Evening star., 1948-02-08
By W. H. Shippen. Jr.
Stor sto1 Correspondent

EXERCISE SNOWDROP, PINE
CAMP, N. Y, Feb. This kind OF
thing ought to make war un-
popular
The paratroopers of the 505th
Airborne Battalion Combat Team
were on bivouac-their second night
of laying out in sub-zero tempera-
lures after some 500 of them shower
ed down in the snow to seize a train
ing airhead-here Tuesday.
In their white parkas, and cum
bersome foul-weather gear, the
little group seated on pine bows
around a fire scarcely hot enough
to take the chill off their field ra-
tions might have just arrived from
the North Pole, or some planet in
cold outer space.
Cold Is Raw and Intense.
Darkness had settled on the vast,
snowy plain lit by stars and oc-
casional, sheltered camp fires. Some
of the paratroopers already had
turned into sleeping bags settled
into scooped- -out hollows IN the
snow with wind break Of canvas
and pine bows. Their visitors,
however, soon would be leaving for
warm barracks.
The cold was raw and intense,
borne on a prevailing West wind
from nearby Lake Ontario which
had the mercury lowering around
10 below, but the men had more
time to dig in and get their gear in
shape on the second night. the
first night was some 10 degrees
colder with a drift OF powdered
snow in the frosty air. There was
considerable suffering that night
although the boys didn't talk about
| 1t much.
With more maneuvers pointing
toward the North country, from
which the most potent military
threat might come, these men were
in the forward elements of an Army
whose Ground Forces are testing
rejecting and improvising upor
modern equipment which will func'
tion in the coldest climates.
Wind, Cold Near Limit.
The wind and cold here were
near the limit beyond which such
an airborne exercise could scarcely
succeed. Anything above q 15.mile
wind might claim too many casual
ties among paratroopers carrying
up to $50 pounds of special winter
eouipment and weapons, and tenn
peratures much below minus 20 II
a damp climate would slow down
the mobility and effectiveness Of
the force. .....
A mobile force encounters a "win.
ter lethargy," the officers say
Everything a man does in deep snow
and intense cold requires at least
twice as long. Field weapons dis
mounted for chute drops are diff
cult to get together again because
of frost forming in working parts
Mortars, howitzers and automatic
rifles are harder to operate and sup
ply.
Movements on snow shoes ano
skis are slow in getting under way
when a man has to organize his
gear and pack in cumbersome cloth
ing and heavy gloves, and 80 inches
or so of snow can hide the most
vital gadgets in matter of Sec
onds.
Men on sentry outpost, who
must remain motionless, find thell
alertness and ability to react di'
minishing after about an hour ir
temperatures down to 20 below.
Surprisingly Few Casualties.
In the resupply drop zone, where
heavy cargo packs and sometimes
bits of loose gear come showerins
down, soldiers learn their abilit!
to dodge Is slowed down by thu
necessity of scrambling about or
skis or snow shoes.
Yet there we're surprisingly few
casualties. The troopers from thu
famous S2d Airbone Division
based at Ft. Bragg, N. c., climaxee
their training exercises. which be-
gan In Northern New York or
November /, with a mass juml
pulled off with split-second timing
and very few bitches.
They bailed out Of rear clam
shell doors of the new Fairchilc
Packets, manufactured in Hagers'
| town, Md, like angry hornets, ane