 These cadets are examining one of our most modern, highly regarded armored weapons. At a time not long ago, an armor had been accepted as a part of military operations, but had not yet been employed fully in actual combat. Contrastingly, here are three of today's armor vehicles. The M113, the M60, and the M48. And since times change as fast as they do, today's weapons will soon be history. Here is a possible future weapon of armor. And as the weapons have changed and will continue to change throughout military history, so has the role of armor. An official report produced for the armed forces. It's the most impressive of any mobile ground weapon, and it takes a lot to stop one. A tank is the fulfillment of one of man's ultimate military dreams. It has the capability of destroying targets with accurate, high-powered guns, of brushing aside all obstacles, and by its very appearance of instilling fear and shock in the enemy. As a facet of armor, the mission of the tank is an all-encompassing one. And today's armor is capable of executing all types of ground combat. It is characterized by the essentials of a top fighting force, mobility, firepower, shock action. Its role today is vital. Historically, it has encountered and overcome both technical obstacles and human doubt. Since the earliest recorded times, man has been striving for armored weapons, a weapon not only for the defeat of the enemy, but for use as protection. In 1456, the Scots invented a wooden cart which encased its crew and protected them from the weapons of the enemy. Since the horse was vulnerable, they went a step further and encased the horse in wood to make it more difficult for the enemy to destroy him. In 1482, the great painter Leonardo da Vinci actually invented an armored car. It was propelled by men turning by hand an offset shaft similar to the crankshaft of today. In 1854, James Cowan developed a steam engine to be used as an armored vehicle. But it was necessary to stop every few minutes and replenish the engine water supply. In 1914, neither side possessed an effective armored vehicle. However, due largely to the perseverance of a British officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ernest D. Swinton, use of armor on the battlefield was adopted. Its main sponsor was the First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill. Thus, the nautical terms pertaining to tanks, the hatch, ports, and so on. Construction of armored weapons were clothed in secrecy. To confuse enemy agents, the secret weapons were labeled tanks, a term which has remained to this day. Modern tanks were used in support of French infantry for the first time in 1916 in the Battle of the Somme. The American Tank Corps was created in 1917. In the Muse-Argonne attack, the American 304th Tank Brigade was used in a supporting role. By the end of World War I, tanks had been used by both sides in a total of 91 engagements. Although they played an active role, their potentialities were not realized. For the Americans, its arrival was too recent and its technical imperfections too obvious to permit more than limited use. It was assumed by tacticians that tanks would always play a secondary role. As one French general said, any infantry would be dishonored, which would subordinate its advance to that of the tanks. The National Defense Act of 1920 assigned the Tank Corps to the chief of infantry. The remnant of the Tank Corps was broken up into separate companies and assigned on the basis of one tank company to each infantry division. The early mission of the tanks required that they be slow, that they have great crushing power, and that they be capable of withstanding the weapons of the time. This doctrine affected the development of tanks and left a gap in our military organization. The period between two World Wars was one of development and debate. There was sharp disagreement among military men on the future employment of armor. There were those who maintained that the only use for tanks was in a minor or supporting role as an aide to the infantry. And there were those farsighted men who claimed that tanks employed en masse could produce decisive results. As the debate raged, tank improvements and experiments continued. Tanks such as the Christie, the Mark VIII, the T-1 through V, names in army history today were tested, evaluated, retested. More discerning military minds realized the advent of the tank had restored mobility to the battlefield. They also knew a most important role which the tank played was one affecting morale. The tank's shock action, its ability to stun the enemy until his mind is dominated by his emotion of fear and self-preservation, was a weapon which could be used to attack the nerves of an army. The tank school was organized at Camp George G. Meade, Maryland, transferred in 1932 to Fort Benning, Georgia. But even with this advancement in armor, the doctrine of the supporting role for tanks retarded full development. Had emerged from a bloodbath to become the leader of the new Germany. On his 47th birthday, he was treated to an impressive display of military power, built partly in secrecy, and forming a potential threat to the peace of the world. In this display, the tank was well in evidence. Citation with which our military forces viewed the tank, the Nazi war machine established them as a vital part of the military buildup. They well remembered the devastating effect in the few tank battles of World War I. Then they had no weapons with which to counteract the French, British, and American vehicles. Therefore, during the buildup of the new Nazi forces, the tank received top priority. And so 18 years later, it was another story. The tank was theirs now. They were an awesomely powerful sight, whether in action or on parade through the small towns of Germany. They instilled in the spectators a feeling of superiority, of the mechanical might that was the heart of the new order. As they stood proudly beside their weapons, each tanker knew he could be called upon at any time to fight and win for Hitler. The period of peace came suddenly to an end when Nazi hordes moved into Poland in September 1939. Here, Hitler jubilantly watched his army as they poured into the all but defenseless country. With the invading German army came the tanks. In the beginning of the war, they were held in the rear until a breakthrough occurred. Then the armored divisions were utilized to exploit the breakthrough. It wasn't long before the armored divisions were organized into corps and into an armored army. The Nazi Panzer troops were highly trained and efficient. As they moved through Western Europe like a mighty juggernaut over rugged terrain and formidable obstacles, their success was plain for all to see. The success of the German armor hastened the creation of our own armor organization. In 1941, the first full-scale armor display took place at Fort Knox, Kentucky, a main center of armor activity since 1933 and the armored center today. As late as June 1941, there were only 66 tanks in the United States Army. The tank program sped forward rapidly. Each new production mark was hailed with celebration. Here the 1,000th tank made is delivered to the army and it called for ceremonies, parades and displays. Our development in the field of armor had come a long way in a few short months. But even with the vast strides made in relatively little time, it was almost too late. But it was now September 1941. In 90 more days, the Holocaust would commence. The United States entered World War II. The tank, which only a few short years before was considered of relatively minor importance, suddenly loomed large in our plans. With the organization of armored divisions, the long-envisioned team of combined arms, armored infantry, armored artillery, armored engineers and armored reconnaissance became a reality. President Roosevelt in 1942 had ordered every spare tank shipped to North Africa. Tanks were also needed in other theaters of war. The dispensing of these tanks to all parts of the world was a huge and complex task. The tank was to serve two basic roles. Separate tank battalions were to support the infantry divisions. Armored divisions were to perform independent action. German armor had performed the same two functions in its blitzkrieg through Europe. We met our obligations. These tanks, shipped from the United States to England, are tested for maneuverability before being sent out into battle. Up to this time, the Germans had met little enemy armor. But in the battle for North Africa, a new theory developed. Because of the wide terrain and the need for mobility, firepower and surprise over a vast number of miles, tanks were actually engaging other tanks. And tanks protected the infantry from other tanks. On the burning desert sands that the tank proved itself, passed the test of essential requirements, mobility, firepower, shock action. In the Pacific War, with its dense jungle growth, its islands of limited terrain, the tank again proved itself. Unlike North Africa, there was no broad expanse of flat land in which to travel. Many a rifleman from Bougainville to Iwo Jima was thankful for the protective shield of armor. Those who believed that the tank was useful only over a broad expanse of territory, it was proved in the Pacific that the tank could maneuver effectively and with a relatively comparable amount of power in limited areas. Armored vehicles would plow through the dense jungle growth on to the objective. It also proved valuable as a defensive weapon and afforded protection from opposing firehead and snipers all around. In the region of Europe, tanks were there in support of infantry units and securing positions. General Eisenhower in his report said casualties were comparatively light due in effect to the firepower of tanks landed in the leading waves of the assault. Armored divisions started to land on the beachhead on D plus 4, June 10. Elements of these divisions were used to support infantry attacks during June and July before the main Allied effort was made. The infantry was materially aided by the firepower of armor who wished itself in Europe as indeed it did in every place of combat in World War II. Few decisive victories were gained in World War II in which armor did not play a part. It proved to be the most effective weapon with which to exploit successes to the utmost. Armor came to be known as a weapon of decision. For the German army who had used armor so extensively in the early part of the war, it was now the end to defend it from the communists with few tanks. The North Koreans were well equipped with Russian-made tanks. The US forces had practically nothing with which to stop them. A provisional tank unit was quickly organized with the few tanks that were available in Japan. Four tank battalions were hurriedly shipped from the United States. The tanks were received at Taegu. With the arrival of tank units in Korea, things became more balanced. US tanks as part of the UN force swung into action quickly. The North Koreans had made it rough in the early days of the conflict, for they had no opposition. Now they were feeling the brunt of our power. US forces were able to stop the communists and hold them. The establishment of the Pusan perimeter permitted us to build up an offensive force. This was largely due to tank support. During this holding action, maximum advantage was made of long-range direct tank fire and small, hard-hitting tank elements to maintain the lines. But the majority of the action was far from stationary. On August 30, 1950, nine weeks after the communists had attacked in Korea, the 24th Division, supported by tanks, attacks a hill near Pohang. Days later, the 2nd Division engages in combat near Yongsan. The tanks were there too. Their mark upon the North Korean Army. Two weeks later on September 16, the 1st Marine and the 7th Infantry Division affected an assault landing on the west coast of Korea at Incheon. Once again, the tanks were there. Pushing inland from Incheon, we advanced rapidly upon the occupied capital of South Korea, Seoul. Fighting was bitter, and the tanks were in the thick of it. Armored continued to play an important part in the action until the end of the conflict. Once again, as in World War II, it was proved that armor was effective in spearheading offensives. You have seen the changing roles of armor through the years. In the foreseeable future, there will be a need for a strong, modern armored force greater than ever. Greater II is the need within the Army itself to maintain its basic requirements, mobility. Armor is capable of functioning under any condition on any terrain. Many technological innovations in recent years have given armor and other fighting forces increased mobility. Our coupled with mobility on the battlefield makes armor a formidable weapon. And even more lethal weapons, armor will keep abreast of modern offense and defense. Action combined with mobility and firepower, and you have the big triple play of our armor force today. The best protection on the field of battle is armor. The best offensive is one of armor. The effectiveness of an armor team is illustrated in this engagement between two opposing forces. Although it is a sham battle, its eventual outcome would be true on any real field of battle. To the strategy of battle as we have known them in the past. But along with the advances in technology and improvements in vehicles and weapons has come the awesome specter of a new kind of battlefield. A scene from a distance signifies an end to the concept of warfare known for centuries. It ushers in the age of the atom and hydrogen bombs when the exploding of one projectile can cause inconceivable destruction. The tank has been tested under nuclear conditions and has passed the test. Its usefulness has not been limited but extended. Under such conditions its serviceability remains unimpaired. It maintains its capability of counteracting any enemy ground attack. In fact, a tank may well be one of the safer places to be in the event of an atom or hydrogen bomb explosion. Advent of the nuclear age has the three basic requirements of armor important as never before. It calls for increased alertness and the ability not only to withstand but to employ nuclear power. Will armor meet the demands of the future? The answer is supplied by Lieutenant General Arthur G. Trudeau, Chief of Research and Development, Department of the Army. The answer lies in this fact. The fantasies of today will be the realities of tomorrow. You've just seen the tremendous strides made by the development of armor forces over the past decades. It's indeed an impressive record, but to rest upon laurels is not only insufficient but dangerous. The tank of World War II was an achievement in those times. Today it's just a museum piece. And with the explosion that's taking place in science and technology, the pace of everything we do is rapidly increasing today. Our newest main battle tank is the M60. It's capable of defeating all armored vehicles known to exist today. The combat weights 50 tons, which is 3,000 pounds less than the former model due to the extensive use of aluminum. At the same time, this has resulted in better armor protection for the crew. The tank has a completely new 750 horsepower diesel engine, capable of operating for 300 miles without refueling. Its tracks are 28 inches wide to give it better mobility. It can climb 60% grades and 3 foot vertical obstacles. It can forward streams of 4 feet in depth without prior preparation. It can average 15 miles per hour cross country and 32 miles per hour on the road. The M60 is armed with a 105 millimeter gun with a much more effective fire control system. A 7.62 millimeter machine gun and a 50 caliber machine gun, which give it a capability of delivering tremendous firepower against a wide variety of targets. The M60 tank is armor's 1961 model. As I've stated, it is without doubt the best tank of any army in the world. But in these times of peril, it is wisest to act in the present and think of the future. Nothing permanent in technology. The Christie tank has become a part of armored history. Soon the M60 will be history. Already, Army research and development is engaged in meeting the future demand for improved armored weapons. With our awareness of today's fantasies becoming tomorrow's realities, the vista of the world hold unlimited promise. New developments are underway to give armor much more speed, mobility, firepower, and although the conception seems at the moment in the realm of science fiction, who could say that someday the flying tank or the flying saucer would not be a reality. Just present or future in the realm of nuclear or non-nuclear combat, the role of armor is and will continue to be a vital one. Where is its mantle? The combat arm of decision. A big picture is an official report for the armed forces and the American people. Produced by the Army Victoria Center. Presented by the Department of the Army in cooperation with this station.