Evening star., 1947-02-23
Cold Is Foe in
ArCticCOmbat
Devastating Weather
Encountered by
Task Force
Bv Clarke Beach

By Clarke Beach
Our armed forces have proved
their mettle on land and sea and in
the air, but they have discovered
they are sheer novices in the science
of Arctic fighting.
In the experimental operations of
Task Force Frigid, at Fairbanks,
Alaska, they are faced with new
element-withering, MINDLESS cold.
Nearly all mechanical and human
capabilities must be re-evaluated.
Observers from the Navy, Marine
Corps and the War Department are
learning with astonishment how
enormously complex project 1t Is
to convert our Army into a force
which can fight efficiently in the
deep cold of North Central Alaska,
typical of most Arctic areas.
This spring, the task force COM
mander, Col. Paul v. Kane, will sub
NIT voluminous report on what
his men and officers have learned
during the winter, the coldest Alaska
has had in many years. What he
reports will constitute the War De-
partment's Arctic primer, for prac-
tically no American officers have ha6
such experience.
Strategically Important.
An entirely new set of specifica.
tions for weapons and equipment fol
use in the Far North will have tt
be drawn up. Science and industry
will be challenged to fill the newly
discovered needs. Civilian observers
from all the major industries visit
the task force from time to time
preparing for the work ahead.
The United States has gotten
along well enough without knowing
much about Arctic warfare, because
the Arctic was never regarded as a
possible battle-ground. Guided mis-
siles, very long range airplanes and
the atomic bomb, however, changed
the picture.
The North Polar regions offer the
shortest air route between the
northern land masses. Uranium,
the source Of material for atomic
bombs, lies in the ground above the
Arctic Circle. If this country Is at
tackled again, the enemy might very
well strike first at our far Northern
frontiers.
7 was among a group Of corre-
spondents who spent six days with
Task Force Frigid watching the tests
OF weapons, equipment and tactics
and can personally attest to some
Of the difficulties.
If airplanes, automobiles, tanks,
weasels or other mechanical equip
ment are left outside when the tenn
perature is 30 below or colder-and
under combat conditions only a
small fraction of your equipment
can be kept under shelter-they can
not be moved promptly in case Of
attack. They freeze and must be
warmed with hot-air blasts, taking
from half an hour to three hours.
The engines of emergency equip
ment, like fire trucks and ambu-
lances, must be kept running day
and night.
A good nonfreezing lubricant is
Ordinary oils can be diluted,
but If they are too thin they are
not good lubricants.
Hard on Troops, Too.
Artillery range calculations, COM
plex enough in temperate zones,
must all be reworked. The curve
of the shells fight is altered by
the masses of ice particles in the
atmosphere and by a layer Of rela-
lively warm air at 5000 feet alti-
tude.
Frigid gunpowder explodes with a
different force. The recoil mechan-
ism of big guns operates differ
emily.
The soldiers face. hands and feet
must be constantly guarded when
the temperature is colder than 80
below zero. Even a finger cannot
be exposed longer than S or 10
no matter how urgently
you need it to pull a trigger. Extra
socks must be carried close to your
body to keep them dry. They must
be put on in case your feet perspirer
Otherwise the feet freeze.
"At present our men can stand
the north better than our equip
ment," Col. Kane said. But in
time our equipment will catch up
and be better than the men.
Then we must move on and find
ways to armor our men against the
cold, and in time they will again
be able to function better than the
Then the equipment
must be improved again"
distributed b. the Associated PTess)