Times-Advocate, 1978-09-21, Page 13Times-Advocate, September?!, 1978 Poge 13
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opportunity to put it all together in 'battle'
their sophisticated
'mechanical and com
munication roles.
Andy Seguin invited us
into his “hooch” for coffee
and we learned again that
the fly-boys attempt to
maintain their glamor
reputation. He even had
carpet on the floor of his
self-designed tent, which
can be stored quickly on the
trailer which forms'part of
the compound. They even
had a covered outhouse!
Sure beats the trenches!
As we departed, black
clouds moved in from the
right and the unit’s choppers
could be seen coming in
from all directions to get
home before the storm hit.
The following morning it
was off for a visit to the 3rd
Battalion, The Royal Cana
dian Regiment, one of two
infantry batallions in the ex
ercise.
Headquarters was set up
in a school yard, and after a
briefing from Major Dick
Gray, we moved outside to
watch the German
youngsters race around the
yard seeking autographs
from the Canadian soldiers.
Major' Gray echoed the
words of Major Gaudreau,
who had informed us earlier
that the infantry were little
different than their Roman
predecessors “except we
have new combat boots”.
“The final task is com
pleted on foot and our object
is to close with and destroy
the enemy,” Major Gray ad
vised, noting that the Ger
man “enemy” would resem
ble to an incredible degree
the east block countries in
their actions against the
Canadians in
Bayonet.
He also noted
NATO doesn't
aggressive nature “it is pru
dent to practice all four
stages” of war. those being
advance, attack, defend and
retreat. Bavarian Bayonet
was designed primarily to
practice offensive
measures.
While they’re equipped
with the latest in weaponry
from machine guns down to
pistols, the RCR still have to
contend with the soldiers’
nightmare
trenches. In peacetime
that while
have an
Oberleutnant Rudolf Fraschauer, right, g member of the German Militia, was an observer
with the Canadian troops in the exercise and is shown here checking a map with two
Canadians.
digging
it
Who does your makeup? was one of the first questions Major
Dick Gray was asked by the female member of the press cor
ps. He gave her a sample of the material before outlining the
role of the RCR in Bavarian Bayonet.
Bavarian
0
Lt./Col. Butch Waldrum, left,' and Major Audy Sequin, both of whom trained at RCAF Cen
tralia, chat with a member of their helicopter pilot brigade.
A Canadian soldier gets plenty of attention from a group of school children as he attempts to
catch up on some reading. His secluded spot in their school yard was anything but that at
recess time.
takes on another aspect, the
trench has to be refilled and
the sod replaced before the
troops move on.
A teacher to whom we
spoke at the school sai^she
was a bit annoyed with the
noise when the troops moved
into the area the night
before, but it didn’t bother
her for long as she realized
that it is a necessary
defence measure for her
country.
The kids were obviously,
relishing the unexpected
visitors, although their joy
didn’t appear to be shared
by a few haggered soldiers
attempting to catch up on
some sleep in a nearby cor
ner of the school yard.
German Observer
After being invited in for a
cup of coffee at another field
kitchen location in the small
village,
(through
we had a chat
an interpreter)
with Lieutenant Rudolf
Fraschauer. a German
militia officer who was with
the Canadians as an
observer.
He was most impressed
with the good morale and
high discipline of the Cana
dian troops, despite the fact
there appeared to him to be
a much more relaxed at
mosphere than that to which
he was accustomed.
■ He felt that there was
more comaradie and
openess between the top and
bottom ranks in the Cana-,
dian army, but that young
officers in the German
army were changing to that
as well.
He noted that Germans
are conscripted for 18
months in the army when
they reach age 18, and it was
not a pleasant experience
for those who had been in
the work force prior to their
stint because of their reduc
ed wage level while in active
duty.
' Fraschauer was getting 11
marks a day while on the ex
ercise. “Just enough for
cigarettes and beer,’’ he
smiled, but there was
evidence he was enjoying
fully the association with the
Canadians, The time off did
not reduce his civilian holi
day period.
A Deadly One
Our next experience was
looking down the business
end of an anti-tank
weapon...the t TOW
(Tubelaunch Optically
Tracked Wire Command
Link)...which is about as
complicated to explain as it
’sounds.
Basically, the four-man
crew must maintain their
sights on the target until the
missile hits, because it is
joined to the gun through
two pieces of copper wire
which direct its action. The
TOW will go through any
known armor and is “ex
tremely accurate” up to a
distance of 3,000 meters.
When it hits a tank, it bores
through and then spreads
the molten metal around the
inside.
When the unit pulled into a
farm yard, the farmer
politely asked them to
“point the gun the other
way” when it was still fac
ing toward his barn.
Our final unit to visit was
that of the “umpires”, the
needed ingredient to make
an exercise tick. Major
Dave Noble, who headed the
150-man contingent brought
in from Mobile Command
Headquarters in Canada to
act in that capacity, said
their job would be to paint a
realistic picture for the
troops and commanders as
the exercise progressed.
Because bridges and roads
can’t be blown up, the ad
vancing forces are told what
they should be seeing in the
way of obstacles and the
time it should take them to
overcome those obstacles.
In addition, the umpires
declare “dead” men and
equipment from each side as
the battle moves, although
the dead are returned to the
ranks after an allotted delay
(usually an hour) so they
can continue to benefit from
the exercise.
He noted there were many
problems in such an exer
cise, such as the fact that
tanks have to travel at night
with flashing lights to warn
civilian motorists. That, of
course, is not conducive to
keeping one’s position
known from the enemy.
Umpires travel with each
unit, and because they have
been given, information
about where major skir
mishes are expected to take
place, can judge fairly
which side gets the upper
hand.
As in baseball games, the
umpire is never right it
seems and there are many
arguments about who shot
who first.
Realistic Indeed
While peacetime exer
cises have their limitations,
they are also very realistic.
We awoke on our final day in
the Ulm area to the blast of
heavy artillery several
kilometers distant and as we
moved through the battle
area, the sound of rifle and
machine gun blasts could be
heard from the small towns
as the troops encountered
each other.
While we never did catch
up to the infantry due to
some questionable direc
tions, it did afford us an op
portunity to see the bridge
layer inaction.
It arrived at the River
Brenz and we stood with
mouths wide open as the 50-
ton equipment quickly spew
ed forth its two sections of
bridge and spanned the river
in the unbelievable time of
two minutes.
The bridge can then carry
up to 50 tons, well beyond
any equipment owned by the
Canadian Forces, and after
they are across, the Leopard
tank moves to the other side,
picks up its bridge and
proceeds to the next
obstacle.
It is capable of spanning a
river up to 63 feet wide, and
the one we watched in action
was being operated by a cou
ple of Germans on loan, as
was the equipment itself,
although another similar
unit being used is owned by
this nation.
While we were watching
the bridge layer, four Ger
man tanks quickly zoomed
into position on the hill in
front of us and started filling
the air with heavy blasts
from their guns.
The umpire on the scene
came over to announce we
were “dead” and out of ac
tion for an hour.
“Oh well, now we can
have breakfast,” sighed the
men in charge, still wonder
ing why their own tanks
hadn’t engaged the Ger
mans. As we left, we heard
the argument as the
Canadians contended that
they had indeed spotted the
Germans prior to their
it ”
that those ‘contemptible’
Canadians are highly skilled
and professional fighting
men.
the debate concluded.
It may have sounded like a
game...but it was really
another serious reminder
tack and were claiming a
hit. There were no beer
bottles thrown out of the
stands, but we left before
mmMF *
? W-"-'Emct 4J I.
g ■
Canadian Armed Forces personnel are popular in Germany, a fact evidenced by this scene
when Major Bill Whitehead was mobbed for his autograph in a school yard which was being
used by some troops.
Jk&SS
KJ? SjStl wr
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Sgt. Jackson Jennings, right, assures a couple of German farmers they'll be compensated for
any damage done to their fields used by the engineers during the exercise. Once assured they
enjoyed a cup of coffee.
pi
The newest and most prized addition to the Canadian Armed Forces is not the chap on the
right, but rather the German-built Leopard Tank being demonstrated. They replace our an
tique Centurions.
One of the more sophisticated pieces of equipment used by today's Armed Forces is this
bridge layer. It's shown in the top photo pulling up to a river and in two minutes it had a
bridge across the river as shown in the photo below. This unit was on loan from the German
army, although Canada has another one that was being used by another group of engineers
in the exorcisd.
'- G