Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: bash@cbnewsd.ATT.COM (thomas.w.basham)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Learning in War
Message-ID: <9869@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 3 Oct 89 13:06:47 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 33
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: bash@cbnewsd.ATT.COM (thomas.w.basham)


>>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...

>Many nations, however, emphasized alternate means of communications...

>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.


There was an article about 2 to 3 months ago in Jane's Soviet
Intelligence Review about the use of signal flags withing the Soviet
Army.  It seems that they have quite an extensive flag communication
that isn't just limited to tanks.  If there's interest, I'll dig
out the article and summarize it.

Tom
-- 
Tom Basham      AT&T Bell Laboratories    (312) 979-6336  
att!ihlpb!bash	                  
bash@ihlpb.ATT.COM          If you can't beat 'em, infiltrate and 
                            destroy them from within.