OBJECT OF ARMY TRAINING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 201, 23 May 1944, Page 6

OBJECT OF ARMY TRAINING

To Meet The Unknown AMERICAN GENERAL’S COMMENT ‘•The greatest fear of man is of the unknown. The whole purpose of the training on which the division is about to embark is to. give the men absolute confidence in their weapons and in I heir leaders, so that they are better lilted to meet the unknown as they go into combat” With those words Major-General Leonard F. Wing, commanding-general of a New England division of the united States Army at present in a rest area after one and a half years active service in the South Pacific, described the purpose of an intensive course of training on which the division has embarked tn preparation for the next task assigned to it. “After our long stay—two campaigns .were fought—in the wearing climate of the South Pacific battle zone, it has been good for us to get back to civilization, said the general. “The men have now bad at least 30 days’ relaxation, though discipline has not been entirely lifted. Ji vou let up on discipline for one day it takes a week to regain the. lost ground. He is greatlv pleased with his mens behaviour in the rest periml. “M e have had very little trouble with defaulteis.,, he said.' But he added cautiously, let. and touched the wood of his desk. . The replacements which had arrived to fill the gaps in his command had receive preliminary training, and the divisional training would integrate the new personnel in the division and increase the military education of the men who had already been in combat. ■ “In the other branches of the fighting forces the personnel are highly specializeff to one branch of warfare. General M ing remarked. “The soldier, however, has to be far more individual and has many things to learn. He has nothing in front of him but his bayonet. The various fighting services are equally minor ant in war. but no soldier is master of an branches of his arms. As a part of his preparation of his troops for whatever may he ahead ot them, the general said he was about to begin having a short personal talk with each man. “The strategy of the war in the Pacific is not our concern. Out only concern is to he ready to fight when and wherever we are wanted. Proud of His Regiment. General Wing is particularly proud of the deeds of one of the regiments, in Ins command. One drawn predominantly from the State of Vermont, in the recent campaigns. Twenty-three years asp he was a company commander of the remwent. and later regimental .commander. During the division s period of duty in the South Pacific this regiment was 83 da vs continuously in the battle line and carried through some tough assignments. On June 30 last year it made the initial landing on Rendovo Island, seven miles from the Japanese base and airfield at Munda, New Georgia, in the Solomons. Rendova was required as a base for immediate operations against Munda. The first landings were made by the “Barracudas.” or commandos of the regiment, and a company from Bennington, Vermont. The barracudas were drawn from Windsor, Vermont. Because of night navigational error the barracudas landed several miles from their assigned beach, but by 11 a.m. on the day of landing the occupation was comP 1 The regiment attempted to land through treacherous waters against Munda on June 30 and July 1, but a successful land-, ing was not accomplished till July - in daylight. The first enemy reaction to the attack came that day, when aircraft raided the Rendova beach-head. Heavy casualties were suffered because of lack of cover, and the officer commanding the regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel James T. Walsh, was among the wounded. Subsequent enemy' air attacks were unsuccessful, because anti-aircraft guns had been got into position. I , On J niff 9. when sufficient supplies had been landed on New Georgia and Rendova, the regiment, launched its attack on Munda airfield, six miles west of Zanana, the New Georgia beach-head. The attack was launched with extensive artillery and dive-bombing preparation,, but the troops met many Japanese “suicide garrison posts.' In the face of the determined defence of these well-manned posts the capture of the airfield took 33 days’ hard fighting. The regiment then went forward to take part in the captures of Kolambangara and Arundel Islands before being given its first rest from the battle line. Now, with the gaps in its ranks filled and its mental and physical- rehabilitation enhanced by its stay in the rest area, it and the companion units of the division are preparing to go forward again in new strokes against the enemy.