Evening star., 1943-12-26
Bombiings Of Germany
Lower Arms Quality,
Gen. Campbell Says
By LANES Y, NEWTON.

by JAMES I. NEWION.
Allied bombing Of German in
dustrial centers combined with
increasing shortages of some VI
tai raw materials has affected
the quality OF Nazi weapons even
more than 1t has the quantity
produced, Maj. Gen. Levin H.
Campbell, jr., chief of Army ord
nance, said today.
While there is no evidence Of a
lack OF weapons at the fighting
front, Gen. Campbell said, the once
superb German armament definitely
has deteriorated in quality in the
last three months. The enemy is
now reduced to use of Substitutes
for substitutes" In making his tanks
and guns, and consequently the Ger
man soldier is going into battle
with equipment I'VE wouldn't think
Of allowing our boys to use."
All this will make the Nazis easier
to whip, hasten the day Of victory
and make 1t less costly In United
Nations lives. The military experts,
however, are not counting on lack
OF munitions to bring Germany to
her knees. Best chances of early
victory, they say, lie in actual mill
tary defeat or collapse OF civilian
morale. Inferior weapons, of course,
are likely to be factor of great
Importance.
Reserves Being Depleted.
Gen. Campbell said the Germans
had dipped heavily into reserve
stocks Of weapons which gave them
so great an advantage earlier in
the war. Munitions OF recent manu-
facture are now in use. Our ord
nance men are told to get as many
enemy weapons as possible and no
methods are barred in the process.
The new material is rushed back
for tests at Aberdeen CMd.) Proving
Ground. There 1t Is examined
carefully.
Small arms, field pieces, machine
guns and ammunition are found to
be Of definitely inferior manufac-
ture. Substitutes are used extern
sively and this more than offsets
any improvement Of design.
The most important quality de-
ficiency from our standpoint, Gen.
Campbell said, is in steel of all
types. For example, the armor
plate of new Nazi tanks Is not
nearly so tough as it used to be.
1t just won't stand up under the
same pounding that our plate
brushes aside.
German setel shows effects of the
heavy air blows dealt mills in the
Ruhr and elsewhere. 1t is poorly
mixed, the general said More
than that, it shows the Nazis are
very short of hardening and alloy
ing properties, such things as
chrome, nickel and molybdenum.
Materials Sources Lost.
The Germans are beginning to
feel the loss of sources of raw ma
terials in the Russian Ukraine, Gen.
Campbell said. They counted heav-
lily on manganese from that area,
which is about the only territorial
loss to affect German production.
Then, there is evidence Sweden has
cut down on shipments of materials.
70 Germany. Turkey formerly sup
olied the Reich with considerable
chrome. and this source is now
Gen. Campbell compared the ef-
feet on German production OF bomb
damage in the Ruhr with the loss
TO this country should mills in
and Northern Indiana
be knocked out.
Although they are being sent into
battle with inferior weapons, re-
ports indicate the morale of Ger
man soldiers has not been affected.
The general said they are just as
cocky as ever"
Gen. Campbell referred to the
quality of Japanese weapons as "just
as low as ever" Most of their pieces
are copies of American, British and
German weapons, and many are
considered decidedly "out-of- date"
by our standards.
"A 30-year-old rifle, however, will
kill you just as quickly as one Of
the latest design, if it is aimed
right" the general concluded.
Although the quality is not so
good, the Japs have increased out
put Of weapons appreciably. In the
territory they have conquered are
immense stores of raw materials