Evening star., 1940-11-23
Transporting Troops
And Cannon by Air
Perfected by Army
Crew Louds Anti -Tunk
Gun in Plane in Six
Minute Drill
BY NELSON Nj. SHEPARD,
Star Staff Correspondent.

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, Nov. 23.-
Tied in with the training of para
chutists at Fort Benning. Ga, the
Army is demonstrating here sue
cessfully the comparative ease with
which air-transported field guns and
heavily armed troops detachments
could strike like lightning in the
night" for Western Hemisphere de-
fense.
What the Germans were able to
do so successfully in Norway and
the Low Land countries. We can do
Just as well within the flying range
of our Army and commercial trans
port planes" said Col w. H. Rob-
ertson, commander of the 9th In
fantry at Fort Sam Houston.
With a crew of eight of those
smartly alert American boys under
his training. a 37-millimeter anti.
tank gun was loaded ard lashed Sc
curely into ''mockup" airplane-
the body of a 14-passenger Army
transport-in the incredible limit Of
six minutes. The gun, weighing
$50 pounds, cleared the planes door
by measured three-quarters of an
inch. 1t can be accomplished only
by perfect team work.
Staged in Rain.
To make this particular demon
stration harder, it was staged in
rain, with the crew standing in
Texas "gumbo" mud. The gun was
not unlimbered, being rolled up a
slippery runway.
Col. Robertson said so planes
would be required to move a bat
talon of 900 infantrymen, with
rifles, machine guns and ammuni-
ton. Total load of the battalion
would be 100000 pounds, including
sufficient ammunition for "a hours of
limited combat.
The problem is one of transporta-
ton mainly and to Col. Robertson,
who has had II years of general
staff study and supervising problems
of supply and transportation, it is
simple matter Of utilizing the full
loading capacity of each airship.
Next is having on hand the number
and types of transport planes re-
quired for the task assigned.
Following the loading of the 81
millimeter gun, demonstrations were
given with individual sections of
heavy weapon company. Such a
company carries .50-caliber machine
guns, 30-caliber machine guns, 81
millimeter mortarS and 178 men, to-
gether with ammunition and emer-
gency rations.
The company would be loaded on
ertson said, that each plane would
be an individual combat unit. In
such a manner Germany loaded its
planes and ships that transported
men and military equipment.
Anti-Tank Gun a Problem.
1.-The only real problems in. the air
transport of an infantry regiment is
the 37-millimeter anti-tank COM
pany," Col. Robertson said. There
are IL of these weapons in the COM
pany. 1t is the heaviest gun in an
infantry division. Each gun and its
ammunition and its crew of nine
men make a plane load of 3,272
pounds One additional plane is re-
quired for the company overhead,
so 13 planes are needed for the
transport of one of these companies.
A ship the size of an army trans
port Csc, the body of which was
used in the demonstration, is re-
quired for the unbroken load of the
37-millimeter anti-tank gun. Ordi-
nary commercial transports are ca
pable of carrying all other loads of
an infantry regiment, such as ma
chine guns and mortars.
Air transport of combat units has
great possibilities in the defense Of
the Western Hemisphere, Army Off
cials believe. What the Army is
planning follows the pattern of the
special expeditionary units being
set up for the Marine Corps.
The Marine units, however, will
travel by water, and consist of a
combat force to take or hold a posi-
ton until support arrives.
Army transport or commercial
planes could land forces easily In
Caribbean areas, providing para
chutists have paved the way, OFF,
cials said, or they could be used on
the continent in the event of dis
turbance that needed to be quelled
quickly.
Division Passes An Review.
The I'd Division, one of the
Army's nine streamlined or triangu-
lar divisions, passed in 12-mile