Evening star., 1946-08-02
5000 Inspect World S
Most Potent Weapons
As Army Exhibit Opens
By John w. Stepp


Small boys Chamber ecstatically
about the tanks and guns. Adults
studied the pieces, shuddered and
were glad the war ended no later
than it did Ordnance men beamed
happily at the mixed public re-
sponse.
While the Air Forces celebrated
an anniversary elsewhere in the
city, more than 5000 spectator yes
terday turned out at the Monument
grounds for the opening of the
Army Ordnance Departments own
show. Hundreds of pieces of equip
ment of all types and sizes, of war
time and postwar design, were on
display.
Secretary of War Patterson Off
cially opened the six-week exhibit.
Worlds Most Powerful.
Here you will see some of the
worlds most powerful weapons,
the Secretary said. Most were not
developed until war was upon us.
That was part of the price we had
to pay for not being prepared.
II wish we could have had these
weapons at the beginning of the
war, but we have never been pre-
pared at the outset of any of our
wars
We ought to have more power
full weapons until we can be as
sured that war has been outlawed
for all time and the country has
obtained lasting peace. The de-
velopment of powerful weapons
should continue until we have that
assurance"
AS the Army Band played, in
traditional carnival fashion, the
spectators trooped off to a demon
stration of motorized equipment in
action. They saw new model
light tank, unloaded from a tank
transporter, plunge over an obstacle
course at high speed. Two am
phibians, the weasel and duck,
passed in review as an announcer
portrayed their merits over the
public address system. An eager
jeep dashed onto the scene and
ran the obstacles without batting
a fender.
Mortar for Japan's Assault.
Following the carnival spirit, one
exhibit consisted of a canvas target
for baseballs thrown by the Gus
toners" There were no prizes,
however. The arrangement was to
demonstrate an electronic device
which measures the speed of pro-
jectiles - shells, normally - passing
over it.
Hundreds gaped at Little David"
30, ,000- pound siege mortar with the
yard-wide muzzle. This piece was
designed for the reduction of con-
crete Notifications in the campaign
on the Japanese mainland, which
never materialized. Range: seven
miles.
A new item was a -millimeter
automatic cannon built for inStalla-
ton in the nose of attack bombers.
A vicious looking new model of anti
tank gun capable of penetrating IA
inches OF armor also held the public
eye.
In the tank department., in addi-
tlon to the standard models of
American design and the celebrated
German King Tiger which almost
did not make the show because of
transportation difficulties, was a
General perched on motorized
barge. 1t was explained the barge
hull is filled with foam rubber to
keep the craft afloat despite bullet
penetration on high seas. Once
ashore, explosive bolts in the hull
are detonated, blowing the hull
apart and permitting the tank to
land.
Variety of Bombs.
The AAF, for whom Army Ord
nance supplies all weapons and am
mun1tion, has contributed bombs
and planes to the exhibit. Bombs
range from the 42,000-pound city
buster which could only be carried
by the still experimental xB-36
flying wing, to four-pound butterfly
bombs. Aircraft include American
and German jets, the buzz-bomb
and the W., which is shown intact
and in cross section.
In a dozen tents, ordnance men
displayed and disassembled small
arms, described numerous ordnance
testing devices and answered hun
dreds of questions of laymen. In
one corner area stood recruiting
bus, but business there was not
heavy yesterday.
The show will be on daily from
10 am. to pm. through September
10. The band will play from 4 to S
pm, during demonstrations on the
obstacle course. Admission at all
times will be unrestricted. Visitors
may bring cameras.
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