jmh@ns.network.com (Joel Halpern) (01/20/90)
From: jmh@ns.network.com (Joel Halpern) The following story was told to me, and prompted several questions: Time: 1951 - 1953 (approximate) [during the Korean war] Place: West Germany, near the Czeck border Situation: US Infantry: Regular Patrol/Exercise for small group. Note: All officers present were Lieutenants The officer in charge split the force into two small groups. While moving down the road just on the German side of the border the officer in charge was driving in his jeep back and forth between the two groups. The situation occurred when the jeep was between the two groups, out of sight of both of them. The officer was on the radio to the tank commander when a sniper fired at the jeep. Sensibly, the officer and driver took cover. The tank commander, hearing the sniper fire over the radio, drove directly for the problem. He drove through the trees to where the jeep was. The situation that I do not understand is that when the tank got to the officer in charge, the tank commander had unsealed his ammunition and loaded his guns. I am told that this was a serious error on his part. What kind of seal was there, and why was he not supposed to break it? (As a side note, the tank commander wanted to go charging into Czeckoslovakia tooking for the sniper. The officer in charge had to FORCEFULLY order him to stay put. Reportedly there were a decent number of Russian tanks on the other side of the hill, just looking for an excuse to make trouble.) Also, I am a little surprised that a sniper would be firing at the US troops. Did the Russians, or somebody else, really want to make trouble that badly? Comments or observations [other than spelling] appreciated, Joel M. Halpern jmh@nsco.network.com Network Systems Corporation