Evening star., 1941-10-02
Louisiana S Terrain
Limited Activities
0fArmored Troops
Boys and Scrub Precluded
Decision on Efficacy
Or Punzer Divisions
BY COL. ALLEN ]. GREER,

Correspondent of The Star and MANA.
LAKE CHARLES, La, Oct. q
During the September maneuvers in
Louisiana between the I'd and Sd
Armies, feature that was rather
noteworthy was the lack of success
of the armored divisions against
other ground troops.
Some of the press correspondents
voiced suspicious that the maneuver
area was chosen so that this situa-
ton would result. However, con-
sideration will show this assumption
to be incorrect.
AL maneuverS are for the purpose
-nf training the troops. Grand ma
neuvers give special training to the
high command and staff; the sup
-ly services, permit joint exercises
between armored and other divisions,
and permit cooperation between
ground and air forces.
An area for the maneuvers had to
be chosen which was accessible to
both I'd and Sd Armies; had to be
m sparSely settled community
where cultivation was limited, and
where damage to private property
would not be prohibitive in cost.
Western Louisiana fulfilled these re-
quirementS.
A Tangle of Bog and Scrub.
South of the Red River rice is the
only crop raised on large scale, and
rice fields are bogS Most of the
country is fairly level and was for
long since sacrificed to the lumber
companies. However, there are nu-
merous sWampS and areas covered
with tangle of second-groWth scrub
oak and pine, through which few
roads run and motors are practically
confined to them.
Therefore, it is ideal for defense
against tanks. Not only must they
follow the roads, permitting the
placing of anti-tank guns in posi-
tions to cover approaches. where
guns do not have to be shifted, but
abundant cover permits them to be
concealed from both aerial and ter
restrlal observation. For proper ac-
ton tanks should have fairly open,
rather level or slightly rolling coun-
try. So the cards were well stacked
against the armored troops to start
with.
There are three types of opera
tions for armored divisions. They
may be used to break through the
enemy's front; they may follow in
fantry and artillery which open a
gap, while the armored divisions
exploit the success and attack the
enemys rear areas; or they inde-
pendently may make a wide turning
movement to strike the enemyS
flank and rear.
Second Case Is Ideal One.
In the first case if they form the
spearhead and are successful, their
energy has been spent, and their
greatest value, that of exploiting
success, will be lost. The second
case is really the ideal condition, but
Implies numerical superiority The
third offers brilliant opportunities,
but may easily result in disaster
1t means a long flank march, during
which the division is isolated from
interpose between the two elements,
contain one and defeat the other.
Surprise is essential for success.
Like wide end runs in football, if
successful, they are brilliant, but
usually they fail.
The most brilliant example of
wide turning movement in our his
tory was that of Stonewau Jackson's
flank march at Charlottesville,
which enabled him to fall on the
Union right and rear, giving Lee
his greatest victory. Yet had
Hooker, the Union commander, ex-
ercised proper precautions and him
self assumed the offensive against
the divided Confederate forces he
could have destroyed them. Napo-
Icons first campaign in Italy con-
tanned a number of brilliant exam
piles of such interposition between
parts of the enemy's forces and
defeating them in detail.
Tanks Limited in Louisiana.
In Louisiana, during the first
phase of the maneuvers, the Sd
Armys f1anks were protected by
the woods and sWamps along two
large streams which prevented turn
Ing movements. An advance was
practically confined to the roads,
which could be effectively covered
by anti-tank guns. and these did
not have to be mobile. Along the
front the wooded country denied
extensive penetration. The most
that the armored divisions, whose
actions must be almost entirely Of
fensive, could do was to feel out the
entire front for points weak enough
to attack, and, finding none. to with
draw.
The umpires were not really called
npon to decide doubtful cases. The
result was determined by the ter
rain, and there were no lessons
learned in either offensive action
by the tanks or defense against
srmored units. Had there been real
doubt in any instance, no umpire
could really decide an issue, since
blanks, not bullets, were used.
The maneuvers in louisiana, in
structive in other respects though
they may have been, did not decide
or attempt to decide the relative
efficacy of armored divisions in op-
erations between two armies. The
maneuvers were always for one pur-
poSe-training Of the armies.