Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-07-21
'PENTOMIC' PUNCH
New Army Division
IsKept Bott|e-Reody

putting rough landing strips into
shape.
. Mastery of laying telephone
lines by helicopter until the op-
Grafton is now routine.
. Elimination of much heavy
equipment and vehicles, so that
the new division needs only a
little more than half the number
of planes required by a conven-
tional airborne division.
Atomic Modification
Fundamentally the tactics to be
used by the new divisions are a
combination of the ''perimeter"
defense always used by airborne
troops and dispersion to meet the
atomic threat.
The theory behind this is to
force the enemy to concentrate
his forces if he is going to knock
out any one of the dispersed bat
tie groups. Presumably this con-
centration on the part of the
enemy would set him up as a ia
vorable target for an atomic mis-
sile.
Q This is, of course, a two-way
street. The 10lst is now working
out battle tactics of a highly mo-
bile sort to cope with an enemy
employing the same formations.
officers explain that in the con-
ventional airborne division there
would be three regimental combat
teams, fact which would not per-
NIT wide dispersion.
An atomic weapon, they say,
could account for a third of the
current airborne division as cas-
ualitieS, whereas this division
would lose perhaps less than a
fifth of its fighting force to the
same type weapon-and they !.
think that even that is too extrav-
agant an estimate because the
units would offer a much less
likely target for atomic attack.
To assist its mobile tactics, the
101St is equipped with airborne
television and radar to keep tabs
on the enemy, including infra-red
ray equipment to spot troop con-
centrations at night.
Further, it has a ground radar
unit. easily carried by two men.
which guards against enemy sur
prise attack.
Reody for Action
Since 1t was reactivated last
September the 10lst has acted
precisely as If war were going to
break out tomorrow.
Every man in the outfit has, or
shortly will have. all the required
shots and vaccinations for over
seas duty. He has made out his
will. signed power of attorney
for his next of kin and made ar
rangements for disposition of his
personal property.
The battle groups within the di-
vision take turns at standing by
on the alert. When a preliminary
alert is sounded for a battle group,
all men who live of the post must
move back to barracks.
During my visit to Fl. Campbell.
the battle group commanded by
Col. George l. Forsythe, was on
standby alert when somebody hit
the panic button Just for practice.
1t was an amazing demonstra-
ton of orderly confusion. Men out
for physical training came racing
into barracks to change into bat
tie dress. Jeeps pulled up to the
quarters. Live ammunition, ma
chine guns and bazookas were
loaded aboard.
Across the street, in the units
vehicle area, radio-equiped jeeps
kicked over to provide power and
in less than five minutes Col.
Forsythe was in touch with the
commanders of all his five COM
panies.
Military police raced to block
off roads leading to the airport.
Buses to transport the troops
rolled up. In less than four hours
the troops were ready for combat.
AirIift Sore Point
This brings us to a sore point:
Airlift. On the basis Of one air.
plane taking of from one airport
every Is minutes. Col Forsythe
figures the head and tail Of his
column would be separated by Is
hours. The Army wants the troop
carrier command planes of the
Air Force ready for immediate use
because. it contends. more than
one airf1eld could be used and the
time for transporting the battle
groups shortened considerably.
The Army men here advance
the argument: What good Is it
for us to be ready. II the Air
Forces troop planes are scattered
all over the world hauling supplies
and spare parts for Air Force OPP
erations?
In Col Forsythe's words. the
l01st is now fire brigade without
fire engines.
But even without the engines.
Col. Forsythe and his men 90
through an almost constant FIRE
drill.
We've reached the point" he
said. Where we can slide Gown
the pole and hit our pants nearly
every time"
tThe Associated PresO