Korean War Dissemination of Combat Info 16 Nov 1953

8/7/2019 Korean War Dissemination of Combat Info 16 Nov 1953

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".(9L,..81P18..UNCLASSIfIED OFFICE, CHIEF OF ~ M Y FIELD FORCES " llt -.For t Monroe. Virginia

ATTNG-26 350. OS/21(DOCI)(16 Nov '53)' 16 Nof tmbe t 1953SUBJECT': Dissemination of Combat Information

TO: . See dbtribut ion

1. In 'accordance with SR 525-85-5, Processing of Combat information, the ihclosed EXTRACTS are forwarded for evaluation and necessaryact ion. It may be appropriate, in certain cases, to take actionupon a single extracted i tem; in others, it m ay be desirable to developa cross-Sect ion of accumulated extracts on a part icular subject beforeinitiating action; and, often the extracted i tem serve s to reaff i rm ourdoctr ines and techniques.

:2. Copie& are furnished to other mil i tary agencies to keep theminformed concerning theater problems from the front line through thelogist ical command.

3. These EXTRACTS are derived from reports which a re clas sified SECRET. For th e gre.i ter convenience::of; th e user this Oihceassigns each extracted i tem the lowest classification compatible withsecurity. No effort is made to paraphrase or delete any portion of theextl"acted' r emarks so iliat none of the original intent is lost.

4. Combat information EXTRACTS which are applicable to t rain ing'at the compariy/batt 'ery level appear in Army Field Forces TRAINING BULLETINS. .

. FOR'THE CHIEF OF ARMY FIELD FORCES:DECLASSiFiED BY AUIHO"iTY0FON /) 4 / j . , : . f i " " ' ~ " / ' / / " / ' ;~ ~ / ( " ' : ' r ! . t ; ~ ~ ,.1'1; ' / . cA. B. C H A T H A M ' '.

E x t r a ~ t 8 . ; : I t e m s LtCoI , A Ge ','N.Q 99f tni-U13S Asst Adjutant Genera l

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U N C L ~ S S \ f \ E O

DISTRIBUTION: -3 ACOFS, G-l , DA 3 ' ACOFS. G-2, DA 10 The Surgeon General

15 A C O ~ S . G-3, DA 4 Chief of Transportat ion '20 ACoFS"G-4 , DA OCAFF t T.h,e Adjutant General 1 G l 2 Chief of Chaplains 1 G2 10 Chief Chemical Officer 20 G310 C h i ~ f Of Engineers , 2 G4

2 Chief of Finance 5 DT 2 Chief of Information 1 Ch 2 The Inspector General 1 Cml 2 The Judge Advocate General 1 Compt 2 Chief of Military History 1 Engr 2 Chief, National Guard Bureau 1 Info 10 Chief of Ordnance 1 Med 2 The Provost Marshal Genera l 1 Ord

! 10 " The Quarte: tmaster General 1 PM 2 Executive for ,Reserve an d I OM

ROTC Affairs I Sig 10 Chief Sig'rl.al Officer I Trans

COPIES FURNISHED:134 TAG (40 CG, US Army Forces , Far Eas t (Main); 44 CINC.

US 'Ai-my, Europe; 10 ea CG's, other major oversea commands)

CG's 2 Fi rs t Army 4 " 'Se'cond Army 4 " ' T h i ~ d Army 12 Fourth Arrriy

2 Fifth Army 2 Sixth Army 4 Army AA Command 2 Military Distr ic t of Washington 2 Tactical 'Air: Command 1 Mountain & Cold Weather Tng Command 1 Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff 1 Chief of Staff, Dept of the Army 2 'Chief df Naval-Operations, Dept o'f the Navy 2 Comdt, US Marine Corps 2 Chief, Army Advisory Gp, A ir Command and Staff SchdOl,

A ir University (See next page) ,

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U N C L ~ S S \ F \ E D ATTNG-Z6 350. OS/Z1(DOCI)(16 Nov 53) 16 November 1953Subject: Disseminat ion of Combat Informat ionCOPIES FURNISHED: (Cont)

1 AFF LNO, Army Cml CenZ Comdt of Cadets , US Military Academy

Comdt1 Armed Forces Staff CollegeZ Nlarine Corps SchoolZ USAF Air-Ground Operations SchoolZ Counter Intel l igence Corps SchoolZ The Provos t Marshal Genera l ' s SchoolZ A r m y War CollegeZ CGSCZ Army General SchoolZ The Armored SchoolZ Thef t r t i l lery SchoolZ The Infantry SchoolZ Army Aviation SchoolZ Ass t Comdt, The Arti l lery School

AA&GM BranchZ Chief, Army Security Agency1 Officer in Charge, Atlantic Flee t Intel l igence Cent

Attn: Ground Forces Officer1 Director , Weapons Systems Evaluation Group, Secy of Defense.

Attn: Col TrainPr e s

1 Bd No I, OCAFF1 Bd No Z. OCAFF1 Bd No 3, OCAFF.1 Bd No 4, OCAFF1 CO, Arct ic Tes t Branch, OCAFF

Chiefs1 HRU No I , OCAFF1 HRU No Z, OCAFF1 HRU No 3, OCA:F'F1 D ir of Special Weapons Developments . OCAFF1 Dir, Air Univer sUy Library

OCAFF OCAFF1 DCOFS 5 G3(Z6)Z Combat Developments 1 AG Records4 Combat Arms Advisory Gp 11 Extra copie sZ Brit ish Liaison OfficerZ Canadian LiaisOI. Officer

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 95 .REPLACING TANKS WITH BULLDOZERS IN ORDNANCE AMMUNI

TION COMPANIES. - Two 6f the grea tes t problems that the unite of thisbattalion have faced are the construction and never ending maintenanceof roads and the ever present dangers from fire in both the ammuni t ions torage as well as the bivouac areas . During dry per iods fores t f i reshave continuously threatened the storage area. Action is needed toaugment the companies ' equipment with suitable device s for overcomingthese problems.

Organic ammunit ion company equipment include s tw o tanks, medium,with bul ldozer a t tachment (each cost ing approximately 1 /4 million dollars) .Their use is l imited and t ies up two pieces of vital tact ical equipment.No other f i r s t aid fire fighting equipment is authorized. Recommend that:

a. The standard D-7 type bulldozer be subst i tuted for the tank dozer . This would provide a much more rugged piece of equipment which could be put to a never ending use in the prepara t ion and maintenance of

' roads and construction of preventive f ire breaks, and would cost 1/20 ofthe tank doze r co st.

b. Two pieces of f irs t-a id f ire fighting equipment be added.Navy devices used to fight ai rcraf t f i res , such as the "Lit t le Squirt" (a1200-gallon pressure type chemical foam extinguisher mounted on a1/4 - ton vehicle and co sting about $5,000), would provide the maneuverability and speed so necessary in fighting ammunit ion f ires . (CommandReport - 67th Ord Bn - Apri l 53)

L-OCAFF Comment: A study is being made to replace tank dozersin the ammunit ion companies with the armored bulldozer. Engineers areconducting te sts on the armo red bulldoze r.:.7

INCLOSURE

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 96INNOVATION FOR MAINTENANCE PAR TS TRAILER. - Sketch

below shows a technical innovation for a maintenance par t s t ra i ler , adopted for use under Korean field conditions.

A s h ~ l l , ei ther of plywood o r canvas , is constructed on a t ra i ler ,I- ton. Shelves and cabinets for stowage of ordnance spare par ts areconstructed of scrap lumber . Dual wheels give necessary support andbalance even in adverse t er ra in in order that the t ra i ler m ay be takendirect ly to vehicles in need of repair . (Command Report - 72d Tank Bn May 53)

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 97EXCESSIVE USE OF WP SMOKE GRENADES. - Excess ive use ofWP smoke grenades obscured the battlefield; WP w as re la t ively ineffec

t ive in dest ruct ion of cave posit ions. Large concussion grenades andbunker bombs would have been more effect ive for secur ing pr isonersand dest roying all types of posit ions.

Assault elements having the mission lito capture and destroy"should be provided with large concussion grenades to stun the enemy andbunker bombs to blow up bunkers and posi t ions. (Command Report 15th Inf Regt - May 53 )

/ -OGAFF Comment: The fragmentat ion grenade is the pr imar y .casualty producing grenade. The pr imary purpose of the WP grenade isto screen and to burn. The WP grenade is approximately 50% heavierthan the fragmentat ion grenade which reduces throwing range. Subst i tution of the WP grenade for the fragmentat ion grenade is not recommended .Satchel charges can be used to stun the enemy and blow up bunke r s 7(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 98

FAILURE TO INCLUDE ON-CARRIAGE AND ON-VEHICULAREQUIPMENT. - Twelve 240-mm howitzers have been received and pro cessed for issue. Eight pieces are awaiting th e fabrication of loadingt rays and sight mount brackets . The failure to include On-Carr iageEquipment and On-Vehicular Equipment with the major i tem continue sto cause delays. (Command Repor t - 4th Ord Bn - Apr 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 99

REQUIREMENT FOR HEAVY -DUTY GASOLINE GENERATOR INFIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION. - This battalion lacks proper fac i l i t ies for charging storage batter ies used to power th e radio se t AN/VRQ2 located in the battal ion f i re d i rect ion center and battery executiveposts . Fir ing batter ies have no facil i t ies for charging these batter iesother than the t ruck upon which the set is mounted. The battal ion FDGhas available five power units PE 210 to be used for this purpose andfor vehicular charging. These radios have to operate for days a t at ime, which results in excess ive vehicle engine wear and fuel consumpt ion, and immobil izes the vehicle. The power unit P E 210, whenoperated over long period s of t ime at speed s great enough to generat.e24 VDC, Ihas a high incidence of piston rod and bearing failure.

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Recommend that the headquar ters bat tery and fi ring bat ter ies beauthorized a gasoline genera tor capable of delivering 26 - 28 VDC at40 - 50 amperes , s imi la r to the tank heater genera tor ("Litt le Joe").Another method suggested is the rect i f ier , RA 83-A to be used with theelect r ic l ighting equipment, 3 KVA, Set No 3 i ssued to headquar tersbattery. (Command Report - 17th FA Bn - June 53)

/ - O C ~ F F Comment ; Upon the development of a sui table pow erunit , ; ; subst i tut ion for the PE 21 0 will be made in T /O&E' s:_.7(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 10 0

NIGHT TRAINING FOR AW IN CLOSE SUPPORT. - Most trainingis conducted at service schools during hours of daylight. In KOllea exper ience has shown that mos t close support miss ions are uti l ized a tnight. Recommend that both officer and enl is ted personn el be t rainedin CONUS in the uti l izat ion of A W fire for close support during hoursof darkness . (Command Report - 3d Inf Div - A pr 53)

/ -OCAFF Comment ; Appropriate night training is included underOCAFF Training Memorandum No 5, 11 March 1953.7(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 101

CONTAINER FOR PRIMERS ON lS5-MM HOWITZERS. - Duringprolonged per iods of fi ring cannoneers are inclined to remove the bel tpr imer M-8 which holds 20 pr imers and the spare f i r ing mechanismM -l and hang it on any convenient hook or object nearby. This oftencauses the pr ime rs and fi ring mechan ism to become exce ssively dir tyand subject to damage. To provide a more suitable s torage place forpr imers and the two fi ring mechanisms issued with each 155-mm howi tzer , recommend a fitted container be designed and attached to theinner side of the r ight t rai l near the t ra i l hinge in such a m anner that i tcould be used during fi ring to hold the fi ring mechanisms in readinessfor use and the pr imers easi ly available to the cannoneers . The compar tment should be de signed to contain 50 pr ime r s to preclude having tos tore par t of the contents of an opened metal container elsewhere. I tshould also be dust-t ight for traveling in much the same manner as is thepanoramic te lescope case mounted on the left shield. Such a modif icat ion would eliminate the need for a pr imer belt , rel ieve the cannoneer ofthis dangling appurtenance in front of his person, increase the effectiveness of operation, and keep both pr imers and mechanisms out of thedir t and in a prescr ibed locat ion. (Command Report - 31 s t FA Bn June 53 )

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UNCLASSIFIED (RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 102

FIELD ARTILLERY BATTERY INNOVATIONS. - The problem ofeach howi tzer se.ction identifying i ts aiming posts f rom al l o ther aimingpos ts was simplif ied by the following procedure . A th ree-co lor codefor the battery was established. The f i r s t and fourth sect ions have redand white striped aiming po sts i ssued. The second and fifth sect ionshave painted their posts yellow and white and the third and sixth sectionsuse blue and white stripe s.

A field expedient tha t has been in operat ion for many months is theuse of one common bat tery for all aiming post night l ights and for adiffused l ight over the ammunit ion pits. A length of i s sue field wire ,WD-l, connecting aiming post night light devices and the ammunit ionpit l ight is connected to a bat tery , BA-70, with the switch for the c i r cuit located near the gunner . (Command Repor t - 49th FA Bn - June 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 103

TESTING ARTILLERY 105-MM CANNISTER AMMUNITION. - Thef i r s t tw o rounds were f i red at a t a rge t 550 yard s away, using the elbowte lescope s ight set a t 60 0 yards . Most of the effect from these two roundswas short . The next tw o round s were fired at a target 300 yard s away,using the elbow telescope s ight se t at 300 yards , with the effect fall ingshort . Two rounds were f ired at a range of 300 yards , using a quadrantelevation of 64 mils se t on the elevation drum scale . This cor respondswith a range of 1200 yard s in the elbow tele scope sight. The effectobserved f rom these tw o rounds was good.

I t wa s found that when us in g the elbow tele scope sight the rangeshould be multiplied by 4 to give the cor rec t range. F or example, i fthe range to the t a rge t is 300 yard s, the sight picture should read arange of 1200 yard s in the elbow tele scope sight .

I t w as observed that a 3/4- inch pine board and a 55-gallon oi l drumwere penetra ted in severa l places a t a range of 300 yards .

Gun pits present ly occupied by this bat tal ion are not conducive tothe use of cannis ter ammunit ion. The height of the gun pit walls pr o hibits the howitzers f rom laying at the elevation which cannis te r ammuni t ion m u s t be fi red to be effective. (Command Repor t - 143d FA Bn Apr i l 53)

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 10 4ALTERNATE SIGNAL FOR VT FIRES. - Experience in Korea has

demonstra ted that in the event of attack by a sizeable enemy force on afriendly posi t ion, communica t ion l ine s are part icular ly vulnerable toenemy fire and are often cut by exploding shells . When a friendly outpos t posit ion has been overrun, i t is probable that radio comm unicat ionswill also be disrupted. On numerous occasions , a decision to fire VTfuzed ar t i l lery directly on the friendly posi t ion has been advisable. Inthe event all communicat ions have been los t with the posit ion, therem u s t be a signal readily recognizable to all friendly elements to indicatethat VT is about to be fi red upon the posi t ion. The following SOP withinan RCT is an example :

When friendly elements on posit ion decide to bring their own ar t i l lery fire down, and all communicat ions have been lost , a belt of solidt r acer ammunit ion from a .30 cal iber machine gun is f i red ver t ica l lyf r o ~ the posit ion. The infantry battalion commander , if he concurs ,will reque s t an answering signal from the ar t i l lery consist ing of sixrounds white phosphorus at 5-second intervals , t ime fuzed to burs t 100yards in the a ir immediately in front of the posit ion to be fi red on. Thiswill be followed immediately by the HE, V T on posit ion.

In the event that no signal is received from the posit ion and thecommander decides to fire the VT on his own ini t iat ive, the same signalf rom the ar t i l lery will prevail .

Exper ience has shown that using an M500 fuze, cutt ing back thet ime two seconds and increasing the angle of site equivalent to 100 yardswill give an ideal height of bur st for the white phosphorus signal. Thissignal is dist inct ive and readi ly dist inguishable from other a ir burs t sor pyrotechnics in the air . (Command Report - 48th FA Bn - Apri l 53)( R E ~ T R I C T E D ) ITEM NO 10 5

TRAINING AIDS SYSTEM. - Training aids are indisputably anessent ia l par t of any good class . Field expedients are used but arel imited. An Army t raining aids system could be established wherebyunits in reserve could be loaned visual t raining aids for a shor t period.This would, in effect, increase the effect iveness of each c lass andreduce t h ~ re l iance on each ins t ruc tor for super ior init iative and teachin g abili ty. (Command Report - 23d In f Regt - May 53)

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/ -OCAFF Commen t: A t ra ining aid s center system pre sentlyexis ts in FECOM consisting of eleven t raining aid s subcenters , one ofwhich is located in Seoul, Korea . This sy stem is capable of providingtra ining a ids support.:.](RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 10 6

NEED FOR SYSTEM O F AIRCRAFT IDENTIFICATION. - Recommend tha t a more efficient system be establ i shed for the identif ication ofa i rc ra f t flying over front l ine corps and division sector s: The p re sentA ir Force and an t ia i rc ra f t r ad ar s deployed in r ea r a re a s do not provideadequate and rapid screening of a i rc ra f t over corpS and division areas ;there is no agency within a corps o r division to provide this screening.This problem can be st be solved by making an ant ia i rcraf t ar t i l le ryoperat ions detachment available to each f ront l ine corps. This detachment should m an an ant ia i rcraf t operat ions center which ha.s directcommunica t ions with a ll A r m y and A ir Force instal lat ions control l inga i rc ra f t flying over the corps sec tor . (Command Report - 3d AAA AWBn (SP) - A pr 53)

/ -OCAFF Comment : OCAFF A r m s Board Repor t recommendedone AAOD p e r corps ..:)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 107

USE OF ELECTRICAL FENCES TO SAFEGUARD SUPPLIES. The l a tes t type of securi ty fence erec ted was an e lec t r ic fence (5-s t randbarbed w ire) approximate ly six feet high. The electr ic fence i s thei nnermost fence, and the tw o outside fences are double -apron barbedwire fences approximate ly five feet high.

The electr ic fence has a psychological effect on would-be in t rudersor p i l fe re rs and is considered a major fac tor in attaining requiredsecuri ty . The minimum number of volts applied to the conductor (barbedwire) has been 110. (Command Report - 58th eM Salvage Company June 53 )

/ -OCAFF Comment : F o r other extract on this subject see I tem No38, i n ~ l o s u r e to le t te r , ATTNG-26 350. 05/11(nOCI)(C)(10 Sep 53).OCAFF, 10 September 1953, subject : liD isserninatlon of Combat Informat ion. '2

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----NCLASSiFIED(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 108

ORDNANCE BATTALION T /O&E CHANGE. - V chicles author izedCompany A by T/O&E 9-27 , while adequate in quanti ty, are not believedto be of the r ight type. The la rges t vehicle authorized by T /O&E for themaintenance platoons is a 1/4- ton 4x4. These m aintenance platoonschange large tank assembl ies in forward areas which resu l t s in a grea tsaving of t irne. One 2-1/2- ton cargo t ruck is requi red to t ranspor tthese assembl ies . (Command Repor t - 707th Ord Bn - Apri l 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 109

METHODS O F CONSTRUCTION O F WIRE LINES IN FOR WARDAREAS. - The establ i shed opera t ional policy require s all wire l ine s tobe cabled and suspended above ground on poles o r other overhead suppor t .This requi r ement also appl ies to shor t int rabat tery 1 ines within a posi t ion area . In general these l ines tend to follow main roads and routesof approach. Such communica t ion l ines present a neat appearance, a reeasy to serv ice under quiet condit ions, and are less subjec t to damageby wea the r or other natural hazards . However , this method of establ ishing wire l ines has proven unsat i sfactory every t ime this ba t ta l ion hasbeen subjected to enemy shell ing. During the f irs t minutes of heavyenemy ar t i l lery fi re on the night of 1 - 2 June every wire line to everyunit coming into the battalion switchboard and f i rc di rect ion center wascut. A s soon as p rac t icable , wire 1inc s with in the battal ion were re routed and la id according to procedure es tabl ished and recommended byThe Arti l lery School. They were dug in, placed in well defiladed routes ,and even protected by sand bags where other methods were not possible .After these basic procedures were accomplished the battalion wassubjected to severa l more intense shell ings and numerous harass ingrounds of enemy fi re. Lit t le difficulty with wire communica t ions within the battalion was exper ienced. To replace and repa i r overhead l inesknocked out by enemy fi re this battal ion alone expended 120 miles ofwire. The in te res t s of economy and eff iciency would be bet ter servedi f communica t ion l ines in a r eas regular ly subjected to enemy f ire werelaid along defiladed routes and dug in or covered in all exposed places .

Recommend that basic establ i shed procedure s as to cover anddefilade, be followed for a ll wire communica t ion l ine s laid in forwardal 'eas in Korea . (Command Report - 98 1 st FA Bn - June 53)

/ -OCAFF Comment : Failure to provide duplicate circui ts asrecommended in subparagraph 82a, FM 6-101, "The Field Arti l lery Bat t a l i o n ~ ' w as a contr ibutory cause of the loss of communication.:.?

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 110COMMUNICATION DIFFICULTIES IN USE O F RC 292 ANTENNA.

Improvement in radio communica t ion was due in pa r t to procurement ofRC 292 antenna. The additional range offered by this type antennaenabled this headquar te rs to communica te with three e lements of thecommand located more than 15 a i r - l ine mi les away. However , exper i enceof the headquar te rs indicates tha t i s suance of high power antenna of thistype should not be made indiscr iminately and that the antenna should not be made a normal pa r t of the T /O&E. Units should only be issued thistype antenna when ei ther the rugged nature of the t er ra in o r the exce sSlvecommunica t ion distance involved m akes i ts use mandatory.

Many uni ts a re needlessly obtaining a range of 35 mi les groundcommunica t ion distance and upward to 75 miles of air-ground communicatioll by use of this antenna. The resu l t is that their signal s t rengthoften over laps fa r beyond the range neces sa ry to operate and denies theuse of that channel to all o ther uni ts within range. In one ins tance, auni t was forced to abandon a channel because of interference from astat ion in another corp.s which was located 30 miles away. This';'\0as inspite of the fact that no e lement of that head quar te r s was located within15 miles of the unit whose signal was being blocked.

Radio communica t ion could also be improved i f the headquar te rsre sponsible for allocation of frequencie s WJuld re se rve all channelsfalling in the overlap band for stat ions having need for the overlap. Thechannels involved should be ass igned by individual f requency only tostat ions having actua l or potent ia l requi rements for tank-infant ry, tankar t i l le ry , or infan t ry-ar t i ll e ry communica t ion. and only af ter thegeographical distance between stat ions required to use the same f requencyhad been considered.

The pre sent pract ice of ass igning overlap frequencie s in blocks todivisions and corps for r eass ignment has resul ted in a grea t number ofstat ions operat ing on frequencies in the over l ap bands which have notact ical use for overlap frequencies . As a consequence the overlapf requency band is j ammed fa r out of proport ion to the remainder of theband and the use of the se frequencie s is being denied to weaker stat ionswho cannot move to the l ess crowded port ion of the band. (CommandRepor t - X Corps Arty - May 53 )

/ -OCAFF Comment: Elevated antenna equipment is authorized tothose ~ n i t s whose tac t ica l deployment periodical ly may be expected to

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...- . .-- - =4 'UNCLASS\FlEDrequire the addit ional range obtainable by th is means. It is not in tended that this equipment should be used at all t ime s but only when the dis tances involved require it . Indiscr iminate use of elevated antennaequipment will resu l t in poorer ra ther than bet ter communicat ion asindicated. Assignment of frequencies mus t be planned; this is especia l lynecessary to obtain the maximum usefulness from the l imited number ofoverlap frequencies in the AN/GRC 3-8 ser ies of radios.: .?

(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO I I IPRECAUTIONS ON USE OF SPIRAL FOUR CABLE. - No majo r

changes in the standard spi ra l - four construction pract ice s already inuse were required for the new type spiral- four . However, a few minorprecaut ions were necessary which were not required with the old type.They are:

a. The standard basket hi tch made with WD-1/TT was found toslip on the new cable. To prevent this an extra clove hitch was made a tthe beginning of each basket hitch. I t was found that field wire W-11 OBcould be used applying the standard hitch without slipping. This wirewas used for the l ine.

b. The new cable has a tendency to s tre tch when f i r s t ins ta l led ,but af ter the init ial stretch has occurred the cable will not cont rac t ors tre tch fur ther . The cable will normal ly have to be resagged af ter thestretching has occurred.

c. Extra precaution m ust be taken to prevent any vehicle f romrunning over the cable while i t is laying on the ground as it i s moreeasi ly damaged f rom crushing than was the old type. (Command Report 51st Sig Bn - June 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 11 2

REVISION OF TM 11-2263, "LEAD COVERED CABLES," AND TM11-2262, "OPEN WIRE POLE LINE CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE. I I TM 11-2263, "Lead Covered Cables ," i s considered to lack sufficientdeta i ls on the lashing of cable . TM 11-2262, "Open Wire Pole Const ruct ion and Maintenance," appear s to be deficient in details on the operat ion and maintenance of vehicles used by the Signal Corps in constructionact iv i t ies . Attention is invited to th e data on lashing of cables in Bel lSystem Prac t i ces , Outside Plant Construction and Maintenance. Sugge s t that detailed informat ion now lacking in TM 11-2262 on Signal Corpscons. truction vehicles V -17 and V -18 be extracted f rom the followingpubl ica Hons:

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UNCLASSIFIED JIiiiiiI!I=a. "Operat ion and Maintenance Inst ruct ion Manual on the Winch,

Pole , Derr ick , and Associated Equipment for Maintenance and TelephoneModel , " J . H. Holman Corporat ion, 41 West 150thStree t , Cleveland 11,Ohio.

b. TM 9-819 on Z-l /Z- ton , 6x6, Cargo Truck M-44.c. " W a r Depar tment Manual and Pa r t s Cata log on the Auger ,

Earth , Skid-mounted, Gasol ine Engine , Driven, Highway Model HDM-Swith Continental Engine Model PF -226 , " Highway Tra i l e r Company,Edgerton, Wisconsin.

d. "Operat ion and Maintenance Inst ruct ion Manual and Par t sCata log on the Highway Model HD Ecr th-bor ing Machine , ! I HighwayTra i l e r Company, Edgerton, Wisconsin.

Recommend tha t :a. TM 11-2263, "Lead Covered Cable ," be revised to include

more detailed informat ion on the lashing of cable.b. TM 11-2262, !lOpen Wire Pole Line Const ruct ion and Mainten

ance ," be revised to include additional information and data on the 0 pe ra t ion and maintenance of Signal Corps const ruct ion vehicles. (CommandRepor t - Eighth A rm y - Jan 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 11 3

ENGINEER SUPPLY AND MAINTENANCE TROOPS CONTROLIN FIELD ARMY. - Former ly , the control of maintenance companiesand engineer supply points by cunst ruct ion groups resul ted in an unfairshare of the maintenance and supply effort being uti l ized by the cons t ruct ion units . With this effort now under centra l ized Army cont ro l alleffort is coordina ted and directed to cri t ica l points on an Army-wideleve l by such means as l a tera l t ransfe r of sca rce ma te r i a l s , par t s ,and in some cases personnel anl;l tools .

To improve spare par t s supply, recommend that unit assemblyreplacement be put into effect for engineer field maintenance companies .This would reduce t ime for repa i r and prevent the forward maintenancecompanie s from stocking hundred s ofunnece ssa ry l ine i tems whichwould hamper the ir storage space and mobil i ty . (Command Report 78th Engr Fld Malnt Co - May 53)

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 11 4T /O&E FOR ENGINEER GROUP (MAINTENANCE AND SUPPLY).

Recommend that provisions for a movement controls sect ion be consideredin the preparat ion of future T /O&EI s for an Engineer Group (Maintenanceand Supply). (Command Repor t - 45th Engr Gp (Maint & Sup) - May 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 115

RESTUDY OF T /O&E FOR ENGINEER CONSTR UCTION BATTAL- Recommend that the TjO&E for Engineer Const ruct ion Bat ta lions

be restudied with a view toward reducing th e number of crane a t tachments i ssued. I t is unnecessary to furnish each crawler or t ruck-mountedcrane with a complete set of at tachments such as shovel front , pi ledriver leads , back h o ~ , dragl ine, and clamshel l bucket . The crane isusually beyond repa ir before many of the at tachments are used. Theyf it .only the par t icu lar model for which they were i ssued. Only sufficient a t tachments should be furnished to enable opera tors to receivespecial ized training in their use; additional at tachments should be avai l able in theater stocks to provide augmenta t ion when needed. The sameprinciple should be applied to heavy const ruct ion equipment such aspumpcre te m achines, road pavers and large asphal t plants. In order toprovide the necessary operat ing specia l is ts for this equipment , theT /O&E of a headquar ters and headquar ters company of a const ruct iongroup should have equipment and personnel columns added to their pres ent T/O&E, the added columns to be util ized as var ious miss ions areassigned to the group. The equipment and pe r sonnel would be held aslong as required -for the accompl i shment of the cur ren t mission, there after being returned to an Army pool. Some i tems to be included inthis augmenta t ion column are:

Crusher , Jaw-type GED, crawler-mounted 200-4000 ton per hour 2 eaMixer, asphal t , DED, t ra i ler-mounted 110-200 ton per hour 2 eaDistr ibutor , asphalt , 800 gal t ruck-mounted 6 eaDryer , aggregate , dual drum, GED, 80-150 ton per hour 2 ea

8 1 in i sher , asphalt , crawler-mounted, GED, 121 2 eaTank, asphal t , t rai ler-mounted, w/s team coils 1500 gal 2 eaHea te r , asphal t , t ra i ler -mounted, 3 car cap 42HP 2 eaRoller , road, GED, 3 axle, 9-14 ton 2 eaPaver , concrete , c rawle r -mounted dual drum, 34 cu ft 1 eaConveyor, belt , GED, 24" x 57" 4 eaGraduation control unit, aggregate , GED t rai . ler-mounted

41 x 8 1 vibrat ing screen , 3 compartment 2 eaFloodl ight equipment set No 2 4 ea

12U N C l ~ S S I F l E D RU ;;zr&telm ? p wen &


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Crane-shovel , pow er unit , revolving crawler-mounted2 cu yd cap w/shovel front , hook and block, clamshel l and drag bucket 2 ea

(Command Repor t - 24th E ngr Cons t Gp - May 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 116

DRESSING O F WOUNDS. - As a genera l prac t ice , thick and heavyd re s si ng s ,- s ec u re d with a generous amount of adhesive tape, a re usedon a ll types of wounds. This procedure is not only wasting mate r i a l ,i t has a lso obscured the early detec t ion of abnormal i ty of the woundunderneath the dres sing, such as wound bleeding, dehiscence, infection,o r macera t ion of the skin. A l ight, well placed dress ing has provedm o r e prac t i cable . (Command Repor t - 7th Med Bn - June 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 117

IMPROVISING EXHAUST DUCTS IN LAUNDRY TUMBLERS. - Inthe laundry sect ion, four ar t i l le ty powder containers were used to r e place burned out exhaust ducts in the tumblers . The ends of the shel lcasings were cut out and four casings were welded together making ast raight pi.pe. These proved mor e efficient than the regular exhaustduct . They do not burn out and being st raight there are no obstruct ionsto catch l int . (Command Repor t - 7th Inf Div - June 53)

rOCAFF Comment: The use of shel l casings to replace burned outducts in laundry tumblers is a workable , t emporary field expedient.Replacement par ts for burned out ducts are available through supplychannels . Shell casings have salvage value.:.7(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 118

MUDDY WATER PROBLEMS FOR BATH AND LAUNDRY UNITS. The grea tes t operat ional problem - muddy water - was again encounteredand bath uni ts were shut down intermittently in orde r to prolong the lifeof the equipment. Holes were dug to a depth below the s t ream level ineach of the sect ions, on a higher leve l of ground. These holes are nearenough to the source of water supply so that by process of fi l trationmuddy water seeping through the sand and rocks provide s clean waterfor baths. Korean soil is sandy and has a tendency to cave in. Rockswere piled upon rocks to build a wall , but the sides st i l l caved in.Sheets of t in held back the side s , but sand caved in behind and got inunderneath, and the water in the holes w as as muddy as the water in thes t r eam. Cement is difficult to obtain and might prove the only solutionto hold back the sand. (Command Report - 295th OM Bath Co - June 53 )

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4 J i t _ ~ , ~ . , , - . ~ . , ..... 'J.',' -' .. .UNClf\SS\f\ED Js ) c t ; ~ ~ ! f f ~ L-OCAFF Comment: Muddy water is a problem for both bath an d

laundry units. There is no known safe shor t cut to f i l tering water formud removal by suction s t ra iners . A pit du g adjacent to the s t ream isa good f ield expedient. Where conditions of soil will not permi t suchimprovisat ion and water is unsafe for use, regular t rea tment (chemicalt rea tment, sedimentat ion, f i l trat ion and steri l ization) may be necessary: .?(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 11 9

IMPROVISED REFRIGERATOR TR UCK. - Seven cargo t rucks,regular ly engaged in hauling f resh fruits and vegetables to forward uni ts ,were converted f rom cargo vehicles into ref r igera tor t rucks through theexpedient use of salvage mater ia ls . Losses of perishable i tems due toextended per iods of exposure to ext reme cold weather were reduced to aminimum in the a reas served by these t rucks . In order to obtain thedesi red insulat ion effect, salvage canvas was s t re tched over ex tra bows,creat ing an a i r space over the body; cardboard and other cold res i s tantsalvage mater ia l s were used on the sides; sawdust obtained from a localsawmil l covered the floor and control led heat f rom the t ruck heater waspiped into th e cargo com par tment . Maintenance of control led tempera tu resinsures a considerable saving of per ishable i tems dest ined for f ront- l ineconsumption. (Command Report - Eighth Army - Jan 53)

r O C A F F Comment: Qu a r te rma s te r refr igera t ion vans are providedfo r th';- purpose of hauling perishables. Where th e tact ical si tuat ion and /o r the road conditions preclude thei r use , considerat ion should be givento relocating the supply points and speeding up i ssue operations.:.?(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 120

SUPPLY ECONOMY - EGG BREAKAGE. - A record of eggs received in the regiment through th e month of May shows a to tal breakageof 10.5 , . . The eggs received are purchased by grade and pr ice perdozen, pr ice depending upon the size of the egg and th ickness of theshel l . The eggs received have been very thin shelled and priced a t53 cents per dozen. The eggs a re shipped in the wooden type (30 dozen)cra tes .

The regiment drew 28, 184 dozen eggs for th e month of May with abreakage of 2837.6 dozen o r a loss of $1297,92 for the month.

Recommend that a th icker shelled egg be purchased. Exper ienceshows that an egg of this type will stand t ransportat ion much bet ter andwith a smal ler percentage of breakage. Recommend that a new typecontainer be developed for t ranspor ta t ion of eggs to oversea thea te rs .

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ntJ,..z@' ....tJitSi!2U 2&UNCLASSIFIED JThe commerc ia l cardboard containers holding one dozen eggs placedinside a wooden or st rong cardboard container would reduce the loss ofeggs in shipment . (Command Repor t - 32 d Inf Regt - May 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 121

ARMORED VEST FOR FA GUN CRE WS. - Many recent casual t iessustained from enemy counterbattery fire could have been el iminated orreduced in sever i ty had armored ves ts been available for i s sue to guncrews . During the pas t 60 days, counterbat tery fire has increasedmater ia l ly , with a resul tant increase in casual t ies .

Recommend that field ar t i l lery units be authorized sufficient number of armored ves ts for protection of personnel exposed to counte r bat tery f i re . (Comm and Repor t - 5th FA Gp - May 53 )(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 122

REPLACEMENT FACTORS AUTHORIZED BY SB 10-496. - Thefrequent rotat ion of personnel pIllS an unusually high pi l ferage ra te hasled to an abnormal supply si tuat ion in Korea. Exist ing rep lacementfactors , as authorized by SB 10-496, have not proved sufficient to mee tsupply requ i rements . A comparison between actual i ssue exper ienceand authorized replacement factor s ind icate s tha t many of the replace ment fac tors authorized by SB 10-496 a re too low to maintain necessarysupply.

Recommend that the Office of TlQuar te rmas te r General conductan analysis of replacement factors authorized by SB 10-496 to determinewhether or not the exist ing replacement factors fi t the requi rements inthe Korean c a ~ p a i g n . (Command Repor t - 55th OM Base Depot - May 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 123

NAPALM MIXING EQUIPMENT. - The M4 Unit, incorporat ing thebatch technique cannot compete in productivi ty with the M3 Unit; however , i t produces a more uniform mix, and f lame throwers and munit ionsmay be filled directly from the Unit. I t is more suitable for use byground force per sonnel but lacks certain qualit ie s which should be incorporated in all napalm mixing equipment . These are:

a. A continuous flow principle.b. High degree of mobili ty.c. Provis ions for ex t reme cold.

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The Mixing Unit , Incendiary Oil, M3 (E3R2) has a theoret ica l output of approximately 15 t imes that of the M4, but the thinkened fuel pro duced i s by no means homogeneous, a factor important to prope r flamethrower operat ions. In addition to this drawback, the rapid rate ofdischarge from the M3 Unit nece ssitate s an ext ra step in the operat ionprocedure . The thickened fuel is f i r s t discharged into a 55-gallont r ans fe r chun which is then pressur ized and t ransferred to 5-gal lon cans.The objection to this t ransfer r ing is the additional chance for contaminat ion.

Numerous experiments have been performed on the M3 Unit inorder to make i t more suitable f-Jr use by ground force personnel . Amixer built on the principle of the M3 Unit, with modificat ions to include a slower discharge rate and an automatic hopper to produce auniform gel would be highly super ior to ei ther type mixer now in operat ion.

A mixer of this type which could possibly be mounted in the r ea rof a 1/4- ton t ruck with a t ra i ler mounted compres so r would sat isfycomple te ly the needs of a field mixing team. (Command Repor t - 21stCml Decontamination Co - May 53)

/ -OCAFF Comment: The Chemical Corps has a developmentpro jec t for improving f lame fuel thickeners and equipment for mixingthem. For fur ther information on the M3 ( E 3 R ~ ) Mixing Unit, seeSource No 690, inclosure to le t te r , ATTNG-26 350. 05/4(DOCI)(7 A pr53),OCAFF, 7 Apri l 1953, subject: "Disseminat ion of Combat Information.(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 12 4

NEED FOR ELECTRONIC METEROLOGICAL EQUIPMENT INDIVISION ARTILLERY. - Visual meteorological equipm ent authorize!ithis command does not meet the requirement for bal l ist ic data. Duringper iods of poor visibi l i ty when meteorological data are urgently neededthe equipment cannot be used. Extended corps frontage s preclude accurate results from the electronic m essage prepared in the observat ionbattalion. While divisional ar t i l lery would not in al l si tuat ions requireelectronic equipment, i t and the personnel required to operate i tshould be included in T /O&E as a discre t ionary i tem. (CommandReport - 7th Div Arty - May 53)

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 125105-MM HOWITZER AMMUNITION WITH STEEL SPIRAL WRAPPEDCAR TRIDGE CASE. - Test f ir ing of approximate ly 14,500 rounds of

IOS-mm howitzer ammunit ion with steel sp i ra l wrapped cartr idge caseswas star ted by several US art i l lery battalions. Approximate ly one-fourth of the stock has been f ired. The following information was extracted from fifteen repor t s of battalions f ir ing this ammunition:

a. Every repor t submitted indicates that i t i s eas ie r to place theproject i le into the spira l wrapped case than into the conventional brasscase , and eas ie r to load the spiral wrapped case into the chamber .

b. All reports indicate that i t is m o r e difficult to ext rac t thespiral wrapped case from the chamber after f ir ing. Lacquer on the casesis melting and causing them to stick in the chamber , part icular ly wheni t is hot from sustained fir ing. Continuous fire is impai red after fouror more rounds have been f ired. Some cases are stuck so fast that i tis necessary to ram them free.

c., General ly there were no differences noted in the amount of obturat ion obtained with the spira l wrapped cases as compared with thenormal br as s cartr idge cases . One report did indicate that less obturat ion was obtained with the spiral wrapped case when fi red from a coldchamber .

d. The spiral wrapped car t r idge case s have been fi red with charge4 through charge 7.

e. One round was found to be unserviceable because the spiralcase had unwrapped. (Command Report - Eighth A rm y - Apri l 53 )(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 126

FIRING O F SPIRAL WRAPPED STEEL CAR TRIDGE CASE FORI05-MM HOWITZER. - Analys is of the tes t fi ring of 13,535 rounds ofIOS-mm howitzer shell , HE, with spiral wrapped steel cartr idge case,indicate s the following charac ter i s t ics of the tested ammunition:

a. On sustained fi re or when more than four rounds per howitzerwere expended, the lacquer on the case mel ts and the gummy residuecauses the car t r idge case to j am, slowing down f ir ing. Some cases werestuck so fast that i t wa s nece ssary to ram them f ree .

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UNCLASSIFIED WIlfJlJfiEJES 6 38k'" as: Sit PC"


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UNClASS\F\Db. There was some loss of obturat ion effectiveness with this

type car t r idge with result ing back blast .c. Some unraveling of the spiral case occurred resul t ing in theblackening of the sights by escaping gasses and unburned powder par t ic les .d. A sl ight increase of range effect was noted but the accuracy

of the project i le was comparable to the conventional type ammuni t ion.(Command.Report - 45th Div Arty - May 53 )(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 127

COLORED SMOKE SHELLS FOR 155-MM GUN. - A t e s t was conducted in fi ring 15S-mm howitzer colored smoke shells in a lSS-mm gun,using normal charge only. Pre l iminary repor ts indicate that sat isfactoryresu l ts were obtained. The use of colored smoke shells in the 155- m mgun would increase the capabili t ies of that weapon, for which no suchshel ls are being manufactured at present . The increased capabil i ty isde sired to pe r mi t marking of ta rge ts for a ir str ike s beyond the range ofother art i l lery . (Eighth Army Arti l lery Info Bulletin No 6 - June 53 )

/ -OCAFF Comment: Colored smoke shell for the 155-mm gun ispresent ly under development and will be available for i ssue to t roops inapproximately eight months(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 12 8

DAMAGED ROTATING BANDS AND PROJECTILE CAVITYDEFICIENCIES . .-A serious problem of damaged rotating bands is developing. At l eas t 500/0 of the projec t i les reaching the batter ies arr ive without grommets protecting the rotating bands. The importance of smooth,unblemished rotating bands on the projec t i les of the 8-inch howitzer cannot be over emphasized. The ballist ic e r r o r in t roduced by the damagedrotating band s is great . In addition to tho se project i le s which arr ive atthe batter ies without grommets , numerous projec t i les are received bythe batter ie s with grommets that have undoubtedly been installed af te rshipment. In the se case s the project i le rotat ing band ha:l al ready beendamaged and the grommet serves no other purpose than to preventfur ther damage. There have been occasional instances of projecti lesrendered unfit to fire due to severely scored rotating bands. (CommandRepor t - 17th FA Bn - May 53 )(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 129

INCREASED TRAVERSE FOR 155-MM HOWITZER. - In the Feb ruary 1952 issue of the Combat For ces Journal appeared an ar t ic leenti t led "Increased Traverse for th e 155-mm Howitzer . " This ar t ic le

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Wi jM'WlS,.. FSEGttRZr rS7 J !SiS


22/25

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deal t with the employment of a hydraulic jack to faci l i tate the shiftingof t ra i ls of the 155 -m m howitzer (towed). This battalion has adopted thejack idea with certain minor modifications. Because the spades of thehowitzer are embedded by sustained fi ring, i t was discovered that the8-ton jack was not sufficient to ra i se the piece and break the t r a i l spadesloose. A IO-ton jack is present ly being used which has proved to beadequate in l if t ing power and ease of opera t ion. The head of the jackused is a c ircu la r disk with four lugs. A circular metal p la te , slightlysmal le r in .d iameter than the jack head, has been welded under thehowitze r four inche s behind the cente r of gravi ty. The c ircu la r di sk ofthe jack engages the c i rcu lar plate on the underside of the howitzer andprevents sl ippage of the jack while the piece is being shifted. The useof the hydraul ic jack has very definitely increased the speed of shiftingt rai ls and great ly eased the job of the howitzer section. A s i t wasstated in the Combat Forces Journal , la te ra l displacement of the sighthas been reduced by using the hydraulic jack. (Command Repor t 31st FA Bn - May 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 130

SUPPORTS FOR TRAIL SPADE FOR HOWITZERS. - Spring thawsand ra ins have caused a t remendous problem of drainage and ground suppor t for t r a i l logs in howitzer posi t ions. Continuous f ir ing has driventhe t r a i l logs deep into the soft ear th . This problem has been great lyre l ieved by the use of a corduroy system around the t r a i l pits . Thissystem involves logs approximately 4 inches in diameter and 4 to 5 feetin length laid perpendicular to and under the t r a i l log which supportsthe t r a i l spade. This prevents the spade from digging down into thesoft earth. Heavy posts and a t imber facing behind the t ra i l logs preven tthe t r a i l spades from pushing the t r a i l logs to the rear . (CommandRepor t - 31st FA Bn - March 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 13 1

WEEKLY BORE SCOPE O F 155-MM TUBES. - The developmentof progre s sive s tre s s in three 15 5 -m m tube s of a field ar t i l le ry battal ionnecessi ta ted the replacement of these tubes. Recommendat ion was madeand subsequently concurred with by the Divis ion Ordnance Officer tobore scope these tubes weekly instead of monthly. (Command Repor t 45th Div Arty - June 53) .

.{ O C A F F Comment: Ordnance Comm it tee Meeting 34663, 26 March1953, rec las sifie s the howitze r , 15 5 -m m MI to l imi ted s tandard andclassif ies the MIAI as standard. The MIAI howitze r has new meta l lurgical propert ie s de signed to meet the basic functioning t empera turerequi rementsJ

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 132USE OF SEARCHLIGHTS. - A suggested use is for searching the

batt lefield. with observers and crews of support weapons following thebeam. ready to fire immediately on any ta rge ts revealed. Since thebulk of enemy construction is done at night the presence of a search l ight beam on a posit ion and the threat that i t might be accompanied byar t i l lery o r heavy weapons fire should have a distinct harass ing effect .It might alSo be f ~ a s i b l e in cer ta in situations to have the l ights mOWltedon self-propelled armored vehicles in order to move them to posi t ionsfrom which they can i l luminate desired areas . There are numerousother possibi l i t ies for use of this new field art i l lery weapon. (Command Report - 75th FA Bn - May 53 )

(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 133PRECISION ARTILLERY FIRE BY SEAR.CHLIGHT. - The following lessons were learned:

a. I t is feasible to f i re prec is ion miss ions on point t argets during the hours of darkne ss using a searchl ight for i l lumination.

b. Such miss ions a re m ore effect ive and requi re l e s s ammuni t ion expenditure than area type counter -bat tery f ire against activear t i l lery when the target can be i l luminated.

c. The absence of standardized commands for adjust ing thesearchlights caused considerable confusion and delay. The methoddevised was to t r ansmi t an init ial compas s and ver t ica l angle to theta rge t and give subsequent c o r r ~ c t i o n s of RIGHT (LEFT) .U P (DOWN)so many mils . The observer commands the same number of mils thathe measu r e s at the O P. e stablishe s a bracket and spl i ts the bracketuntil the searchlight is on the target . Since some of the searchlightshave azimuth sca les in degrees i t i s necessary for the observer toconver t his corrections to degree s and employ the same procedure .

d. Since the searchlights are of necessi ty in exposed posit ionsand receive considerable art i l lery f ire . wire communicat ions are notdependable. Now that each posi t ion is equipped with an A N /P R C - 9radio. any observer can contact the l ight direct ly by radio once permis sion has been granted to use i t. (Command Report - 75th FA Bn May 53 )

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(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 13 4IMPROVEMENT OF REAR STEP ON TRUCK, V -18/MTQ

(SIGNAL CORPS EAR TH AUGER). - Truck V -18/MTQ is provided" witha step which enables the opera tor of the auger to mount the r ea r platformeasily. This step is located at the ex t reme r ea r end of the vehicle andprojects approximately tw o feet below the bed of th e truck.

This"truck is frequently used in rough t er ra in and is called uponto cross ditches and other s imHar obstacles . As the t ruck crossesthese ditches the steps are caught on the ground and twisted out ofshape as well as tending to t ear th e metal of the t ruck bed where thestep is welded to the truck.

Motor pool mechanics removed the step f rom th e vehicle, cut thestep length to approximately 16 inches, put a hal f twist in the ends ofthe step so that it would be flat to the end of the t ruck bed and weldedthe step a g a i ~ on the vehicle.

No further t rouble has been encountered with the s teps of thisvehicle as shortening the step has proved worthwhile. (CommandReport - 51 s t Sig Bn - June 53)(RESTRICTED) ITEM NO 135

IMPROVISED SPARE TIRE RACK FOR 1/4-TON TRUCK. - Thespare t i re rack has been continuously breaking, due to the weight of thet i re and t h ~ !ough roads of Korea.

Since the racks failed to hold the t i re af ter rewelding severa lt ime s,a t i r ~ support (see nextpage) was devised. This smal l device,easi ly attached to the bumperet te , takes the place of a t i re rack well,and is economical and effect ive. (Command Report - 72.8th MP Bn May 5 3 ) ~ . "

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Documents

Korean War Dissemination of Combat Info 16 Nov 1953