U.S. INFANTRY DIVISIONS

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27056, 3 June 1953, Page 3

U.S. INFANTRY DIVISIONS

SOVIET ARMY HELD MUCH INFERIOR

SURVEY IN SOLDIERS’ NEWSPAPERS (From a Reuter Correspondent.) ™ ~ . FRANKFURT (Germany). • i? e - United States Army in Germany is being told that American infantry divisions by far outclass the Soviet infantry divisions which they iace across the “Iron Curtain which divides this cduntry and Europe.” A series of articles published in Army unit newspapers which are distributed free to troops claimed that in practically every branch the United States infantry division is easily superior to its Soviet counterpart. In making detailed comparisons, there was, however, no reference to the fighting qualities of the respective divisions. The survey admitted that a Soviet Army infantry division with its 11,000 men had 10 per cent, more firepower ?J 1 „ a man-to-man basis than a larger U.S. division, with about 18,000 men. Nevertheless, it claimed, this did not mean that Soviet divisions were more efficiently organised than American divisions.

The U.S. Army division is the most lethal the world has ever known. It has more killing power than any similar combat Unit ever created,” the survey asserted. This had been proved in Korea, where “the Communists have suffered 10 battle casualties to our one. A U.S. infantry division moves faster, gets into action quicker, kills more efficiently and sustains itself m combat longer than any division of any other army anywhere in the world—on either side of the Iron Curtain.

“Not only does the U.S. Army have more killing power than any other, it also provides its soldiers with better weapons, equipment, clothing, food and medical care than any other army in the world.”

Tne survey said that the single word which had “misled’’ many Americans was “firepower.” “Firepower” should not be confused with “killing power.” Firepower is a yardstick used to measure the maximum capability of weapons. It is not a gauge of a fighting unit’s efficiency. The survey also rejected criticisms that the United States Army uses too many men to keep the fighting soldiers at the front. On communications, it answered criticisms that the United States Army employs about twice as many radio men in a battalion as the Russians, by saying that the Russians are now making every effort to provide their forces with a communications system as efficient as that of the United States Army. “Flow of Intelligence”

Since the beginning of the Korean conflict, the Russians have imitated every major United States technique,” it claimed. No army in the world benefits so much from a full and rapid flow of intelligence as does the United States Army. This is dependent upon rapid communications adequate to carry the load of information.” To reduce communications and thereby “decimate” the effectiveness of present United States methods of supply and logistics “would be to abandon one of the most favourable factors that has made the United States Army a winning force.” Tne survey said that a study of a United States infantry division’s weapons and vehicles showed that they are superior to those of a Soviet unit. “It underlines the fact that a Soviet division—unlike a United States division—is not a balanced team of combined arms,” it claimed. “The United States Division has three times as many tanks as the Russian unit—l 44 compared to 44. The United States Division has approximately 19,000 small calibre weapons—rifles, pistols, machine-guns— compared to approximately 10.500 for the Russian.” (In this particular article no mention was made of the fact that the Soviet division has about 11,000 men and an American unit about 18,000). The survey then gave details showing that the United States has a big superiority in artillery, mortars, rocket launchers and anti-aircraft machineguns. It admitted that Soviet firepower “points” were increased considerably by the number of sub-machine-guns in a Soviet infantry divi-sion-2997 against 970 in a United States division. But, the survey said, these weapons were "effective only at short ranges and of value only in close quarters.” “Individual arms of American soldiers are the world’s best and are far superior to Russian weapons,” it added.

It claimed that the Russian heavy machine-gun is basically a 1910 model mounted on a “clumsy tWo-wheeled mount.” “Jammed guns as a result of faulty cartridges cause so many stoppages in the Russian Army that they are a serious problem,” the survey asserted.

“Hip-pocket Artillery” The Soviet Army and those of her “satellies” has nothing to compare with the “hip pocket” field guns which enable United States infantrymen to carry their own artillery into battle, the survey continued. “Hip pocket” artillery consists of 57 mm., 75 mm. and 105 mm. recoilless rifles which are a copy of the United States weapon. Turning to medical and welfare care of troops, the survey claimed that the 7000 additional men in a United States infantry division spelled “all the difference between a self-contained unit built on democratic lines and a division with very limited capability which is built on standards bordering on barbarism.” Soviet infantry divisions have only about one fourth of the medical personnel in their United States counterparts. Further, Soviet medical orderlies have only limited training.

“The American medical system affords the finest field medical care the world has ever known,” the survey declared, citing figures of deaths from battle injuries and wounds as proof of this argument. Supplies to Troops

Dealing with field supplies to troops, the survey said that many items—cigarettes, razors, towels, toothbrushes —which American soldiers regard as essentials —the Russians would regard as luxuries. After saying that American soldiers have mobile showers and laundries in the field, it commented: “The Soviet idea of how often a soldier should bath depends on how often he becomes covered with lice. All these supplies and services require manpower to operate. Manpower would be saved by eliminating them, but to do so would result in a decrease in combat efficiency.” The Soviet Army, it added, provides no care for its soldiers once they are dead, unless they stood high in the Soviet political regime. In contrast to what happens in the United States jArmy, the Russian slain are buried where they fall and their “meagre” personal effects sent to a central collecting agency. The United States Army’s postal service for troops is as efficient as the nation’s postal system. The Soviet Army has no postal service worthy of the name. The Soviet Army saves manpower in another field —religion. In the United States division there is one chaplain for every 50 soldiers. The chaplain strength in the Soviet Army is zero, the survey said. The survey concluded by saying that all those men in a United States infantry division whose primary jobs “are not pulling triggers of weapons aimed at an enemy,” can when the occasion demands “pick up their weapons in which they are thoroughly trained and give an excellent account of themselves in battle.”