second call
to fill the huge replacement center,
now two weeks ahead of building
schedule.
Houses Going Up.
A civilian army of 5000 workmen
Is hurrying the completion Of tenn
porary quarters for 29606 enlisted
men, dormitory for 1241 officers and
700 comfortable, loW-coSt houses I'M
dertaken by the United States Hous-
ing Authority for the families of
enlisted men. A great school for
officers and soldiers. with nearly
thousand enrolled, is housed in
dozen or more barracks and shops.
By February, mass production in
education will be initiated and 5000
men will 90 through its courses like
parts on an assembly line They
will graduate at the rate of 500
week. With classes being held in two
shifts.
Nearing completion Is an immense
aviation field. with cement runways
available now for Army planes. It's
great hangar is to be reproduction
of the one at Boiling Field in Wash
ington. Now planes remaining over
night land at the Louisville Airport,
some IS miles away.
When the armored force was Gre
ated In July, 1910, Fort Knox was
made the home post for the Head
quarters Troops and the lst Division.
The division commander, Maj. Gen.
Bruce Magruder, was Washington
born youth who went into the Army
as private So years ago and whose
first military job was peeling pota-
toes for the mess. The only other
armored division at this time is the
I'd, at Fort Benning, Ga. It's COM
mander, Gen. Scott, was sent here
to serve as acting chief when 1t.
Gen. Adna r. Chafee became
seriously i'll of pneumonia. He is
now in Walter Reed Hospital,
Washington.
1900 Per Cent Expansion Due.
BY December the armored force
will be augmented to $4,000 men
through the addition of selected
service personnel. There are now
6400 vehicles Eventually the force
will be approximately $4,000 officers
and enlisted men and 10000 vehicles,
or an expansion of around 1900 per
cent from the original mechanical
brigade.
Today, on the bombing range,
Gen. Magruder demonstrated the
forces tremendous striking power.
They don't do things halfway at
Knox. Light armored tanks emery
ing from A smoke screen raced be-
tween the inflading fire of attacking
machine gun nests. Real bullets
were used, the red tracers ricochet-
ing off the 3-inch armored plates
like peas from a blow-gun. Back
of the tanks came their own in
fantry and machine gun support.
In battle lorna ton. an armored
division of 5000 carries 1000 30
caliber machine guns, about IA times
the firing power of an ordinary in
fantry division.
Infantry Still Carries the Ball.
These Fort Knox soldiers are
learning how to shoot with unerring
accuracy. Howitzers made direct
hits on swiftly moving targets at
1900 yards after two or three tries.
Terrific as the striking power of an