Evening star., 1941-03-19
US. Parachute Troops
Pictured in Important
Warfare Role
Air Borne Infantry
Plan Also Being
Developed for Service
BY JOSEPH 8. EDGERTON.

Oy SoSGk De ED0bnx oINs
The parachute soldier, who first
made his appearance not in Russia
or Germany but In the United
States, may become a more impor-
tant fighting unit than the tank or
the armored car should this country
enter the present war.
Although military leaders are not
disclosing the scope of their plans
for the training of American para
chute troops and air infantry, 1t is
no secret that such leaders as Maj.
Gen. Henry H. Arnold, chief of the
Army Air Corps and acting deputy
chief of the War Department Gen.
eral Staff for air, place heavy re-
lance on this type Of fighting man
for any future emergency in this
hemisphere.
It Is Gen. Arnold's opinion that,
although mechanization of ground
armies has speeded up modern war
fare beyond any previous concep-
ton, "the ultimate In our time will
be reached not by the panzer divi-
sions, not by the motorized, mecha-
nized brigades, but by parachute
troops and air infantry"
Look to Troop Planes.
II is this theory that has lent
weight to the large-scale training
of parachute troops and airplane-
transported infantry now in progress
In this country as a major part of
the current defense program. 1t is
this theory which has made the
Army Air Corps and defense officials
look with anxiety to the production
Of big, fast cargo and troop-trans-
port airplanes as vital part Of our
air defenses.
Gen. Arnold, In referring to the
use Of parachute troops and air
infantry in Europe during the pres
ent war, recalled the military phil
osophy Of Tamerlane. one of his
tory's greatest practitioners Of the
'blitz" type of warfare, for which
he made mastery use of fast light
cavalry.
1t was Tamerlane. Gen. Arnold
pointed out, who said, "It Is bet
ter to have 10 men in the right
place at the right time than to have
10000 elsewhere"
The German Army In the spring
Of 1910 demonstrated a new twist
to this adage of the scion Of the
great Mongol, Ghengis Khan. The
new twist was the air-borne SOL
dier. Gen. Arnold has pointed out
that there Is a reasonable distinc-
ton" between the parachute troop
er and the air infantryman.
Gen. Mitchell Staged Tests.
Parachute troops, he holds, best
fulfill the Taperlane ideal. They
can be placed "in the right place at
the right time" better than any
other type of soldier. Air infantry
is restricted to airports or air.
dromes and is merely conventional
infantry which uses the airplane as
a means of transportation from
camp or bivouac to the vicinity of
the battlefield.
Many writer's have given credit to
Russia or Germany for developing
the parachute trooper. Actually he
made his first appearance on the
world stage in the United States
not long after the World War. The
late Brig. Gen. William Mitchell,
wartime assistant chief of the
American air service in France, re-
turned from Europe with the mod
ern conception Of the role Of para
chute troops, according to Gen.
Arnold.
Under Gen. Mitchell's direction.
1t was determined at Kelly Field,
Tex, that troops with hand weap-
ons, including machine guns. could
be landed by parachute and could
set up their automatic weapons and
go into action in less than three
minutes by actual test. These tests
were made long before the use of
parachute troops became common
either in Russia or Germany.
Although the United States has
not, until recently, gone into the
large-scale training Of parachute
troops or air infantry, such troops
now are being provided by a vigor-
Gus, far-reaching program, which
indicates the importance now at
tached in this country to a develop
ment which our Army Air Service
pioneered but later abandoned,
largely for reasons Of economy.
Special Parachutes Developed.
Last summer, at Fort Benning. Ca.
the Army began the training Of a
parachute platoon, which is becom-
ing the nucleus Of an important
force. The Air Corps Materiel Divi-
sion. Wright Field, Ohio, has de-
veloped special parachutes for jump
ers and their heavy equipment.
The need for cargo and transport
airplanes for the parachute and air
infantry services is indicated by the
fact that so airplanes will be re-
quired to move a battalion OF 900
infantrymen, with their rifles, ma
chine guns and ammunition. Total
weight Of the battalion has been
found TO be approximately 100000
pounds, with ammunition for "a
hours Of combat.
The heaviest unit Is the anti-tank
company, which Is armed with IL
37-millimeter anti-tank guns Each
gun, with its ammunition and crew
of nine men, makes q plane load of
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