John K. Mahon and Romana Danysh

“ The trucks, however, were mostly worn-out leftovers from World War I. It was the priming of the economic pump that finally secured some new vehicles for the infantry. In 1936 Congress authorized the purchase of 1,000 trucks and cars. With these, division and regimental headquarters could have autos, and six regiments could motorize their machine gun companies and howitzer and communications platoons. Experiments with organization, motorization, weapons, and equipment were continuous in the decades between the wars, but the culminating experiments took place in 1937, 1938, and 1939. ”

“ The trials were remarkably thorough, although they were handicapped by shortages of weapons and vehicles. For example, no light mortars were available, while only one regiment could be completely equipped with the M1 rifle. There were not enough .50-caliber machine guns and, of course, no light machine guns at all. What emerged from the tests was a full new set of tables of organization which became effective during 1939. The new tables were built upon a triangular basis in which elements within an infantry division, from squads up to regiments, were associated by three's. ”

“ This being so, one can understand why the Chief of Infantry strongly protested when in July 1940 armor was removed from infantry control. As of 1939, tanks dropped out of infantry divisions, and never re-entered organically until after World War II. Mobility was slowly increased in the infantry by the use of trucks. Hardly anyone doubted the value of motor vehicles to speed the movement of foot troops, but lack of funds restricted their use. Beginning in 1922 trucks replaced animals in the field and combat trains of four regiments. Later, other regiments received vehicles for the same purpose. ”

“ Moreover, the elements of infantry were arranged according to mobility. A squad had the standard mobility of a rifleman; a platoon that of a BAR man. Platoons contained no crew-served weapons, and none requiring continuous resupply of ammunition. No weapon in the platoon served as a focus for hostile fire. At company level, the heaviest weapons (light machine guns and 60-mm. mortars) could be carried by hand; even a battalion contained no guns which could not be manhandled for several hundred yards. All weapons needing prime movers were placed in regimental units. ”