European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 24, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes sunday september 24, 1978 tank killers7 won t allow easy win Story and photos by John Savarin Firnberg Bureau chief Ullersberg Germany is the Good Guys will win in exercise Blue Danube As the script demands but pilots of co a 3rd aviation in combat Are determined to make Victory As costly As pos sible. The cobra pilots fighting for red or aggressor forces had started smashing tanks during a Battle after dark the night before. One platoon had killed 16 tanks with the loss of one gunship. There were tanks sitting All Over the place with Little yellow flags on them said a 3rd inf div spokesman who witnessed the Battle. When i asked the tank Crews How they were hit they blamed the  unlike american exercises Blue Danube run by ii German corps has no free play Maneu vers. German Canad an and . Forces win and lose Battles in strictly controlled thrusts. The yank pilots said they were surprised at first by the planned movements but the score showed they Learned quickly. The pilots commander maj. Gene Coe had told his men to be ready again at Dawn. But they were still on the ground at 2 . Because jets expected at a River crossing would make it too hazardous for helicopters to attack tanks crossing. We sat Here All morning figuring ways to Stop that River crossing said 28-year old cw03 Jeff Stayton. We d get them As they came out of the water while they were All buttoned up  cobra pilots considered using 2.75-Inch rockets or their rapid fire mini gun to puncture holes in the snorkel. Water pour ing into the snorkel would Stop the tank s engine leaving it stranded on the River Bottom. Shortly after 3 ., Coe took a message in the company tactical operations Center. His cobras were needed to Stop the tide of tanks sweeping across the River. The pilots had been close to their air Craft All Day. Some talked some read others dozed in cockpits. But they quickly the tanks gained on them they prepared to Lowed a Blue air Mobile operation. As the readied their ships for flight As scouts move their 5,000-gallon tank trucks to blues unloaded the aviators called in the moved out in search of Blue targets. Avoid capture. Enemy location to artillery. Closer to the front soldiers of co c were the cobras bagged eight tanks in their red pilots could Fly Home knowing they standing by to refuel helicopters. But As first fight. The scouts meanwhile Fol helped offer a real test to Blue defences. A cobra anti tank helicopter dives Down among the Trees after attacking tanks during the course of the Blue Danube exercise. Maj. Gene Coe foreground and cwo3 James t. Hall guide tank killing copters to Blue Force targets and Leopard tanks Are caught by Surprise As they travel on a Back Road