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.