CRACK AIRBORNE TROOPS TO PLAY MAJOR ROLE

Chronicle (Levin), 1 November 1949, Page 5

CRACK AIRBORNE TROOPS TO PLAY MAJOR ROLE

Received Monday 5.5 p.m. WASHINGTON, Oct. 30. ^ The U.S. Army and Air Force were stepping up training of crack airborne troops to play a xnajor role in any future war, said General J. Lawton ("ollins. He added that training was being intensilied also in the use of fighterbombers to support swift advanees .of infantrv and armoured divisions. General Collins said the programme emphasised the intention under the North Atlantic Pact and the European arms imid programme to hold West Europe — not, to retake it after it was lost to the invaders. Airborne operations were relatively new and required vigorous study and training. An airborne assoult gave the attacker the advantages of surprise and mobility. Btriking power eould be lauuched from widely dispersed bases, averting heavy concentrations that were vulnerable to atomic bombing. General Gollins made these points: Firstly: The armed services were making genuine progress in unification despite any contrarv impressions from the recent pubiic airing of dill'erenees. There was, for example, a strategic plan which defined each of the services' ,job in war whereon all the services agreed. , Soeondly: The Atlantic Pact miiitary aid programmes and prospective defence plans eould mean that Bussia . could be stopped short of overrunning ' Europe. Airforee strategic bombers could swing mighty blows to gain time' for the Western allies to mount an offensive. Tliirdly: The likelihood of large- \ scale amphibious campaigns like Nor-i mandy in the last war was greatly rerueed, but it was essential that vast movements of men and suppiies across the oeean to probably friendly shores would require a strong navy without which the army would be unable to fulfll its vital role. Fourthlv: The atomic bomb could be used with disastrous results against any water-borne concentration of enemy invasion forces. Fiftlily: With defence expenditure Jimited the major effort must be devoted to the holding of Europe since a eonflict was more likely to start there than in the east. "But if anybody takes on army troops in Japan or Okinawa they are in for a fight. ' '