19,000 Men And 3,000 Vehicles Take Part In Fort’s War Games

Approximately 19,000 officers and men, carrying full war equipment, moved out of Fort Jackson today in the start of a week’s maneuver of the 30th division in the largest war game ever held at the post.

More than 3,000 pieces of motor equipment with thousands of new raffles, field artillery guns, and field ration and equipment were carried along with the war-strength 30th Division. This marks the first division maneuvers held at the fort, early field games being restricted to regiments and brigades.

Officers of the First army corps with headquarters in Columbia will direct the week’s maneuver, and planes of the 105th Observation squadron and troops of the 102nd Cavalry, a corps reconnaissance regiment, were to participate in the large scale exercises.

The 30th Division with 19,000 officer and men began moving out of the post today under “sealed orders” Headed by Maj. Gen. Henry D. Russell, the 30th “Blue” division will bivouac at Blaney by 3 o’clock tomorrow morning. The only order the troops have is to get into position there ready for a movement to the South. Beyond that point, the strategy of the commanding officer and orders from the corps headquarter will direct the exercises during the week.

The “enemy,” labelled as the “Brown” troops, is made up of the 59th Infantry brigade, reenforced, headed by Brig. Gen. T. E. Marchant of Columbia, commander of the brigade. The rest of the 30th Division will be the command of General Russell.

Corps headquarterers will be located at Batesburg and Lexington with First army headquarters at Laurens. Army cavalrymen will watch the Brown’s front lines north of Lugoff.

The problem which will officially begin at 3 o’clock tomorrow morning will require the movement of thousands of trucks, men, and equipment at night without the use of lights.

The Second squardon of the 102nd Cavalry regiment will have for its mission the covering of the left of First “Blue” corps troops spread out along gills creek, Messers pond, concord school and Lugoff.

at 9 o’clock Tuesday morning, the 30th Division will recieve warning orders to prepare to move toward the South. From that point, the commanders will develop their own battle strategy.

The exact location of the “enemy” Brown troops of the 59th Infantry

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April 28, 1941 Columbia Record (published as The Columbia Record) Columbia, South Carolina Page 1

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brigade will be unknown to the Blues but planes of the 105th Observation squadron will be sent on scouting mission as well as ground reconnaissance to determine the enemy lines.

To simulate actual warfare, blank ammunition will be fired in all the guns, and the men will live in pup tents and carry their full equipments on their backs. No contacts with the divisional area with in the fort will be made during the week, the maneuver scheduled to be a self contained field exercised over strange territory. the 105th  Quartermaster regiment will provide food for the men, and transport ammunition and equipment from a railhead to be set up by the division as near as possible to the battle area.

Wednesday afternoon, according to the general plan for the maneuver, the men will be given a rest period while the officers will hold a critique and discuss the battle. Member of the 105th Observation squadron, who are to be employed on both sides, will attend the critique.

The Brown army will wear brown army bands designating them as the enemy while their cars will have brown stickers and brown flags will be used on all equipment. The Blue will also follow this plan, using blue Identification.

Both sides will have infantry, field artillery, signal, medical and other troops as well as full authorized field equipment. Following only a broad general plan, the troops will be deployed according to the commander’s orders.

Umpires will be used during the war game to determine casualties. Men who are “wounded” during the battle will be loaded into stretchers and into ambulances and carried back to a central evacuation point.  After receiving first aid treatment, the men will be returned to their units.

The maneuver will be completed Friday night and a second critique for officers will be held at the post Saturday morning. The men will be given the weekend off.

This maneuver is the largest and most complete yet held on troops at the fort and is designed to prepare the 30th for its participation in 7th corps maneuvers in Tennessee throughout the month of June.

April 28, 1941 Columbia Record (published as The Columbia Record) Columbia, South Carolina Page 12