Evening star., 1941-07-01

examples of fighting machines. We
have been accustomed to think of
this line of development in con-
nection with airplanes, but not as
applied to the ground forces of our
Army. The purpose of a mechan-
lied force is to provide a powerful.
fast-moving weapon, capable of
wide maneuverability, which COM
bines flrepower, speed, and shock to
much greater degree than now
exists in the older arms or in any
one combatant arm. 1t Is ideally
organized for mobility and sur
prise"
Fast Moving Force Vital.
'The scheme is simply this:
Substitute for the 112-mile- -an-hour
infantry masses or the 6-mile-an-
hour cavalry lacking flrepower, a
fast-moving armored force capable
of striking suddenly from one di-
rection, disappearing, and then
repeating the blows from another"
visualize the mechanical force
as consisting Of units of light
tanks supported, when desirable, by
companies of medium tanks, with
artillery support moving on tank
mounts; there must be help from
the air, both for protection against
enemy planes and as assistance
for the supporting artillery"
The policy-forming officers of our
War Department then and even
later could not see the future as
some of us did and hence they
clung to the idea that military
strength is measured by the
numerical strength alone.
The President has wisely declared
a complete national emergency and
it behooves all of us calmly but
firmly to appraise the strength of
our military forces and each of us
to make such suggestions for its
betterment as we feel are necessary
to insure complete victory If we
have to face. and many of us think
" will, the deadly peril of war.
Immediate Objectives.
Our immediate objectives should
be:
l. The fabrication Of thousands
Of various types of airplanes:
Fighters, capable of rapid speed
at high attitudes and armed with
the best types of weapons;
bombers. large and small, similarly
armed but also capable of carry
ing heavy loads of bombs and of
travelling long distances; dive
bonbers to blaze the way for the
armored ground forces: training,
cargo. transport and other types
of planes in sufficient number-all
are necessary. The autogiro and the
glider should not be neglected for
they have their place in this
emergency. It's my opinion that the
airplane industry Is doing its Job
well and praise should be ac-
corded it.
2. Thousands of young men should
be Immediately trained as pilots,
bombardiers. airplane mechanics
and so on. These in sufficient num-
Der will be needed as sorely as air.
planes. In this particular also I
believe the air force is now doing a
good job.
8. Tanks, large, medium and small,
and other armored vehicles must be
created en- masse and as rapidly as
they are created capable young men
now receiving their basic training
in the Army should be transferred
from existing units into tank divi-
sions. These young men should be
given intensive training in the use
of the tank, not only operating along
but also in cooperation with air
planes. On June 10 last year in
sisted that our goal then should be
25 armored divisions. We now have
four-partly equipped
Create Better Planes.
4. Turn the inventive and creative
genius of industrial America into
the creation of better planes, more
powerful airplane engines, anti
aircraft guns of maximum attitudes,
anti-tank guns of high velocity Ca
pable of penetrating at least three
inches of armor, and guns OF other
kinds with longer range and more
frepower; streamlined armored,
fast-moving tanks and armored
equipment generally-in fact, the
whole field of military weapons, am
munition and explosives. Our mill
tary force should surpass, not equal,
its probable adversary. This is no
time to rely upon the creative abil-
ity of Army officers assigned to the
Ordnance Bureau. We must survey