Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-03-23
Van Fleet and Collins Clash
At Hearing on Ammunition


normal quantity of grenades a
man had in Korea was four but
"he likes to have a whole case
of it there in his trench"
That testimony was given when
Gen. Collins was not present.
Senator Cooper. Republican, of
Kentucky. quoted Gen. Van Fleet
as having said the troops didn't
have enough grenades and
enough ammunition to repel
enemy waves.
Did Gen. Van Fleet say that?"
asked Gen. Collins. II think we
have gotten down to brass tacks
now. I will ask Gen. Van Fleet
(then presently or, you ask him.
if, in any given attack that came
off, his men did not have Suffi-
cient ammunition to meet the
attack that actually came off, or
actually developed-not one that
! might develop, but one that &C
tually developed"
Il would question that" replied
! Senator Cooper. II would give
great weight to everything you
said, until you get down to this
man that is fighting there. and
Gen. Van Fleet was there"
Combat Troops Supplied.
The Senator put the question
and Gen. Van Fleet said:
THE grenade situation today
Is excellent. We have a full sup
ply in the Far East, and there
has always been an adequate
supply of ammunition, including
grenades and mortars, in the
hands of the troops along the
battle front.
I'VE keep that supply filled up
regardless of how much there is
in the rear. so that the man is
always protected. and we author
lied the lower units to shoot
whatever it takes to save lives,
but this critical level that we are
talking about does exist in the
Far East. and because the supply
is not there. it means the men
at the front don't get an allow
ance to initiate other actions,
merely a protective action to
save themselves. They have to
be in trouble in order to shoot.
There is not an adequate
amount to take care of a situa-
ton that might develop"
Reserve Stocks Short.
Gen. Collins then stated the
stock levels back of the Eighth
Army had been in short supply
but that is a different story
than the business of-what have
you got in the hands of the
troops"
Gen. Collins testified "reluc-
family" that he had requested
more money for ammunition
than his civilian bosses at the
Pentagon. the Budget Bureau or
the White House allowed to go
to Congress. But he did not
name anyone specifically.
He also said the final appro-
priations were not sufficient to
produce an adequate amount of
ammunition for the Army.
Senator Symington, Democrat,
OF Missouri, the Air Force Sec
rotary in the Truman admins
tration, interjected that in his
opinion biased on experience,
nobody tried harder to prevent
the Army from being cut to
pieces" thar did Gen. Collins.
Byrd Cites Deliveries.
But Senator Byrd, Democrat,
Of Virginia, called the ammuni-
ton situation "a national scan
dali and pounded hard at his
point that deliveries had been
only 80 per cent of $6.7 billions
in appropriations.
Undersecretary of the Army
Earl johnson explained that it
takes one and a half years to
make deliveries from the time a
contract is awarded.
Gen. Van Fleet introduced
several of his reports calling at
tention to ammunition short
ages. One, last June, reported
increased enemy firings and
added it had reflected and prob
ably will continue to reflect in
creased casualty rates among
friendly troops" Another, to the
Eighth Army last September, re-
ported the steel strike would
bring a 81 per cent reduction
in ammunition production.
Last December, Gen. Mark
Clark, Far East commander,
wrote Gen. Van Fleet that for
mer Secretary of Defense Rob-
ert A. Lovett had advised him
the Army will deal with short
rounds of ammunition as though
we were in full mobilization and
that the situation will be given
overriding priorities."
Gen. Van Fleet said, II should
think with the great capacity
here we should have had more
all the time"
Some Inconsistencies.
But there also were some in
consistences in the generals
testimony.
Thus. he stated that "our sup
ply of ammunition in May Of
1851 in our dumps in Korea went
to zero and the only ammunition
we had was in forward areas
near the guns"
Rut m the newt naCe no told