Imperial Valley press., 1945-05-07
BY DOUGLAS LARSEN
NEA Staff Correspondent

WASHINGTON, May When
the full fury Of Americas might is
turned on Japan after victory nj
Europe Yank soldiers will be out
fitted with the most scientific Of
fensive and defensive equipment
ever given fighting man in the
history Of war.
Revealed by the army for the first
time are amazing new weapons and
gadgets which range from new super
armor- piercing bombs and rockets,
giant tanks and almost-magic radar
equipment down to portable water
filtering systems and bullet-proof
clothing. Many of these items, used
experimentally in Europe, are just
getting into mass production for use
in the Pacific theater.
These things represent the abb
solute latest that science has de-
yeloped for killing the enemy and
protecting the lives of our own men
Production has been stepped up
on the much-discussed General
Pershing tank and it will be used
against the Japs soon Though some
still considered it inferior to Ger
man tanks, it is agreed to be much
better than anything the Japs have.
known as the T-25, it weighs as
tons, mounts Comm. gun, has ex-
tremely thick armor plating and
wide treads to heIT it through the
soupy going so otter found in the
Pacific war zones.
PIL-BOX BUSTERS
Future bombing of Jap concrete
pill-boXes and heavily protected gun
emplacements will probably not per-
nit such bloody operations as Two
Jl.ha. Super hard steel noses have
been developed for shells and rock
cts which are capable of penetrating
seven and one-half feet of reinforc-
ed concrete.
Mines laid by the enemy have al
ways been the cause of much loss
of personnel and time. Detectors
have been made that ferret out even
the most cleverly concealed BOBBY
traps. The men who cellar the mine
fields will wear special armor-plat-
ed clothing padded with bullet-re-
slsting magnesium backed by nylon
which has the property of not yield
ing to shrapnel. These things have
just been developed and are being
rushed for use at the fronts.
There is a long steel gadget called
a snake" which is sent slithering
over couple Of hundred feet of
ground, leaving minor explosions in
its path as it detonates hidden
mines in front of advancing troops
Even the familiar c rations have
neen modernized. The meat and veg
etaole hash has been eliminated
and Seven-day variety, including
chicken and noodles, hot dogs and
heanS, spaghetti and other tastv
items, has been substituted.
WATERPROOF ZIPPERS
Special waterproof containers Cor
ammunition and other supplies and
waterproof zippers have been de-
Veloped to withstand the damp
conditions encountered in most of
the Pacific fighting.
Radar equipment. hitherto ex-
tremely bulky and requiring elab-
crate ard complicated installation.
has been streamlined. Portable radar
sets for detecting approaching en-
emy aircraft have been developed
for use on an invasion beach a few
minutes after landing A small but
highly efficient adar-controlled
searchlight has been designed to
spot Jap planes. This is used to aid
our fighters during night action.
It used to be that returning night
patrols were often unable to describe
where they had been or lead a force
back to any important discovery
Now a gadget is worn around the
neck Of a man that marks on a map
exactly where he has been. It's called
a Photograph, MI If man on
patrol sees gun emplacement. he
pushes button on the gadget and