Evening star., 1941-11-15
Arms Pour In, Popping
Up 2oth by Replacing
Dummy Weapons
Division Also Getting
Trucks, Facilitating
Movement on Muneuvers

By the Associated Press.
CHERAW, S. c., Nov 15-Arms
and trucks for men of the 29th Divi-
sion have been pouring into the
Carolina maneuver area at rate
unprecedented since the division s
liberalization in February, and in
dications are that the day Of wooden
machine guns and stove-pipe anti
tank weapons soon will be history,
Maj. Gen. Milton A Record, COM
mandlng officer, says.
Admittedly, the Blue and Gray
troops from Virginia, Maryland and
the District of Columbia are still
considerably short of the maximum
number of weapons and vehicles
allotted them under full wartime
strength ALLEGATIONS. However, the
divisions requisitions are now at
the top of national defense priority
lists and officers expect the ship
ment OF guns and trucks to continue
undlmlnished until the goal is
reached
The provisional Anti-Tank Bat
TALON, for example, this week threw
an mdlsclosed number of dummy
weapons into the trash pile, re-
placing them with a shipment of
new 37-mm. tank killers the lat
est weapon developed to combat
mechanical warfare.
Transportation for All.
FOR the hrSt time since maneuv-
ers began, the 5000 men can be
moved simultaneously. A steady
stream of all types of vehicles, from
four-ton troop transports to water
tank trailers has brought the 2oth
to within about 10 per cent of its
full mechanical strength. Only
about 30 per cent of the trucks were
available when the division left Fort
George G. Meade, and in the OPEN
ing maneuvers it was seriously
handicapped by the shutting"
movements of troops necessitated by
the shortage.
Officers consider the expansion of
transportation equipment equally as
important as the receipt of the new
est weapons of modern warfare.
From the opening maneuver, 1st
Army directors have placed en-
phasis on mobility and speed, often
issuing field orders to the division at
midnight directing it to advance to
new positions at distances of 20 to
80 miles before daybreak.
With the aid of the new trucks
and small number of borrowed We
hicles the 29th has distinguished
itself as one of the fastest moving
divisions participating in the ma
neuvers and has been commended
by 1t. Gen. Hugh A. Drum, COM
manding officer of the 1st Army.
May Get Jeeps.
The most acute vehicle shortage Is
In motorcycles. Although regula-
tions allow the division 234, not one
is listed on the vehicle roster.
Transportation officers stated, how
ever, that the situation was not
alarming. 1t was expected that,
following the current trend the 29th
would receive "jeeps," which tests
have proved more efficient for scout
ing and message carrying purposes.
Shortages in heavier weapons ex-
ist, but War Department regula-
tions ban publication of details
Headquarters officers asserted, how
ever, that the division is nearly as
well equipped as any other National
Guard division in the United States"
and that at the present rate will
be a full wartime strength within a
few months"
In addition to making the Blue
and Gray a more formidable fight
ing unit, the additions of its equip
ment has served to. bolster the
morale of the enlisted men. The
change in attitude is evident during
field exercises. Gun crews that be-
fore lounged listlessly about a
dummy weapon are now alert and
interested as they camoufage their
brand-new guns.
The unloading platform at Nor
ven. N. c., was lined with enlisted
men last week end when the new
81 nm. guns were rolled from
freight cars, and throughout the
afternoon Saturday groups of anti
tankers inspected the new weapons,
foregoing pleasure trips to surround
Ing towns.