July-August - Air Defense Artillery School

82
Signal Corp. Photo
A scene from Ba/loollatics of 1943.
THE COAST ARTILLERY JOURNAL
after returning to this post, was ordered to Louisiana to
take part in the Third Army maneuvers.
With the rapidly shifting war picture, more and more
emphasis is being placed on the mobile VLA balloon barrage.
Battery A of the 316th Battalion has been converted
from Low Altitude to VLA balloons.
The fourteenth class of Enlisted IVIen to be graduated
from the Barrage Balloon School received their graduation
certificates during ceremonies held June 19. The members
of the class heard General Maynard speak on "Leadership
and Responsibility of Noncommissioned Officers." The subject
of Leadership is being generally stressed in the training
of this command. Among other steps which are being taken
to impress this important quality upon officers and noncommissioned
officers, have been impressive talks to the
personnel in each category by General Maynard himself,
and the inclusion of appropriate instruction both in the
Barrage Balloon School and in the unit Troop Schools.
The fifteenth class started a special course of study on
the VLA balloons June 21. This class is the first to include
both officers and men drawn from the same units and pursuing
identical courses simultaneously. By this procedure
the men and their later platoon leaders will have opportunity
for closer cooperation and understanding of one
another; they will go through the School as a team rather
than as individuals.
All units of the BBTC are being given an opportunity
to refire the small arms course. The camp average of 40%
qualification established during rigorous winter conditions
has been raised to approximately 85% with some batteries
running as high as 95% of their personnel qualifying.
Nearly 1,000 acres of land have been added to the Camp
for the purpose of building a new riRe range. This will be
ready for use by mid-July and will permit firing at ranges
up to 500 yards. Better qualification scores are anticipated
when this new range is put into use. Present records were
established on the present 1,OOO-inchprotected type ra
Alono with lessons in handlin o o and maneuverino
o 0
highly mobile VLA balloons, BBTC units are learning
bat lessons under fire. A new Infiltration Course was ope
in June for the purpose of disciplining troops mentalh'
physically to battle-sounds and shocks. Both officer~an,
men are required to make three trips through the cours
The first trip is a "dry-run" without fire but in which t~
men crawl over broken ground, under barbed wire a
through shell holes. The second is a daylight run with ~
chine guns cross-firing overhead, land-mines being d
nated, and hand-grenades being simulated. Full field pac
helmets and riRes with bayonets attached are carried bv t
men. The final run is at night in darkness with ma~hu
guns using tracer bullets.
Critiques indicate that the course is proving highly e~
tive training and that the men are learning to act cal
and use sound judgment regardless of noise, confusion, s
prise and obstacles. The course is 125 yards wide and
yards long and ends with a bayonet charge up a steep h
from a trench.
An intensive effort is being made to have all mili
personnel at Camp Tyson protected by the maxim
amount of government insurance. Results of a recent su
show that 92.5% of the enlisted men and officers are
participating in the plan and that nearly $80,000,000 \\or
of insurance is in force here. A concentrated educati~
campaign, started late in June, is expected to revise t
figures to an even higher total.
Camp Tyson was officially commended by the provj
Marshal General through the Fourth Service Command
Atlanta, for having the highest number of hours work
without a reportable accident in any \Var Depart
operated facility in the Fourth Service Command du
the month of February, 1943. The commendation
published in June.
Improvements to be noted at Camp Tyson include a n
building for bowling alleys affording facilities for 10 all
a locker room, a check room, an office and a store-room.
new building measures 60 feet by 136 feet and when 1
to u.se will add much to the recreational facilities of
garnson.
Two new athletic fields have been constructed and
in daily use. Each field has a baseball diamond \
bleacher seats. Athletics have received renewed emph
at Camp Tyson. During off-time periods intrabattery ga
in baseball, soft-ball and volley ball are played within
battalions and two official leagues are playing schedules
volving battalion teams. The entire Post is following
fortunes of the official Camp Tyson Baseball team w
has been playing a home-and-home schedule with such
ponents as Camp Campbell, Fort Knox. Camp Brec
ridge, Union City AAFfD, and others. The first wee
July the locals participated in a i'vlidSouth Service Ba.
Tournament held in L\Iemphis.