Evening star., 1941-12-07
u. 5. War Weapons
Receive Real Test
In Libya Campaign
Belief Our Light Tanks
Are Best in World
Confirmed in Reports
BY NELSON SHEPARD.

pOnentS, Army officials said yeSter-
day. North Africa Is providing this
country with the same kind of in
diSpensable proving ground to test
the battle efficiency of American
built mechanical equipment and
weapons
Against the Axis powers in Libya
where confirmed reports of the SUI
perior fighting qualities of the
famous M-3 tanks electrified mil
lions in the United States. lease
lend channels already have poured
these sturdy light tanks in greater
numbers than we have In our own
entire Armored Force More are
arriving in a steady stream and to
the flow. it was ascertained. has
been added some of the heavier me-
dunn tanks
Authoritative sources outside the
tight Tipped War Department esti-
mate the number at about 400 and
discount reports as high as 1900
Other estimates vary as low as 900.
Our own two fully equipped armored
divisions have 38l light and me-
dium tanks each: the other three
are only in SkeletoniZed form.
RingSide Seat for Observers.
Next in importance TO serving as
a shock laboratory for our tanks. a
General Staff officer emphasized.
the Libyan campaign is giving
American military observers their
first erandStand seats on a large
scale land front to make tactical
analysis Of both German and Brit
iSh offensive teamwork. These
studies. in time, will be relayed back
to washington.
The United States Army has
passed from defensive to offensive
training as its chief aim. It is
making encouraging progress in
developing self-Contained units
which carry with them all the ele-
ments of attack and mobility. But
the recent Carolina maneuvers de-
monstrated that officers and men
still have much to learn about Of
fensive teamwork Of the kind de-
monstrated by Germany or by the
British in Llbya.
IF our Army ever has 10 fight the
Germans We want to make sure our
fighting equipment is better than
any other this officer said. "Supe-
rior equipment. such as the Germans
had at the start of the war. means
a great advantage to any army.
We also want TO know how best
10 employ that equipment. Maneu-
verS such as we have held and will
continue to hold are the best peace
time test available for men and
equipment. The final test of any
equipment or force is obtained only
in battle In Libya we are getting
the test for our equipment and from
all reports the results are highly
satisfactory"
Military Value Increases.
For these reaSOnS-the study Of
ground and air forces cooperation
and the study of tank behavior un-
der flre-scores of American tank,
artillery. air corps and communica-
ton observers, armored specialists
and technicians are taking full ad-
vantage OF free access to the British
front denied to other American OBJ
servers In Russia Because of So
viet-imposed restrictions on the
movements OF both British and
American observers. which recently
provoked an expression Of sharp
dissatisfaction from Secretary of
War Stimson. it was claimed the
Libyan front has risen in military
value. Continued strong pressure
Will be brought TO bear upon the
Soviet authorities. officials said. in
the hope that this attitude will
change.
Since November 20. the start of
the present British offensive on
a large scale, the General Staff in
Washington has had to depend
entirely on the press for details
from the front. For the most part.
the meeger official reports have
merely confirmed press dispatches
on the performance Of the M-3s.
1t was said at. the War Depart
ment. however, there have been
severely heavy losses among the
American tanks. That was eXpec-
ted as these tanks were in the
units that bore the brunt of the
fighting
With so many observers in Libya.
criticism has been voiced in some
circles that they had 'muffed" a
chance to score beats on the news
correspondents by failure to send
detailed information to Washington
hot off the fighting front The
answer is that military observers
are not spot news" reporters and
II will be long time. maybe.
before their detailed reports will
he received here for General Staff
ANALYSIS.
Not Standing on SidelineS.
These observers and specialists
With the fighting forces are not
merely standing on the sidelines.
Al least one has been killed. an
other reported captured and Mai.
Gen. George H. Brett, chief of the
cir CORPS, among those on the
scene. was under fire.
After the brief lull of mid-week.
separate Axis attacks are being
launched on the far-Hung Libyan
front and the campaign is still
aS officials point out. in a state of
fluX With observers stationed at
various points during an action. it
Is POSSIBLE for different versions
to be repOrtcd One observer. from
an advantage Of terrain. may see
hanreninCS thnt pnOther misses.
All these conflicting and seDarate
reports are siftcd and studied and
the final written reports sent to the
general staff eventually will tell
the whole story. Detailed infor-
nation also will include careful
ANALYSES of the performances of
tanks. armored cars and weapons.
The effect of anti-tank guns on
German equipment and especially
the effect of Axis shells on our own
equipment will be studied by experts.
North Africa is an ideal ma
neuvering ground fro mthe view
point of the strategist who depends
on swift movements, deception and
Il ,e h