Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!wuarchive!mailrus!purdue!gatech!amdcad!military
From: military@cbnews.att.com
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Learning in War
Message-ID: <27528@amdcad.AMD.COM>
Date: 28 Sep 89 07:12:08 GMT
Sender: cdr@amdcad.AMD.COM
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Approved: military@amdcad.amd.com



From: military@cbnews.att.com
haynes@monet.Berkeley.EDU (Jim Haynes) writes:
>There was an article in Signal magazine some years ago - the author suggested
>the reason for the rapid success of Germany in tank warfare against France
>was possible because every German tank had radio, whereas the French tank
>forces relied on messengers on motorcycles.

True and false.  The Germans realized in the mid-30's that each tank must
have a radio.  Other nations, including Great Britain, came to similar
conclusions, and designed tanks accordingly.

Many nations, however, emphasized alternate means of communications.
Radios were relatively expensive then, and difficult to use; there was
concern about reliability, as well.  For out-of-combat communication,
dispatch riders were seen as acceptable; in combat, of course, they would
be useless, so several techniques were developed.

The earliest was the use of signal flags, in a sort of semaphore system.
Each commander carried a card explaining the meanings of various colors
and positions; for example, one set might mean "form column", another
"form line abreast", a third "halt", etc.  These, of course, required
the commander to expose himself to fire.

More novel techniques included attempts to train carrier pigeons to fly
from tank to tank; smoke bombs and flares; a flag mast not unlike those
on naval warships; and moveable metal arms.  (The pigeons, BTW, proved
a failure 8-)  All required line-of-sight communication with the commander
of the tank platoon.

Almost universally, the platoon command tank was radio-equipped.
Upon entry into the war, Germany, Britain, and the US had
all-radio-equipped tanks.  German tank radios, as well as those in the
US, were carried in the hull and operated by the co-driver/hull gunner.
Britain was adamant that the radio must be carried in the turret so
that the commander could operate it; hence, they required a re-design of
the US-built M3 Lee medium tank, with a larger turret bustle and
without the commander's cupola-mounted machinegun.  Field conversions of
the M3 Stuart light tank were also effected, leading to cramped turrets.

The French had the most difficult situation.  All their tanks were designed
with one-man turrets.  The commander was thus responsible for loading,
aiming, and firing the main gun, instructing his crew, and watching for
orders from his platoon leader.  If *he* was the platoon leader, he also
had to operate the radio.

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