Evening star., 1941-09-19
Lighi|y-Armed Units
OF Infantry Crushed
By War Game Tanks
Muneuyers Prove Hand
Weapons Are Useless
Against Armored Force
BY JOHN II. CLINE,
Star Staff Correspondent.


to the satisfaction of front-lin
commanders that, lacking heav.
weapons, it is suicide to send in
fantry to attack armored units. Blu
they doubt that their superiors Il
the rear fully comprehend that fact
just before daybreak yesterda,
advance infantry units of the BLU
(3d) Army assembled north of Florier
for an attack on heavy Red I'D
Army concentrations along Rout,
I'll, one of the main north-soutf
highways. Neither the men no.
their officers were very happ,
about it
For two days they had been IL
contact with the enemy. And the,
had great respect for the mechan'
tied forces. During the night, pa
trolls had brought information o
extensive tank concentrations ahead
Highest reports placed the total a
400, the lowest at IS. AS latel
events showed, the first estimate
was more nearly correct.
Dehc1ent In weapons.
The attacking force, which ac.
companied, consisted of two make
shift battalions and company ot
rif1emen. As result of earlier
losses, these meager units were sc
decimated that not more than 25(
men in all we're in the party which
Of
were as deficient in equipment fol
the task assigned them as they were
in manpower. They were vel
equipped with Garand rifles and
Browning automatics, but for use
against tanks they were dependent
on two so caliber machine guns and
several of 80 caliber, all of which
were virtually useless for the task
at hand.
At the end of the previous days
fighting, the advance Blues had
been in close contact with the
enemy, but it soon became evident
that the Reds had fallen back dur
ing the night, probably because Of
a strong Blue push developing to
the east. For this reason the attack
met with early success, but 1t was
extremely Short-lived.
The column advanced in two files,
keeping within the shelter of the
woods lining the highway on either
side In the dim light it was just
possible to see the outline of the
man ahead. On the whole, how
ever. the men were cheerful-re-
markably so, for three nights they
had been sleeping in the woods on
the ground. No tents or blanket
rolls, no protection against the
mercileSs mosquitoes, no water with
which to bath or shave. And this
was true of the entire outfit. from
the Lieutenant colonel down to the
lowliest private.
Burst of Machinge Gun Fire.
The unit advanced for about a
mile before it encountered opposi-
ton, but it was overwhelming when
it came. The first warning was a
burst of machine gun fire from two
well-concealed tanks which had
established a road block on the
highway. There was nothing the
infantrymen could do against the
tanks, SO they retired to the woods
to await developments.
Half an hour later the road block
ing tanks and six others concealed
nearby retired under simulated
artillery fire from the rear. Then
the advance was resumed, but not
for long. The tanks, which had
withdrawn up the road at 30-mile-
an-hour pace, merely circled back
through the woods and hit the ad-
vancing column on the right flank
If this had been the real thing, the
column undoubtedly would have
been annihilated, but as it was,
the infantrymen merely fled into
the woods on their left and made
their way back through swamp
land and underbrush to their orig
inal position south of bayou which
the tanks had been unable to cross
Anti-Tank Units Lacking.
The attack, of course, was a
fiasco The division commander,
having in mind the situation along
the entire front, may have had good
reason for ordering it, but If so the
reason was not apparent to any of
the participants.
This particular diviSion-the 45th
lis supposed to have powerful anti
tank units, but these must be dis
posed we'll to the rear on the de-
fense- -in-depth principle, for they
have not been in evidence at the
front. From a strictly defensive
this may be sound
After the misguided attack
a column of Red tanks was reported
along side road, or what
is called a road in this country, sew
eral miles over on the left flank.
an oversight on some ones
part, this approach had been left
and bridges were intact.
The tank column smashed through
TO the highway near Hornbeck, some
20 miles to the rear of the Blue ad-
vance lines. This local success soon
was wiped out, however, for the
Blues, moving with astonishing
speed. brought up batteries of 81 and
rs millimeter guns and all Of the
tanks were captured or destroyed
within few minutes.
Can Be Held In Check.
This experience certainly would
seem to indicate that under condi-
tons prevailing in this area, where
tanks cannot operate successfully
across country, they can be held in
check indefinitely by proper guard
ing of roads. But, however true
this may be, it by no means follows
that the tanks themselves can be
attacked by infantry unless the
latter is supplied with equipment
which it does not have now. In the
ease of yesterdays dawn attack, in
fantrymen were assaulting position
which they knew was held by tanks.
and which had been so held for
three days. When the attack was
ordered there was no doubt in any
ones mind-except possibly that of
tho division comnander-that the