The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-10-06
Battle Of Louisiana" Won By General Mud; Army to Get Fairer Test In CarOlinaS
BY THOMAS M. JOHNSON NEA Service Military Writer

NEA Service nAfntaFy Wfiter
 washington, Oct. 6 = The first honest- goodness test of how the uniked States Army would stand up fn real battle is just beginning. The great field maneuvers from Oc- &rAer 6 to November 90 in the Caro- llnas will answer the country's ques- tion: "How're they doin'?"
 This is SO not alone because the s8attie of the Carolinas" will cap flse climax of the whole summers mimic war. It is also true because, aithough the just-completed Bat Sse of Louisiana" showed more men as action than will the Carolina nzaase, the conditions on the south- eKn battlefield were abnormal in the extreme.
 Rains and hurricanes SO aug ktented the already extensive saad-component in western Louisi- alka that wheels, trucks and human xtet were largely rutted in roads which became in reality causewaYs nAnked by swamps. Daily news dis- pAtches have not made clear how, from & military viewpoint, that complicated yet over-simplifled the whole business. Every second lieu tNnant knows that defense of a eAuseway is the easiest of all op-
 ations.
 Nor did mud and hurricanes
 ve tanks and the air force nor
 al opportunities to learn to work
 gether, which was a major goal of Ae whole affair. Ditto anti-airtank efense. Thus. such episodes as the
 iping out of famous Lieutenant
 General Ben Lear's considerable
 zee by horsed cavalry who raided
 soline supply and Navy dive
 sers who blasted 1t, while inter-
 sIng, were hardly true to life. This lash of the Second and Third Arm les was not a fair test of the Army's preparedness.
 Yet the maneuverS brought to- peether S40O00 officers and men, who learned lot and, as General George 0. Marshall said, helped the Army on it's way to becoming q powerful machine with all its parts in close cooperation" That was the main object - to teach teamwork among infantry, artil- leEy, aviation, tanks.
 THE ARMY'S
 REPORT CARD"
 As indicated here by ofacial re- ports and opinions, here Is how the report card reads today:
 Good
 Equipment Is increasing but we are short of ammunition, tanks, anta-tank guns, radio sets. Equip meat was well kept up, despite the mud. One armored division travelled seven million tank miles," lost only two tanks.
 The Air Force is headed for worlds best" given more planes and training. quality of the pres- ent planes and airnen is fine, though youngsters especially need to learn cooperation with ground troops, which is much below the German standard.
 NOncomS and men in general are the worlds cleverest, not only in handling equipment but in handling themselves. Physically robust, they eat up long marches.
 The activity of the maneuvers 6 improving morale, which is proAahly lover the hump" of- iicegs say. But by 1918 standards, the discipline still Is sometimes siOppy.
 Bad
 Bad, compared with tn e men, are the officers. Perhaps % per cent should be fired - some gen. erals, but especially younger men commanding smaller units. Many don't know the ABC of battle how to feel out an enemy, pro- tect their own troops, communi- cate. Many think the way to show initiative is to go 1t alone instead 0f working with their neighbors, especially in gathering and for-. warding information about the enemy. The oflcer situation will improve with experience gained - plus an expected purge" and Che infusion of new blood now working up from the ranks.
 Trafac was not always too well regulated, but that condition. too, is improving. The armored force probably needs more flexible or- amnizatiOn. As for the anti-tank defense: much more experience Is