Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-03-11
All Units Auxiliary
To Infantry, Young
Officers Are Told
18th Division School
Hears Oehmunn; Record
Set in Spanning River
BY CARTER BROOKE JONES,
Star staff Correspondent.

FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md,
March IL Non-military visitors
might have been surprised today to
hear what class of Junior officers
attending a school of the 29th Divi-
sion was told.
The students were told, though
they undoubtedly knew, which was
the most important branch of a
combat division in this blitz era.
The visitors probably would have
guessed planes or maybe tanks or
perhaps big guns-at any event,
likely answer in any of the radio
quiz programs would have been that
mechanical forces were of first i'm
portance.
But the young officers were in
formed: "All units of a division are
auxiliary to the infantry"
The statement was official, repre-
senting the considered opinion of
Americas military experts. And it
came. not from an infantryman, but
from an engineer-Col. John w.
Oehmann, commanding Washing
tons 121st Engineers, as he opened
the pioneer school. The attentive
lieutenants were from the infantry
and artillery regiments.
Engineers Serve Infantry.
Thus the American doughboy, the
lad who may catch a ride on a truck
these days, but does his fighting
ploddingly on foot, still is kingpin
of combat in this mans army.
Col. Oehmann explained that the
function of engineers is to aid the
advance of the infantry in every
way possible and, at the same time,
to impede the enemy.
Artillery, planes, there's no diff
ference in the War Departments
plans. Their purpose is to destroy
and harass the foe, but always with
a view to preparing the way for the
infantry to advance and hold on.
The big guns may the terrain out
there untenable for the enemy, halt
his advance and favor yours. But
still the men with rifles and bay
onets, machine guns and mortars
have to take over in the end.
If you cite the fate of France, the
staff officers-the strategistS who
are training this division of federal
lied National Guardsmen and
score Of other divisions in the field
will explain patiently that the tanks
and the Stukas were all very we'll
they cleared the way-but then the
infantry came up and took over.
Col. Oehmann explained to the
pioneer school the role of the engi-
neers in the latest version of
combat division. They have to do
all sorts Of things, he pointed out.
When the enemy threatens they lay
land mines, tear up roads, make
traps for tanks, place camouf1age
and entanglementS over our posi-
tions-only to repair all this mis-
chief when advancing.
Engineers, as every one knows, also |
have to bridge streams so the infan-
try can cross.
Span River in 2 Minutes.
And so the student officers climbed |
into trucks and were taken several |
miles to place on the banks of the |
Little PatuXent River. There a COM
poSite company of the 121St Engi-
neers, commanded by Capt. G.. w. |
Johns, laid a 72-foot sectional foot
bridge, resting on pontoons of syn
thetic rubber, in new record time
for the regiment-2 minutes fiat.
This meant that the boys had all
the sections of the bridge on one
bank Of the stream, but disjointed,
when the command was given. They
had to push the structure out, a
section at time, and join it in mid
stream.
When the first section was showed
INTO the Little River, one detail,
standing upstream from the point
OF crossing, guided it with a rope.
Melting snow had made the stream
swift, and they had to hold for all
they were worth. There was an
other rope to guide the second sec
ton and so on. The whole bridge
was put together without any one
having to cross and expose himself
to theoretical enemy fire up in the
woods.
Then the bridge was laid by an
other method, one designed for en-
ragged torrents. Several men in an
assault boat padded across with q
cable, and the nascent bridge was
steadied from both banks.
Even by this longer means, the
Washington engineers laid the
bridge in little over minutes.
Run Over Span in Test.
Considering the shores were mires
Of slippery mud and snowdrifts, |
Capt. Johns was well pleased with
their performance. The young Of
ficers openly admired.
The students walked, then ran
across the bridge to test its stanch-
ness.
The provisional engineer COM
pany also demonstrated construc-
ton of a raft, improvised with some
boards and a few oil barrels. That |
raft, Capt. Johns explained, will |
support a ton. 1t would be handy |
to float equipment across.
Exhibits of other duties of the en-
gineers-such as fortifying, smooth
ing your way forward and impeding
the other fellows path-were de-
ferred for another session of the
school.
Col. Oehmann explained to the