Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1941-06-08
Motorized Units
Are Driven Back
81;
In Maneuvers !:
Superior Blue Force
Smushes EncircIing
Reds in Caroline
BY JOHN DAFFRON,
Associated Press STAFF Writer

Associated PRESS Slau WrlleE
BOWLING GREEN, Va, June l.
The bloodless battle of Caroline
County drew to a dusty close today
after Al hours of grueling field man
euvers with the southern Red forces
in retreat before the superior man
and firepower of the northern Jug
gernaut from Fort Dix, N. j.
Surveying the situation at Second
Corps Headquarters Maj. Gen. Hen
nv @. Pratt, commander, said he felt
well satisfied as to the value of the
maneuvers which showed us where
lay our weakness and our strength"
He said the factor of rapid move
ment of troops by motor vehicles
under conditions of simulated war
was quite satisfactory, although
we still have something to learn"
From Maj. Gen. Leslie ]. McNair,
chief of staff to Gen. George Marsh
all, came the assertion that the
Caroline acreage acquired by the
War Department provided one of the
best maneuver grounds he had seen
and undoubtedly was SO situated
that it could be used the year round.
Present plans for the area call for
about 1000 troops of the 29th Di-
vision to move in on June Is for
maneuvers.
Concurs With Gen. Pratt.
Gen. McNair, in whose Office was
prepared the war problem that I'M
folded here, concurred with Gen.
Pratt that the maneuvers were emf
nently satisfactory from the stand
point of expected and obtained re-
suits.
Truce was ordered by End Army
Corps headquarters at 10 o'clock
this morning as four battalionS of
the Blues bore down in twin spear
heads on two battalions of the 60th
Infantry from Fort Bragg, N. c.,
along a 2-mile front between Bay
lortown and Mill Creek in the south
eastern corner of the 70.00O-acre
A. P. Hill Military Reservation.
Thus the might of man power and
heavier artillery of the Northern
44th Division prevailed against the
motorization and consequent mo-
bility of the Southerners The en-
tire 44th put about $1,000 men
against the Souths 4,70O, made up
of elements of the 9Th Division,
including the entire 6Oth Infantry,
supplemented by the 3rd Cavalry
from Fort Myer.
Victory for Blues.
The outcome could be considered
only as victory for the Blues. But
until the very last the fast move
ments of the motorized units made
the lines f1uid-as the French high
command was won't to say year
ago. A slashing motorized troop
movement last night. executed as a
sweeping cavalry enlightenment by a
Red battalion, played havoc for a
while with Blue outposts and put
the fear of Mars into the Northern
command, whose headquarters ap-
peared threatened until-again-su-
perior Blue man power and artillery
beat the attackers back.
With the order from Gen. Pratt
to cease firing, peace returned to the
hot fields of Caroline-but not quiet.
The troops withdrew from the
battlefields they entered at pm.
Thursday to bivouac and were al
lowed liberty until moving time
early Monday. The 44th will move
out Immediately after midnight
Sunday, spend Monday night at Fort
George G. Meade, and will move on
to Fort Dix Tuesday. The units
from Fort Bragg will take to the
highway at 5 am. Monday and ex-
pect to reach camp by night.
Many of the unshaven. hot and
dusty troops scattered to Richmond
Fredericksburg or Washington for
fling of freedom after the fog of
war.