Another year is almost in the books and today is Christmas Day…

This isn’t a Christmas story, but it is a story (article) written by a man born in New York City on this day in 1924; the man who is, perhaps my biggest war game hero: Joseph Morschauser III – who,  more than any other war game author who has kept me going with my war gaming hobby. His book, ‘How to Play War Games in Miniature’, has been my go to book for war gaming inspiration since the day I discovered it in a local book shop in the 1970s…

Today, our (Joseph Morschauer Day) gift to you is an article written by Joe for ARMOR magazine: March-April 1960.

Blowtorch Battalion

By JOSEPH MORSCHAUSER, III

THE atomic destruction of two Japanese cities ended the second World War with such dramatic force that the bitter battle immediately preceding it was almost completely obscured. Larter general histories and film documen­taries barely mention Okinawa and the thousands who died there. Historians have fallen into the habit of jumping from the fight for Iwo Jima directly to the dropping of the first atomic bomb, ignoring the fact that all the deadly tricks ever developed by the Japanese reached their per­fection in that last great land battle of the war.

As the struggle in the Pacific moved ever closer to the home islands, the Japanese grew more and more fanat­ical. On each new island they dug deeper and deeper so that by 1945 it had become almost impossible to root them out with shells and bombs. In desperation, American commanders improvised weapons to do the job. This is the story of one of the most effective of those improvisations.

On April 19, 1945 the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) revealed it had been ex­perimenting with jet propelled planes which might fly up to 2,000 mph; Manager Joe Cronin of the Boston Red Sox fractured his right leg in a game with the New York Yank­ees in the Stadium; Some 50,000 textile workers got a 50-55 cent per hour wage boost and the U. S. Census Bureau said that 30 percent of all servicemen and women of voting age cast absentee military ballots. An estimated 183,000 of the remaining 70 percent were too busy. They were struggling with a determined and fanatical Japanese army on Okinawa.

On 19 April, 1945, a Japanese private of Lieutenant General Mit­suru Ushijima’s 32d Army crouched in a cave south of Machinato on the west coast of the island. Several hundred yards north of his position a company of the 106th Infantry, 27th Division was advancing. Getting a figure in his sights the Japanese pri\·ate opened fire. In a few mo­ments the Americans were pinned to the ground and artillery fire be­gan to rake their positions. The Gls could not move and could not hurt the Japanese in their deep, well prepared positions. And in a few mo­ments more the cry crackled out over American radios, “Hey, Zippo, come on!”

Shortly several M4 Sherman tanks ground forward, their dull green hulls shaking off small arms and artillery fire. The Japanese stopped one by smashing its drive sprocket with a 47mm anti-tank slug but the others avoided the gun’s fire and crawled up to the face of the escarpment. The tanks sprayed cave entrances with 30 caliber slugs. But the Jap­anese were no longer there. They had withdrawn deep into their holes, safe from the machine guns’ fire.

Down in the cave the Japanese private smiled nervously, thankful he was safe from the tank’s fire. He knew that even a 75mm high explosive shell could not reach him there. Then suddenly, his place of safety became a Barning trap. As his companions collapsed, the private tore out his gas mask and ran for the entrance of the inferno. As he emerged into daylight, his clothing aflame, tracers cut him down. Operation Blowtorch had begun.

Actually the real birth date of Blowtorch was 10 November, 1944. On that day Lt. Col. Thomas L. Crary received a rather startIng set of orders. As commanding officer of the 713th Tank Battalion, then stationed in the Hawaiian Islands, he was directed to draw up a table of organization and equipment for a provisional battalion of flame throwing tanks. The 713th was a standard Army tank battalion consisting of three medium tank companies (M4 Shermans), a light tank company (15A1 Stuarts) plus a service and headquarters company. It had been formed in the late summer of 1943; had participated in extensive exercises in Louisiana and was shipped to Hawaii in August of 1944. Trained and ready for combat on arrival, it was instead sent to outpost duty among the Hawaiian Islands. As a result of the following months of rel­ative inactivity, its morale sank and its fighting edge was dulled. Nor did it improve when the men heard about the reorganization and “those d–n cigarette lighters.”

The Battalion returned at once to Oahu and there drew 54 medium tanks. The light tank company (D Company) gave up its tanks and mostly was integrated into Service and Headquarters Company to pro­vide the added service support deemed necessary for a flame-thrower outfit. Since the 713th was to function as an Army or Corps unit its companies would be broken up in combat to support assigned divisions. Thus it would require this added service and supply in order to function in widely separated sectors.

The flame-thrower conversion in­volved a large number of improvisa­tions. Flame tanks had been used before both in the Pacific and in Europe but despite efforts of the Chemical Corps they were still rather cranky, by-guess-and-by-God weapons. For example, at the very moment the 713th was undergoing its reor­ganization and training, U.S. First Army headquarters in Europe was just receiving a letter from the 771st Tank Battalion stating in part, “Our confidence in the flame thrower is further shaken by the fact that the Army sees fit to include 100% re­placements with the initial issue.” The letter went on to request that the 771st be allowed to turn in the 15 flame throwers issued it as it was not felt that “the field of battle is the proper place for experimentation and correction.”

Despite any misgivings, those mak­ing plans for the Okinawa operation knew that the 713th and its flame tanks were going to be needed des­perately. There was no question of reversing the orders issued to the battalion commander. Turret baskets were ripped out of the tanks and 300 gallon capacity metal containers were fastened to the belly armor. Racks were welded into the right sponsons to hold the big metal bottles of CO2 gas which was to supply the pressure which pushed the Napalm from the gun muzzle. The breeches of the 75mm guns were cut to pieces and tubes for the napalm running from the container under the turret were pushed up the tubes. At the gun muzzle itself an atomizer re­duced the Napalm to a spray which was in turn set on fire by an electric sparking device.

Typical of the “let’s try it and see if it works” attitude was the manner in which the problem of Napalm expenditure measurement was met. There were no manuals, or blueprints available so members of the battalion just kept experimenting. Finally a method using a standard clock was devised. Napalm consumption was ticked off in seconds, a full load of 300 gallons requiring only 90 sec­onds to expend.

By the beginning of March time had run out. The Battalion was or­dered aboard ships and left Pearl Harbor in convoy. Former members of the Battalion remember that voy­age very well. On top of all their other worries and seasickness the 713th tankers were ordered to teach the green Navy crew of LSM 221 how to operate their 20mm AA guns. One sergeant remembers that they tried but someone up the chain of command had forgotten one little item… Neither the sergeant nor any other man of the 713th Tank Battalion had ever seen a 20mm anti­-aircraft gun before boarding the ship.

After the first use of flame tanks on 19 April, a general cry went up and down the front for the “Zippos.” In time all fire missions of the Bat­talion seemed the same-go up and burn-come back and reload-go up and burn-etc. But the tankers had their hairy moments. At one point a tank commander moved his tank cautiously up a railroad road bed, to rescue men from another tank. The rescuing tank was hit by a heavy shell which cut through the Napalm container and the sticky, explosive goo was oozing all over the crew. But the Napalm did not ignite. The tank commander was able to move his tank to the rear and later when he returned to the platoon he had the hull of a derelict M4 welded right: on top of his own tank. He had doubled his armor protection.

By a strange twist, the one special design element of the flame tanks about which the men of the 713th had complained the most, worked quite often to save their lives. When the tanks were being modified back in Hawaii, a lot of men and officers had worried about the lack of any­thing bigger than machine guns on the tanks. The 75mm of course was not usable because the flame tubes were contained in them. Thus the flame tanks of the Battalion looked just like all other American M4s used on Okinawa — until they opened fire. The Japanese hated flame throw­ers and feared them more than any­thing else. As a result once they spotted a flame tank they threw everything including the kitchen sink that had been sold to them as scrap before 1941. But the Japanese could not pick out the flame tanks of the 713th before they fired. Thus the flame tankers had a chance to get up within range without catching enemy fire from everything in sight. Later on there were tank modifica­tions made on the M4 which mounted the flame tube beside the 75mm thus preserving the gun. After the war when some of the men of the Bat­talion saw some of these models in a tank park, they prayed that none had reached the front. That twin barrel arrangement stood out like a red flag.

The flame throwers had several troublesome and frightening mechan­ical quirks. Sometimes, quite often in fact, the flame would not ignite and then only a stream of pinkish goo would envelop enemy positions. In such cases the tank would expend its Napalm then try to ignite the goo with tracers from the machine guns. After Action Reports might say that the resulting explosion was “highly satisfactory” but few of the shaken tank crewmen found it so. The other mechanical quirk involved the hoses which ran from the 300 gallon Na­palm tank to the tubes up the 75mm gun barrel. These would sometimes leak and fill the tank with goo while at the same time allowing pressure to drop and inviting a blow-back which could set the whole interior afire. A flame tank was not exactly a pleasure vehicle.

When the Battle of Okinawa was over, the Battalion settled down in a rehabilitation area near Minatoga on the south coast of the island. Men who had been separated for several months of grim combat got together now for the first time to compare notes. To their surprise they discov­ered that despite gloomy predictions and almost constant fighting, losses were very slight. Only seven men out of more than 600 had been killed. And the Battalion was credited with killing 4,788 enemy personnel.

The Blowtorch Battalion earned the love and respect of many an American foot soldier. Major General Roy S. Geiger, a Marine, was so impressed by its work that he asked that a company of flame tanks be made organic to each Marine tank battalion. Major General J. R. Hodge, of the 24th Corps, requested that two such battalions be attached to his troops in any future operations, meaning of course the invasion of Japan. From top generals on down, the flame tankers elicited only the highest praise for “a consistently out­standing record of performance. The unit got a Presidential Unit Citation.

Today the Battalion is still in active service, though not of course as a flame tank battalion. All that remains of the Blowtorch Battalion of World War II are some record-filled lockers quietly gathering dust in the Army’s St. Louis Records warehouse — and the memories in the minds of its tankers.

ARMOR — March-April, 1960, pp. 30-33

JOSEPH MORSCHAUSER, III, served in the Pacific during World War Two with the 713th Tank Battalion. For the past eight and one half years he has worked for LOOK Magazine. He presently holds the posts of Senior Editor and Assistant to the Editorial Board. His spe­cialty is developing story ideas with a prime interest in the military. He was responsible for LOOK’s, securing and publishing excerpts of Gen­eral Taylor’s book The Uncertain Trumpet.

Editor’s Note: The text above is complete from its original publication. I have refrained from edits, other than minor typos or inconsistencies. I believe I have caught all of the errors inherent in the scanning and OCR processes. This post does not contain the images accompanying the original article. These will be included in the next revision. 

Joseph Morschauser III – 1960

As Joe told the story; he was born on this date (25th December) in 1924. He freely admitted that did not know this for a fact, as he was, at the time, too young to remember. However, his parents/family informed him this was the case, and who are we to argue?

Joe was born in New York City; shortly thereafter traveling to the family home in Poughkeepsie, New York where he spent his childhood years.

It was in August of 1934 that Joe received his first toy soldiers. A huge box, as he described it, straight from W. Britains in England. Shortly thereafter; backyards, side-yards and living-room rugs became his miniature battlefields.

After graduating High School in 1943, Joe enlisted…

September (13th) 1943 marks Joe’s enlistment in the army. He spent 17 weeks training, at Camp Blanding in Florida followed by another 17 weeks at Fort Knox Kentucky. Here (Fort Knox) is where Joe’s long time interest in tanks and armor stood him well as he ‘roared around’ in tanks; a grand time, being crazy enough to enjoy it – as he described the experience. With his free time he had the chance to inspect some WWI relics and study some of the history of tanks. Training complete, and after a short leave Joe traveled to the west coast to join the 713th Tank Battalion. On to Hawaii and the Pacific; eventually setting out for Okinawa as part of the 713th Armored Flame-Throwing Tank Battalion…

It is Joe’s interest in and experience with tanks that brings us to the subject of this year’s birthday celebration:

Joe Morschauser’s tank models as produced by Scruby Miniatures

In addition to being a war gamer, Joe was also a modeler (and photographer), as such it is no surprise that Joe made his own tank models. From July 1963, we have a hint as to what is coming soon from Scruby Miniatures and Joe Morschauser:

From Table Top Talk, July 1963

By September 1963 we have the first advertisement (reproduced below) for some new WWI miniatures, including Joseph Morschauser’s tanks:

20MM Soldiers of the Great War 1914 – 1918

TANKS

Thanks to Joseph Morschauser, we can offer you WWI Tanks. These are British and French makes, and can be used for the Germans also, as mainly they used captured tanks during the later phases of the war.

• Mark IV (British, heavy) tank was armed with two 6-pound cannons and 4 machine guns; moved at a speed of 4 miles per hour
• The Whippet (British, medium) tank had one 6 pound cannon and 1 machine gun; moved at a speed of 6 miles per hour
• The little Renault (French) tank was really thin-skinned, armed with one machine gun; moved with a speed of 8 – 10 miles per hour. This tank was used in many theaters of action during the last phases of the war

Joe’s 20mm WWI tanks

Another of Joe’s tank models was a Carden-Loyd tankette.This was the first of Joe’s tank models to be produced by Scruby. First appearance in a Scruby catalog is in 1962.
Joe was planning a war game using Carden-Loyd tankettes as early as 1962.

Carden-Loyd Tankette advertisement from 1962

Master for Joe’s Carden-Loyd tankette

Joe’s tank models were not fancy; they did, however, serve their purpose on the war game table.

The tank models and molds as pictured below are as they were when taken out of long term storage. Complete with damage (note missing guns, etc.), dust and decay. The models shown in Alison’s photos are the master models used by Jack Scuby to mold Morschauer’s tanks. The castings pictured were cast by Joe and sent to Jack for reproduction. The colored lines drawn on the models were used as a guide when cutting the RTV mold; these would be the part lines.

Mold for British Mark IV heavy tank

Mold for the British Whippet, medium tank

These molds were placed into mold blocks for casting. The mold blocks would hold the mold parts together while metal was poured and then cooled. An example of a Scruby mold block is pictured below. Top is the closed mold block, the lower is an open mold block. The masking tape in this photo demonstrates how additional pressure could be applied in a specific location when pouring; helping to reduce flash.

Example of the type of mold block used to hold mold parts together for casting.

I’m not sure if (all of) these tanks will ever again see the light of production day. I do however, have a few ideas that would allow the models to be recreated, winding their way onto some game tables.

Joe Morschauser’s Mark IV tank model (master)

Joe Morschauser’s ‘little Renault’ tank models (master)

Joe Morschauser’s Whippet tank model (master)

Joe also wrote about tanks and armored warfare. One such article appeared Jack Scruby’s War Game Digest in the winter of 1962

OLD TIME TANKS IN WAR GAMES
By Joe Morschauser

I have often wondered why there is such a separation between the modern and the Musket period war game. For some strange reason war gamers fight either Napoleonic or 1898 type musket games or are completely devoted to late WWII modern games. With the exception of one article by Tony Bath of England on 1930 period “modern” games, almost nothing has appeared in WGD or other war game literature on “between-the-wars” type war gaming. This I think is a crying shame.

The period extending from about 1920 to 1940 is loaded with exciting possibilities for war gamers. There were countless “little wars” during this span of time. The period was one of exciting experimentation in the use of armor and tanks and there was an almost obsessive desire on the part of all national commanders to avoid the trench slaughter that WWI had brought. Then too the depression of the 1930s put a brake on the designing and building of “big” heavy equipment so that most of these between-the-wars” wars were fought with small tanks, small guns and lots of the old musketry and guts of the pre-WWI days.

There is just no good reason why war garners should not re-fight: The Italian/Ethiopian War; The Spanish Civil War; The Russo/Japanese War of the early 1930s; The Grand Chaco War in South America between Paraguay and Uruguay; The Riff War of the French in North Africa against the Arab tribes, various British/Indian frontier actions; and The Sino-Japanese war which lead into WWII. Add to this the many “imaginary” wars one can dream up like a Franco-British war in Africa or a Russo-British war in India and the war gamer has found himself a huge span which is almost completely ignored but one which is loaded with wonderful possibilities. The period joins the wonderful uniform possibilities of the past like those of the French Legion or the “pith helmet British” with such exciting things as fast little tankettes, truck-borne infantry and even an occasional (though very ineffective) airplane of the ‘egg-crate” variety.

But it is the little experimental tanks of the period which really add the “dash” to the game. In most cases these tiny buggies had hardly the fighting strength of a good squad of infantry (which by the way could take care of them with grenades at close range). But these tanks or “tankettes” as they were called could dash around the battlefield, help scatter demoralized enemies or act as a mobile “pill box” at a critical road junction. The Vickers/Carden Loyd designed in 1928 by Sir John Carden is a typical example. Weighing only 2 1/2 tons, carrying armor no more than a third of an inch thick and mounting only a single heavy water-cooled machine gun, they were a far cry from the Tigers, Panthers or Stalins of WWII. But these tankettes were used by almost every major nation in the world — Russia, Japan, the Czechs, Poland, France, Italy, China, various South American countries and of course by Britain. Completely inadequate for “modern war” as we think of it today, they served with distinction in all the actions mentioned in the paragraph above.

The Bren Gun Carrier of WWII British infantry forces grew from the Vickers/Carden Loyd. Some of you probably have used some of these in your earlier war gaming days with Britians soldiers for that firm made a 54mm scale model of the BGC. What many probably don’t know or may not remember is that the Vickers/Carden Loyd tankette or machine gun carrier as it was also called, was also made by Britians, in miniature 54mm scale of course. However, since that particular model was discontinued, there has been nothing on the market for war gamers to use in “between the wars” wars. And this may well be the reason why war gamers ignore this period. One can get Tigers,

Panthers, Shermans and a variety of late WWII period tanks but no little tankettes.

I myself searched and searched for proper models to use with 20mm scale figures for a “between the wars” war I have had in mind for many years. Finally in complete frustration at the lack of any equipment (except the “off scale” Authenticast models which are not made any longer) I designed my own. I’m no great shakes as a designer or model-maker but I have managed to turn out an adequate “war ‘game” miniature in 20mm scale of the Vickers/Carden Loyd 1929 tankette. This particular model had head covers for the crew of two, thus it is a completely protected tank.

How does one “organize” such tanks in a “between the wars” war game? It’s not at all difficult if you use the Roster System of mounting your troops on trays. Each tankette is given the firepower of an infantry tray and of course fires its machine gun the same amount as an infantry tray or squad (or team as I call them). The Infantry can fight back at close range with grenades (destroying the tankette) and all heavy machine guns or other heavier weapons can destroy the tankette with a hit. Thus your tanks in such a game are not all-powerful (as they tend to be in a WII modern game once all anti-tank guns or weapons of the infantry are gone). This means of course that one does not send these little buggies racing into the teeth of a heavily-defended enemy infantry position without support. The tankettes are actually cavalry. They have speed (35mph) and firepower and shock power, but their speed and mobility, not their protection in armor, are their important points. And of course, like cavalry, they can battle each other with their fire-power for their heavy machine guns will cut through the armor, just as a carbine bullet will cut through a chasseur’s breastplate.

“Old time” tanks, meaning “between-the-wars” tanks used in war games can provide war gamer a with a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to an Anglo-French African war using the same. (French version of Carden Loyd was called the Cheniellette and was used as an “under fire’” supply tank as well as a recon. vehicle). The King’s African Rifles and the “Casablanca Zouaves”, each supported by tankettes may soon be fighting at Fashoda on the Nile. I suggest other war gamers might like to try similar actions with “Old Tine Tanks” in a “between-the-wars” war game.

Much more tell and share about Joseph Morschauser III. Another armor related article is just about wrapped up and my biographical work is proceeding nicely. I do not believe it will reach book length, but it is already far more than a thumbnail look at the life and works of Joseph Morschauser III.

Bob Cordery’s The Portable Wargame (TPW) is a great little game and can be used for nearly any period of war games you might be able to imagine.

Yes, I know, the title of my post doesn’t match the main theme, but it will make sense once you are done reading…

Recently, on Facebook, Robert Lloyd shared some photos of his English Civil War project. Robert has used Irregular 10mm figures for his game and I really like the look of his game.

Robert Lloyd’s 10mm Irregular ECW troops for TPW

The grid squares are 40mm and his terrain is mostly foam cut into shapes, 3mm thick bases covered in flock for hills. All in all a very nice, clean setup.

More of Robert’s ECW troops

His playing surface/board is from Warbases and looks very nice.

Robert’s play surface for his TPW ECW games

This all has me thinking it may finally be time to start on my long delayed 30YW project. My current thinking is do do this in N-gauge, with my grid squares at 40mm or 50mm with terrain much like Robert’s. I could go larger; say Scruby 1″ (that would cause me to re-mold the range, which would be a good thing in itself), but I think the smaller size looks really good, so I’m leaning that way right now.