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Headquarters then made the following inquiry regarding the .50 caliber machine guns on the B-26's: 1. Request confirmation re 300 rounds each of 8 machine guns. 2. T. O. IB-26B-2-9 states 360 rounds per ammo box which feeds two guns. Four ammo boxes installed each A/C. This would provide 180 rounds per gun. 3. Advise. 64/ It would seem that the cart had preceded the horse, with Headquarters asking the field what kind of a monster they had on their hands.* The cable traffic between Retalhuleu and Head- quarters also revealed that from very early during the training period through the close out·of the operation, there would be various types of B-26 equipment shortages that would crop up to the con- sternation of the air operations people. Of the pieces \ of equipment that seemed to be in critically short supply during the course of the activity w~re pylon fuel tanks for the B-26's; and as early as November 1960, cable traffic indicated concern about the shipment * JMATE apparently queried DPD along similar lines early in Sep~ember 1960. In response to a 2 September request, Lt. Colonel Gaines forwarded a memorandum to Jake Esterline outlining various characteristics of the B-26B aircraft. (See Appendix 2.) - 49 -