Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-04
$4,000 Troops
Reach Meade
From Dix
44th Division Going
To Muneuvers in
Caroline County, Va.
By the Associated Press.

June 4.-Temporary headquarters
for the 44th Division were estab-
lshed here early today as motorized
units, rumbling through a pouring
rain, ended the first leg of a mass
movement of troops and equipment
from Fort Dix, N. j., to Caroline
County, Va.
The division command post, in
charge of Col Herbert D. Frost
chief of staff, was set up in an old
house and barn on the combat range
at 7:45 am, nearly three hours
after the vanguard of the 1000
vehicles and $4,000 men arrived for
a stop-over en- route to maneuvers
in Virginia.
Mai. Gen. Clifford R. Powell
commander of the division made up
of New York and New Jersey troops
arrived later at temporary head
quarters. He said that pending
orders from I'd Army Corps head
quarters he could not say definitely
when the troops would leave here
or what routes they would take.
Gen. Powell said he assumed
however, that the departure would
take place early tomorrow to avoid
traffic. He said one column of about
one-third of the troops probably
would 60 through Washington and
that the remainder likely would skirt
Washington and enter Virginia via
the Potomac River bridge at Nor
gantown, Md.
Throngs Gather to Watch.
Offlcers here said they had re-
ceived no reports Of mlShapS among
the convoy, described as the largest
movement of troops and vehicles
ever undertaken in this section. The
first units left Fort Dix at $40 pm.
yesterday and the last were expected
to arrive here this afternoon.
All along the route, through New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and
Maryland, people gathered at cross
roads and street intersections to
watch the trucks, comand cars and
weapons rumble by.
At some points flags, red flares and
cheering greeted the soldiers. At
others, there was grumbling among
crowds delayed by traffic jams
caused by the convoy.
Leaving Fort Dix, all the vehicles
followed the same route to Philadel-
phia. There they split. one column
going by way of Wilmington, Del,
and another via Media, Pa. then
converging on Baltimore in two So
nile-long columns.
Sleep in Houses and Barns.
The first troops to arrive, after
q tiresome drive through incessant
rain, bedded down in houses and
barns on the combat range. There
are some 100 houses and barns in
this area and no tents had been set
up early today.
Many of the roads in the combat
area were deep in mud and water
was standing in the fields.
Baltimore police reported traffic
tie-ups when thousands of workers
damned croSS-toWn streets as the
shifts changed this morning at the
Glenn L. Martin and other plants.
State police were assigned to patrol
the new Philadelphia road and
Route No. l. over which the long
lines of vehicles were moving.
Water Purifiers to Be Installed.
The first convoy of TAI vehicles,
carrying the 1O4th Engineers, 44th
Division Special Troops, the 10th
Medical and Quartermaster Regi-
ments and the 18th Field Artillery
minus two light regiments, began
rumbling through Baltimore shortly
after am.
Troops of the 18th and Hath
Infantry and the 165th Field Artil-
lery in 575 vehicles, and $40 We
hicles transporting the list and
174th Infantry and 156th Field Ar
tillery streamed along for miles r =
hind.
First job of the 1O4th Engi GERS
on reaching Meade was to install
water publication plants at five
points along the Big and Little
Patuxent Rivers.
Officers of the 44th are making
all arrangements for the 24-hour
stopover here as part of their prob
lem of transporting the troops
They are using their own equip
ment for the encampment on the
combat range.
Largest Movement Across State.
In Baltimore 1t. RuXton Ridgely
Of the State police said the troop
train, largest single movement to
cross Maryland, was affording eX-
cellent experience for future even
greater movements.
To facilitate regular city traffic,
the convoy was punched in units
of 80, spaced pproximately four
minutes apart. Motorcycle police
escorted the trucks through the
city.
Approximately 100 officers of the
I'd Army Corps, in which the 44th
Division is located will meet in the
Fort Meade Theater this afternoon
to discuss tactical problems as
signed the division. They will con-
ing as umpires in the maneuvers.
Meanwhile it was announced that
Camp Ritchie, near Cascade, Md,
has been selected as training
grounds by the 29th Division for
two regimental combat teams orig
inally scheduled to train in Caro-
line County, Va
The 116th Infantry team will train
next Monday and Tuesday at Camp
Richie. The 115th Infantry team
will 60 there June II and II.
1t also was announced here today
that the inspector general of the
I'd Army Corps, Col. r. c. Batson,
will arrive here tomorrow morning
to make the annual general inspec-
ton of 29th Division Headquarters
and Headquarters Company.