Evening star., 1953-04-02
Ammunition Probe
Recessed; Almond
Backs Up Van Fleet
By John A. Giles

A special Senate subcommittee
investigating Army ammunition
shortages recessed today until
Wednesday when 1t win call top
policy makers of the Truman
administration.
Former Secretary of Defense
Robert A. Lovett and Assistant
Secretary Wilfred j. Mcneil, who
has been the Defense Depart
ment controller since its forma-
ton in 1947, will be heard.
s The group had planned to hear
Mr.. Lovett and Mr.. Mcneil to-
day. But Chairman Margaret
Chase Smith, Republican, Of
Maine announced late yester-
day "it has been necessary to
wait until Wednesday to hear
these men," She did not give
a reason.
Sees Issues Clarified.
She added yesterdays testi-
mony by 1t. Gen. Edward M.
Almond, former 10th Corps
commander in Korea, and Gen.
James A. Van Fleet, former 9th
Army commander, had greatly
clarified" those generals charges
that ammunition shortages ham
pered operations on the war.
torn peninsula.
Il am convinced there has
been a confusion in terms, and
what the Technology means"
she said. But she added that
statement did not mean the
Senators had changed their
minds that there was a short
age Of ammunition which af-
fected our operations.
She said there had been "a
difference in thinking" as to
what was necessary in the way
OF ammunition between the
Pentagcn and the ground COM
manders in Korea.
The man at the front can
give the best interpretation" she
added.
Almond Backs Van Fleet.
With Hugh Dean, the depart
ment's ammunition expediter, an
interested spectator, Gen. Al
mond backed UP Gen. Van Fleets
previous testimony as to the
shortages. He said offensive
operations in February and
March, 1851, were delayed pend
ing arrival Of ammunition from
the United States.
In the early days of the war,
said Gen. Almond, onetime chief
OF staff to Gen. Douglas Mac.
Arthur in the Far East, the
Army lived on a s'hand-to-
mouth" ammunition supply.
Gen. Van Fleet testified ear
her Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway,
Far East commander, ordered
him to halt plans for an amphib-
1ous landing in North Korea
which he and his commanders
felt would have resulted in a
decisive victory" in June, 1851.
He gave no explanation for that
order but he had testified pre-
vicuSly that ammunition was not
q problem In that month.
Wanted Landing in East.
Two Red spring offensives had
been smashed, he said, and he
wanted to follow up with. an
amphibious landing on the east
coast"
Under questioning from sena-
tors, he built up an argument
that it is not enough to have
adequate ammunition to repulse
attack; that ammunition should
be expended generously to "har-
ass ana ueStroy the enemy be-
fore he attacks"
And he expressed the personal
opinion that lack of such fire.
figured in the loss of "Old
Baldy" to the Communists this
spring despite President Eisen-
hower's statement that ammuni-
ton supplies were not a factor.
Gen. Van Fleet said his theory
was to keep such a barrage Of
heavy artillery on the enemy
that the ATTACK will never come
off"
At another point he said am
munition had been rationed in
Korea because there wasn't
sufficient ammunition being
produced and sent to the Far
East to fire at a greater rate"