Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-09-29
Zeal Is Emphasized
In Organization Of
New Armored Forces
Officers and Men
At Fort Knox Tackle
Jobs With Enthusiasm
BY MARK S. WATSON.

BY MARK S. WATSON.
FORT KNOX, KY. Sept. %
tNA.N.A).-A 1art of the extraor-
binary zeal which is almost the first
thing to strike the observer making
his initial tour of the armored force
establishment here at Knox is due,
no doubt, to the novelty of the en-
terprise
Here is the newest and is some
respects the least understood, of all
the military arms Inevitably its
novelties and its complexities and its
mysteries arouse the interests of an
alert mind to the point where the
body's fatigue is forgotten after a
nights sleep.
How great that fatigue must be
can only be conjectured by the lay
man, A half-hour's jolting over
rough terrain is wearing expert
ence. The tank corps personnel
takes 1t day at time and ap-
parently likes it. This must be the
most grueling of all the services and
1t is not one for any save those of
prime physique. Here, too, is some
thing which will expand on enor-
NOUS scale.
Stimulating Influence.
To an eager officer-and the
eagerness of the officer passes swift
~ through the ranks-all this is
enormously stimulating Also, it is
SOLDERING. For with new weapons
come new tactics and new reSpon-
sibilities There is hardly an officer
here who has seen more than a few
phases of mechanical warfare of
the 1910 style in Flanders. but none
Is unaware that it is miles ahead
Of anything in American experience,
and that the acquisition of modern
tanks and their auxiliaries is only
part of our need.
1t is necessary to keep reminding
ourselves that Germany. with
single and infleXible purpose and
an all-dominant army ignoring all
civilian disagreement, took six years
to organize her aircraft, and five
of those six years to organize her
armored force. and to that effort
bent all efforts of army, treasury,
labor and industry.
Our effort has been extended for
approximately four months thus far.
No wise man expects majestic re-
suits very soon and it would be most
unfortunate to let our undoubted
progress, so far, blind us to the fact
that ours is only a start. and that
the way ahead is long and full of
trouble.
Strength Potential.
Our strength is in potentially
rather than in fact, but at least
We have a national awakening to
our grave shortages, and an appar-
ent willingness to spend money to
remedy them, as far as money can
do so. We have designs based on
1910 needs rather than old needs.
We have factories working on the
equipment with which to meet those
needs, in the course of time.
AS to organization, the Army has
cut clear of binding tradition. Re-
gardless of the meritorious work
previously achieved by the tankmen
of infantry and cavalry (who now
constitute g the bulk of armored
forces PERSONNEL the civilian OBJ
server cannot avoid feeling that
creation of that separate force I'M
controlled by either infantry or
cavalry administration provides an
independence which is helpful.
The very fusion of the old per-
sonnet should be helpful Brig. Gen |
IL 0f tk,4 1et yrt~
has under him an officer personnel
largely from Fort Knox's old
mechanical cavalry, and Brig. Gen.
Charles L. Scott of the I'd, which is
at Fort Benning, has inherited most
of the officer personnel of the old
infantry tanks. The chief of staff /
Of the whole armored force, under |
Gen. Chaffee, is 1t. Col. Serene E. |
Brett, who commanded our tanks in |
the Meuse- Argonne, and has been /
very active in our tank development .
since 1918.
Component Regiments New
The component regiments are in /
sorne cases entirely new. One en-
tirely new reconnaissance battalion |
has Just received its colors and war
rants for all of its non-commis- |
stoned officers in the dignified cere- !
mony at which Army tradition is /
at its best.
Others are rich in age and in
honors-notably the 1st Regiment
of the LIST Division of the corps /
If you 60 into its headquarters you
soon recognize it. despite its snort
ing motors and its changing ports,
as the old LIST Cavalry.
All this fusion of veteran officers
from the several combat arms and
steady addition of youngsters of
high attainment in new technical ,
fields will force restudy of cavalry |
and infantry tactics in their appli-
cation to the new force, which par
takes of the characteristics of all |
branches of the service. What is |
good should be retained, and what |
is outworn should be dropped. The !
extent to which this is done will /
help to determine the success of the |