1941-03-10 — Page 22

THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 10, 1941

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Britain's home defence units have recently undergone an exacting test in exercises. picture shows huge twelve-indh howitzers on railway mountings which can be relied upon to do their bit if and when the Nazis attempt an invasion.

GENERALS ARE JUSTIFIED IN TAKING

RISKS

(Fifty-one-year-old Major-General Martel sets down his views on mechanised warfare in his book, "In the Wake of the Tank," written in 1935. This book like General de Gaulle's "Army of the Future," was prophetic, and neglected. In it General Martel stresses the value of new and surprise weapons. Here are extracts from the book.)

IF A COMMANDER sees an invention or new weapon which strikes at the root of his main pro- blem and difficulties he is justified in taking the risk and employing it as a surprise and banking on it.

We are an inventive nation, and opportunity will be offered again and again in the future.

It in casier to manufacture more powerful anti-tank wen- pons than more powerful tanko, and the race between armour and-gun is apt to be one-sided When the gun can use cover and remain concealed.

Then, again, no obstacle-cross- ing capacity which we can at pre- sent give the tank will enable it to cross a line of anti-tank mines.

to

If, however, it is possible overcome these difficulties, then a tank of this nature may prove to be just what we require.

Weapons with which troops are, to the mobility of a tank brigade

It is well to remember that the armed in peace cannot be kept it would usually be impossible for secret but the nation which forges a commander to carry out either mechanical engineer has a way of ahead and produces the most mo- of these suggestions.

overcoming difficulties in a sur- dern

be weapons will always

Moreover, tanks can deliver aprising manner. It is a bold man feint attack on ahead of other nations. More im-

cne flank of a

who is prepared to say what the and then pass round mechanical engineer car and can- portant still, secret experimental column work put in hand in peace will rapidly to attack the other.

not achieve. enable that nation to go right ahead! and surprise the enemy shortly after the war has started with weapons a long way in ad- vance of those possessed by other nations.

Two Causes

The value of merely mobile troops has fallen to a fraction of their former importance. This is due to two causes.

"In The Desert If war is waged in a desert country the work; may be carried out almost entirely by air action, and this is then the most efficient method of all; but there are plenty of cases where the air arm alone will be quite incapable of sud- duing enemy forces.

In the desart, aeroplanes can see everything; the enemy troops can- First, there is now no chance of not escape and can be relentless- carrying out a wide turning move-ly pursued by air action till they ment which takes more than a

must surrender. day without being spotted from the air. The element of surprise from such movements has vanish-

ed.

But deserts. do not exist every-

The necessity for giving some assistance to the Infantryman is now recognised. It is curious how little has been done for the Infantryman in the past. Per- haps: this may be accounted for by the fact that there is no in- fantry school where sugh sub- jects can be discussed. We shall not attain our full efficiency un- less we increase the assaulting power of the lofantryman as well.

Modelled On Navy

a

It is often suggested that a mo- where. There is plenty of ground dern army which makes full use which gives excellent cover from of fighting vehicles should be the air, and in, such cases enemy modelled on the Navy. There are

of similarity between Secondly, we have now reached troops soon learn to conceal them-points a stage where practically every selves and discover how to com- navy and a mechanised army, but mon in the Army has a weapon pete against air action which is the parallel does not go far. with which he can kill a mounted unsupported by troops on

On the sea a more powerful mon at some distance, and the ground.

ship can sink an inferior vessel in fear of a mounted attack, an tm-

a few minutes without any doubt the past, has portant feature in

as to the issue, provided the two largely disappeared.

are more or less equally efficiently On land equipped and manned. there is no such parallel.

When we reach a position where every man can and nor- mally does carry an anti-tank weapon, then tanks will be in same position as cavalry stand to-day, but such a position is not in sight.

the

cooperation between the troops on

сал success

be

It is by the air

and that ground made certain, If the enemy hides in broken

The earth is not a flat plain- like ground where the air forces can- not find him, he can be unearthed the sea, and concealment is gen- by the troops, If he moves, he can erally possible. The result is that be attacked by both the air and the most powerful tank ever built by tanks. If his capture and sur-may easily be knocked out if fréd render is desired, he can be sur- at from close range by a compara→ rounded by troops on the ground, tively small but concealed anti- whereas air forces alone might be tank gun.

}

These two factors have changed the scope of our mobile troops under modern conditions. In fact,

It is true that smoke screens a cavalry force to-day can nounable to effect this. It is in these longer by itself fulfil the old con- ways that the air and the troops and darkness and the use of tor ception of the mobile troops. should work together.

pedres and mines may enable To Fortunately, tank brigades ure a

escape from the air, the smaller vessels to hold their own meang of reviving the original enemy must disperse, but to meet for a time, but in the end the capabilities of these troops, some- an attack on the ground he must capital ship wins on the sea. On times independently

land g certain degree of supre- and some concentrate. times in cooperation with cavalry He cannot do both at the same macy could be obtained by using or embussed infantry, and always time, hence it is only by the co- more powerfully armoured tanks will in cooperation with air forces. operation of air forces and troops as a surprise but the gun-

It may be thought that a good on the ground that success is cer- easily defeat the armour in the end; when the latter has to be commander should keep his anti-tain to be achieved.

trarisported cross-country tank weapons in hand and send

***by. mechanical means." them out in the right direction One-Sided Race when he receives warning from

Owing to the very different sen compared the air. Or it may be suggested Our reasoning leads us to desire conditions on the that even if he has distributed his a tank with good obstacle-crossing with the land, the general policy weapons as a screen, he should capacity, so that we need have no has been to pit armour against- still be able to reinforce the four of being held up by wire or guns, but such a policy would be

· threatened portion, of the front." ditches, There are counterbalanc-fatal in the army. It is by the use: A detailed study of this pro- ing disadvantages to such proof speed and mobility and a rea- ['blem" however," shows that owing posals.

(Continued on -Page-18).