Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-06
$4,000 Troops
In Battle Array
In Virginia
Moneuvers Of Two
Armies Launched
In Caroline County
BY PAT JONES,

BoWL1N1 CREEN. va. y u1le o.
Two armies of more than $4,000 men
advanced toward one another over
the pine and sassafras fats of Caro-
line County today to carry out the
first maneuvers mapped by the gen.
eral staff of the United States Army
for execution on its new 70,000-ac
training grounds near here.
Orders given the commanders of
the two forces late yesterday after
noon were not made public, but it
was announced that the general
problem to be followed in the
maneuvers was set up officially at
S pm, and that aerial reconnais-
ance would be unlimited after that
hour.
The maneuverS pit the faSt-mov-
ing, 4500-man Goth Combat Team
from Fort Bragg. N. c.. an element
of the 9th Division. against the
larger and more cumbersome 44th
Division. made up of $4,000 soldiers
from Camp Dix, N. J.
In SOncealed POSltl0nS.
Both forces were reported last
night to be in concealed positions,
with outposts established. The
Combat Team, or Southern Army.
was scattered in the woods 5 miles
east of Bowling Green. in the
Smoots vicinity, while the other
troops, designated the Northern
Army had crossed the Rappahan-
mock River in the neighborhood of
Port Royal and had moved toward
Moss Neck.
In their approximate positions at
the opening of the games. the oppos-
ing armies were lying along parallel
lines about IA miles apart. Between
the hour the movement started and
noon tomorrow. the time set for the
conclusion. the thousands of soldiers
armed with small arms and light
field pieces, will continue their adj
vance and will battle along the lines
Of legitimate warfare.
The bulk Of the troops moved
into the area yesterday and estab-
lished temporary camps to await the
opening of maneuvers. Throughout
the day. trucks and combat cars
struggled to make their way deeper
into the training site over rain
softened roads that crumbled along
the shoulders and caused serious
transportation tieups at intervals.
One of the worst, lasting for several
hours during the afternoon, slowed
up foot soldiers and motor conveys
moving into the section assigned to
the 44th Division.
Startle Motorists.
AS the day advanced. the sleepy
woods OF Caroline County sprang
magically alive and tensed for
fight. Scarcely copse in certain
areas failed to hide motor vehicles,
men and guns. Motorists who
found their way down into the
training grounds watched lines OF
soldiers marching along the high
ways and we're startled to find, al
most at their elbows, hundreds of
others concealed by the dense
t1ldOA 81 Wv I'LL
Engineer and Signal Corps men,
bers worked steadily from early
morning to get water supplies and
communications systems in order.
Miles of wires were strung and
miles of new gravel roads were laid
to headquarters and other strategic
points.
Meanwhile, the 5th Engineers
from Fort Belvoir, under command
of 1t. Col. r. M. McCutchen, con-
tinued with the general program
necessary to get the area in readi-
ness as a maneuver grounds suit
able for the large-Scale war games
scheduled to be held there this
summer and fall This unit has
been at work in Caroline County for
nearly two weeks.
Some Roads Blocked.
The advance of the opposing
forces today will be mostly through
woods and scrubby brushland. Foot
soldiers will proceed Indian fashion
over terrain the War Department
selected because of its nearness to
the natural state.
The heavier movement of vehicles
around them will be carried out at
much easier clip. Access roads
along the general line of advance
have been blocked to the public or
turned into one-way routes to as
sure ready passage of the large
Army trucks.
Scattered over the area to watch
the maneuvers, it was reported yes
terday, are rs representatives of the
general staff of the Army. UNI
plreS also will move freely through
the maneuver grounds, each as
signed to certain unit of the
armies, Their headquarters have
been set up in the yard of an old
farmhouse near Mica, Va, near the