The Western news., 1944-05-04
Describes Army
Moneuvers in High
Mountoin Country

News, Denver, Colo, that tells of
army maneuvers in the mountains
above timber line Inasmuch as a
number of Montana boys partici-
pated in the maneuvers, Johnston
thought the article would be OF in
terest to Western News readers. He
is at Camp Hale where the maneuv-
ers were conducted. The article
follows:
Camp Hale, Colo, Apr. 15.--In a
mountain pass almost 10000 feet
high in the Rockies, we of the Field
Artillery got a glimpse this week of
the secret weapon that is gong TO
spell defeat for the Axis armies.
The infantry was filing down past
us after carrying the battle to the
enemy" atop 12,l74foot Ptarmi-
gan Hill during routine mountain
operations of the 10th Infantry Di-
vision. To the most casual observer,
the drawn faces of the infantrymen
showed the yoeman part these fight
ers play in this or any battle.
To be sure, the infantry
doesn't advance until our artil-
lery fire has cleared the way.
But where the going Is toughest
up where the enemy exists
in pcrs0n--in that last bitter
couple Of hundred yards, its the
doughboys who slpg Is out with
the enemy and the elements;
and we, the artillery, salute
them.
These operations in the noun
tains around Camp Hale have Civ
en- us chance to see our front
line foot troops in action. They're
the core of the new American army
the driving force Of our hard-hittinf
and fast moving combat teams.
Far Tougher Than Apennines
Here in the cold, snow and rare
fled air of the mountains. the diff
ficulties of the foot soldier are
multiplied a thousandfold. Oul
troops have found this to their sor
row in the Apennines Of Italy, ye
compared to the Rockies those
mountains are mere foothills.
These soldiers filing down the
slope before us were not super
men, but they had demonstrated
how their resOurcefulnesS and
adaptability can make successful
military operations possible ev-
/ en- under the most adverse con-
ditions.
The troops Of the 85th Infantr,
had fought an uphill fight all nigh
against determined enemy, de
spite heavy packs and the wind
cold and deep snow of Ptarmigar
! above timber line, because the,
knew that if they failed they Woult
doom battalion of the 86th, which
was swinging in behind the aen
emy" from Shrine Pass. As for TIL
s6th Battalion they must have beel
sure the 85th wouldn't fail becaus1
they kept right on and did thei
part and when morning came th'
enemy" had been pushed bacl
and was fighting a delaying actor
when the war" ended.
Artillery Vital, Too
4 OF course, the artillery playet
an Important part. In fact, the hill
couldn't have been taken without Il
You can't win battles with eithe
infantry or artillery alone But tn
artillery was able to rest in bi
vouac while that last hand-to-han,
battle ragged high among the wind
hacked rOrnices. Fire had to b
lifted when the infantry made clos
contact with the enemy. It fulfille'
its supporting mission, but the rea
fighting didn't start till the dough
boys began scaling those heights t
fight both enemy and elements.
We are proud to be an organi
part Of the 10th Infantry Divisio
and we know that with them W
can VIGOROUSLY engage the Axis !
whatever territory their leader
i may choose.