WEAPONS OF TO-DAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 7 June 1938, Page 8

WEAPONS OF TO-DAY

SPAIN AS A TESTING GROUND FOR POWERS WAR AS "THROW OF DICE” The wars in Abyssinia. Spain and China have given the modern army and ■ 1 its equipment chances to test their capabilities. The European Powers have no doubt benefited from the practical experiments with their forces, and can gain a somewhat clearer idea of the nature of a European war. were one to occur,” states an article by Gen--1 oral Debeney (former Chief of the General Staff of the French Army). In Abyssinia, the Ethiopians were armed solely with rifles and a few i machine-guns, and in badly-organised groups tried to resist a force well organised, perfectly commanded, and powerfully armed with all modern equipment. The result was devastating. China has suffered similarly, ; though to a lesser degree. Such inequal- 1 ity would not. of course, arise in a ■ European conflict, for the professional I armies of each country are at more or I less the same standard of efficiency. ] In China, in the southern area of j operations, the Japanese encountered a j well-organised opposition, especially; round Shanghai. Here, as in the ap- j proaches to Madrid, machine-gun de- ] fence proved its worth. The better- j trained, and better-organised Southern Chinese soldiers met the advancing Japanese with skilfully-planned ma-i chine-gun fire, and held up the ad-! vance until the Japanese had received ! reinforcements from the north and south, and were able to attack on both j Spain has been an experimenting J ground for Germany' and Russia par- j

■ j tfcularly. Italy had already gathered ■ j her experience in Abyssinia. Now in 1! Spain are tested the more varied • methods of modern wa-Tere, between ■itwo forces not widely different in : | equipment and technique. ‘ • In the Great War of 1914-1918 tanks j were used with deadly effect. No effective anti-tank defence was de- ! veloped. In Spain, however, much jhas been learned about this system of j defence. Anti-tank guns and machineguns can. it is now' known, be effective against the once dreaded tanks. PROGRESS BY AVIATION j On the attacking side, the most dej vastating progress has been achieved jby aviation. Formerly used only for bombing, aeroplanes are now' highly : effective for machine-gunning troops 'or civilians) at low' altitudes. The I new Russian attacking planes have (been found particularly efficacious in Spain. They fly over the enemy at heights ranging between 30 and 150 feet, direct a raking fire with their machine-guns, and release 50-kilo * bombs, which explode a few' seconds after their passing, and so cover their retreat. These planes, working in j squadrons, have caused great material i damage and demoralisation, as have those oL the insurgent forces. Anti-aircraft artillery is using ] models which certainly make bombardment from the air more difficult, and ! which considerably assist the light swift counter-attacking planes which harass the heavy bombers. But it is i clear that, though aviation has pro- ] gressed and is an extremely formidable arm, the effects, though awful, are but transient. They cannot be decisive. Allowing the attacking potentialities of tanks and aircraft, and considering the means of defence against these arms, we must conclude that modern arms cannot bring about •> rapid decision in war. A powerful offensive by a modern army heavily equipped, and rapidly reinforced with material and men. might, aided by the intensity of the i shock of attack, force a quick * issue. But if victory were not achieved almost immediately, the terrific loss in men and material would bring about a state of morale of incalculable detriment to the attacking force. So that a decisive victory really depends on chance, on the "throw of the dice”—and, unless the dice turn up doubel six, the gamble may result badly indeed. Between two nations of unequal power, the dice would be loaded. But against a European Power with frontiers strongly fortified by modern methods, such quick victory would not be possible. By violation of neutralities, by conflict with powerful armies, by the resuscitation of coalitions, the long war which the sudden mighty attack was supposed to make unnecessary. would indeed be brought about If the “throw of the dice” is the only method of assuring a short war. it is as well to be prepared for a olng wsfr. Aviation plays an important role in war against the civil population |as well as against the troops, and decentralisation would be the only pos- , sible antidote. On the outbreak of war. the accumulated supplies of tanks and aeroplanes might not last more than a month or two: so that the industrial production of a country, and assured supplies of raw materials, are of paraj mount importance on the attacking | side.