Evening star., 1940-12-22

Nine years before Germany repudiated
the Versailles treaty and began building
Its first tanks since the World War, the
United States Army developed the Sec
ond mechanical detachment in history
The pioneer unit of force destined to
revolutionize warfare and give the Reich
mastery of the European continent had
been sketched a year earlier in Great
Britain
During the War Departments recent
press tour, it was learned that the true
begetter of the armored force in this
country was Gen Charles Pelot Sum-
neral, now retired and serving as presi-
dent of the Citadel, South Carolina mill
tary college. In 1928 when he was chief
of staff, Gen. Summerall ordered the for
nation of mechanical regiment at Fort
Eustice, Va. 1t was improvlsed from
materials already at hand, such as pas
senger cars. trucks and tanks. Rif1emen.
machine gunners and artillerymen were
put aboard lorries. with their equipment,
and sent rolling across country to ma
neuvers in Maryland,
Close observers of this experiment were
Brig. Gen. Adolf Won Schell, then cap
tain and at present liaison officer be-
tween the Germany Army and the au-
tomotive industry; a second officer of
the Reichwehr, now Maj. Gen. Won
Eimansberger, and Gen. John Frederic
Charles Fuller of the British Army. Both
Gen. Eimansberger and Gen. Fuller be-
foti
strategy.
By 1880 the regiment at Fort EuStlce
took the name of Experimental Mechan-
lied Force In November 1881, 1t was
removed to Fort Knox, near Louisville.
1t was the nucleus of the Armys first
mechanical brigade, which was actlVated
from the 7th Cavalry in 1887. This
brigade. in turn, was the seed of the
Arnlored Force which was created by
order of the War Department on July
10, 1910.
Ten Divisions Planned.
It consists at present of the 1st and
I'd Armored Divisions, stationed re-
spectively at Fort Knox and Fort Ben
ming, Ga, and a headquarters reserve
tank battalion at Fort Meade, Md. Two
additional divisions are to be established
after January l at Camp Beauregard,
La, and Pine Camp, N. Y. Eventually
it is planned to create 10 divisions in all,
or the equivalent of five mechanical
field armies, with a personnel of 10000,
motor vehicles to the number of 25,OOO
and 10000 weapons
General officers OF the Army's newest
branch point out not only that it is
nearly decade older than the German
Panzer armies. but contend that division
for division it is superior. The American
armored divisions war strength is about
$4,000 officers and men, as against ap-
proximately 1000 in the Reich. The
formers motor vehicles, including tanks
number $500, while the figure for the
Panzer division is given as 1,274. No
comparative statistics as to armament
are available, but there is confident be-
lief that the American strength of 10000
weapons for 10000 men represents the
mightiest concentration of fire-power in
history. For example, triangular in
fantry division operates about $50 30
caliber machine guns. The number Of
the same weapons in an armored division
is 16 times greater, or 1000
The claim to superiority is based also
on mechanical factors which are Army
secrets, such as the construction of tank
radial motors and the thickness and
distribution of armor plate. But one
such element freely discussed is the new
American caterpillar tread, with track of
hard rubber instead of steel. 1t was
worked out by Army officers in conjunc-
ton with leading tire manufacturers,
and is declared to having striking ad-
vantages of lightness speed and dura-
bility.
< The rubber track, unlike the metal
one, it was declared, can travel on paved
highways without injuring concrete or
asphalt Durability is estimated at more
than $500 miles, after which the track
can be reversed and used second time
over the same distance. For difficult ter
rain was devised a belt of steel blocks
to be clamped over the rubber ones.
The Armored Force Board, a testing
agency at Fort KEoX, is far from be-