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ARMOR, November-December 1987 Edition Technology has been both a boon and a bane to powered tanks. We go home at night to our satellite- commanders since someone organized the first transmitted newspaper and satellite TV. We might talk military unit. Each new development spawned reas- to the folks on a fiber-optic line about our new com- sessment and adaptation of thought, theory, and tac- pact laser disc player, video camera, or computer. If tics. For every technological advantage. there has al- we get sick, we can opt for orthoscopy, laser surgery, ways been and will continue to be a method or tech- or an artificial heart. nique to overcome it. This process has not always been quick, but eventual. How can leaders deal with or possibly keep up with what the microchip has done to our warfighting The Roman legionary's pilum and gladius capability? It seems that no sooner do we learn one dominated the world for centuries. But by the time of system, than another more advanced one takes its Hastings in 1066, the mailed rider rode supreme across place. While it took 20 years to go from the M4A3E8 Europe. The armored knight, in tum, proved vulnerable Sherman to the M60A1 Patton. some armored units to the crossbow in the next century. By 1346, English transitioned from the M60A1 to M60A3 to Mi to M1A1 longbowmen proved their weapons' superiority in ac- in only about five years. curacy, range, and penetration. At Crecy, they were able to dispatch six arrows for each one they received. The obvious answer is that we cannot keep up. The crossbow was obsolete. We cannot costeffectively fund and field the latest technological gizmo continually. We can master what Almost a century earlier, Roger Bacon announced we have this month, this year, this decade, and that the formula for gunpowder. But it took a generation for means training. (See "Commander's Hatch," page 5). it to be well known, 60 years for its application in mis- We do not have the time to divert a tank crewman sile propulsion, and nearly two hundred years until its from his job for long. There is too much to know, too use in the arquebus, the first matchlock am. which much to practice. was to dominate infantry tactics for two centuries. We can have a firm reliance on those principles For the last eight decades, technological develop- that have essentially changed little since the times of ment has moved at an exponentially increasing rate, Alexander or Caesar: readiness, surprise, ingenuity, outdistancing all that came before. Since World War 11, and leadership. When you strip away the steel, you we have witnessed an explosion of technology that was find the operating element that makes the weapons incomprehensible in 1940 to all but a few. That ex- system valuable: men. As a former military editor of plosion has compressed time and its corresponding the "New York Times," Hanson W. Baldwin, put it, learning curve to weeks and months instead of genera- "Neither policies nor machines will determine the his- tions and decades. tory of tomorrow. Man is the measure of all things ... This, then, is the ultimate battlefield: the hearts and Consider the impact of technology in just the last minds of men." ten years. In our profession we have laser rangefinding, stealth aircraft, SDI, helmet-mounted aircraft sights, - PJC robotics, multiple-warheadmunitions, and turbine- _____ ~~ ~ By Order of the Secretary of the Army: Official: R. L. DILWORTH CARL E. VUONO Brigadier General, United States Army General, United States Army The Adjutant General Chief of Staff The Professional Development Bulletin of the Armor Branch PB 17-87-5 (Test) FEATURES Editor-in-Chief 8 First Honorary Professors Named MAJOR PATRICK J. COONEY 9 How is the UCOFT Working Out? Managing Editor by Major Mark C. Thomson JON T. CLEMENS 13 Push-Pull Logistics Commandant by Captain William Hedges MG THOMAS H. TAlT 16 A Light Set For the M577 CP Vehicle by Command and Staff Dept, USAARMS ARMOR (ISSN 0004-2420) is published bimonthly by the U.S. Army Armor Center, 4401 Vine Grove Road, Fort Knox, KY 40121. 17 On the Track of the CAT Disclaimer: The information contained In by the 3d AD and V Corps CAT Team ARMOR represents the professional opinions of the authors and does not necessarily reflect the official Army or TRADOC position, nor does it 21 Winners! change or supersede any information by Captain Lionel Ortiz and Captain Brian Butcher presented in other official Army publications. Official distribution is limited to one copy for 25 The Destruction of Task Force Baum each heavy brigade headquarters, armored cavalry regiment headquarters, armor battalion by Captain James B. Hickey headquarters, armored cavalry squadron head- quarters, reconnaissance squadron head- 1' quarters, armored cavalry troop, armor com- 33 Le Regiment de Hussards Parachutistes pany, and motorized brigade headquarters of by Captain Emmanuel Legendre the United States Army. In addition, Army libraries, Army and DOD schools, HQ DA and MACOM staff agencies with responsibility for ar- mored, direct fire, ground combat systems, or- DEPARTMENTS ganizatlons, and the training of personnel for such organizations may request two copies by Letters sending a military letter to the editor-inchief. 2 Authorized Content: ARMOR will print only 2 Points of Contact those materials for which the U.S. Army Armor 5 Commander's Hatch Center has proponency. That proponency in- 6 Driver's Seat cludes: all armored, direct-fire ground combat systems that do not sewe primarily as infantry 7 Recognition Quiz carriers; all weapons used exclusively in these 37 Professional Thoughts systems or by CMF 19-series enlisted soldiers: 48 Recognition Quiz Answers any miscellaneous items of equipment which armor and armored cavalry organizations use 49 The Bustle Rack exclusively; training for all SC 12A, 128. and 52 Books 12C officers and for all CMF-19series enlisted soldiers: and information concerning the train- ing, logistics, history, and leadership of armor and armored cavalry units at the brigadelregi- Second-class official mail postage paid at Fort Knox, KY, and ment level and below, to include Threat units at additional mailing offices. Send address changes to ARMOR, ATTN: those levels. ATSBMAG, Fort Knox, KY, 40121. Material may be reprinted, provided credit Is given to ARMOR and to the author, except where copyright is indicated. Distribution Restriction: Approved for public release; distribution is November-December 1987 Vol XClV No. 6 unlimited. Shermans Could Do the Job and anyone else who is interested In this out three Panthers while supporting the subject, read the history of the 740th Tank 119th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Dear Sir: Battalion. Division. Having read LTC Robert P. Kingsbury's My battalion entered combat on Decem- Later on, the 740th supported the 504th letter, "WWII Tank Deficiencies," (ARMOR, ber 19, 1944. three days after the Battle of Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Air- September-October, 1987), I felt that LTC the Bulge began. As first action that day borne Division, in the Bulge, and was the Kingsbury was probably very sincere, but was at the Stoumont (Belgium) railway sta- only tank battalion to receive a much misinformed at the same time. While it is tion where, with war-weary used tanks coveted letter of thanks from the 82nd's true that the M4 Sherman was nowhere picked up at an ordnance depot, the CG, MG James Gavin. (Check our history near the German Tiger with its 88-mm 740th proceeded into combat without book, "Daredevil Tankers", by LTC Rubel. main gun, it certainly had no real problem radios and without much of the standard A's in the Patton Museum - I put it there.) with the Mark IV and the Mark V Panther. equipment that a Sherman was sup- posed to have. After exactly one half hour Sure, the Sherman had shortcomings, 1 would recommend that LTC Kingsbury, of combat, our Company C had knocked but so did the German tanks. What it all (Note: Fort Knox AUTOVON prefix is 464. DIRECTORY - Points of Contact Commercial prefix is Area Code 502-624-m). ARMOR Editorial Off ices U.S. Army Armor Center Editor-in-Chief Commandant (ATZK-CG) Major Patrick .I. Cooney 2249 MG Thomas H. Tail 2121 Mnnaging Editor Assistant Commandant (ATSB-AC) Jon T. Clcmcns 2249 c'( )L (P) Dennis V. C'rumley 7555 Assistant Editor Deputy Assistant Commandant (ATSB-DAC) Rohert E. Rogge 2610 COL Clnude L. Clark 1050 Production Assistant Comniand Sergeant Major Vivian Thompson 2610 CSM .lohn M. Stephens 49.52 Contributing Artist Maintenance Dept. (ATSB-MA) SFC Robert Torsrud 2610 C'OL Garry P. Hivson 8346 Command and Sttiff kpt. (ATSB-CS) MAILING ADDRESS ARMOR, ATTN ATSB- COL A.W. Kremer 585s MA(;, Fort Knox, KY 40121-5210 Weapons Systems Dept. (ATSB-WP) LTC George R. Wallace 1055 ARTICLE SURMISSIONS: To improve speed and Dir. of Training & Doctrine (ATSB-DOTD) accuracy in editing, manuscripts should be origin.<a I s or CY )L C'laucle W. Ahale 7250 Dir. of Combat Developments (ATSB-CD) clear copies, either typed or printed out in near-lcttcr- C'OL Donald L. Smart 5050 quality printer mode. Stories can also be accepted on Dir. of Eval. & St;ind;irdimtion (ATSB-DOES) 5- 1/4" floppy disks in Microsoft WORD, MultiMate, COL Robcrt A. Korkin 3446 Wordperfect, Wordstar, or Xerox Writer (please in- Tmining Group (ATZK-TC-TBF) clude a printout). Please tape captions to any illustra- LTC Cliirence Belinze 3055 tions submitted. NCO Acndemy/l)rill Sergeant School (ATNCG) CSM Johnny M. Langford 5150 PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS: Report dclivery problems Director, Reserve Component SptATZK-DRC) or changes of address to Ms.
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