民國39年 (1950)援蔣戰車與裝甲車裝船運台

民國39年 (1950)援蔣戰車與裝甲車裝船運台

Newspaper: Democrat and Chronicle Location: Rochester, New York Date: January 11, 1950

Ship Loads Tanks, Cars For Shipment to Chiang

Philadelphia — (AP) — Nearly 300 U. S. Army tanks and armored cars were being loaded yesterday aboard a Turkish freighter here for shipment to the Chinese Nationalists at Formosa. The equipment was sold from "excess immediate U. S. needs" in storage at the Lima, Ohio, Ordnance Depot.

In Washington, the Chinese Embassy said the tanks and cars were purchased under the 125 million-dollar aid program voted China by Congress in 1948.

Lt. Col. R. B. Fontaine, commander of the Lima depot, said loading of the armored vehicles aboard Reading Company trains was completed last week.

They were brought to a Port Richmond pier in northeastern Philadelphia for shipment to the Pacific aboard the S. S. Mardin, a freighter owned by Marta TAS of Istanbul, Turkey.

The Chinese Nationalist government made all transportation arrangements, both rail and water, Colonel Fontaine said.

Chinese Pick Purchases

Michael McDermott, State Department press officer, said the Chinese government had been spending the aid money through its own purchasing agents and had bought whatever armaments it wanted.

"We still recognize the Nationalist government of China and would interpose no objection to its exporting this material from this country," McDermott added.

The only description and indication of designation was provided by this bill of lading on one of the 90 flatcars which are being loaded aboard the freighter:

"The Chinese government is paying for packing, handling and transportation direct, and not from funds allotted to the Department of Defense.

"Markings peculiar to the Army Armored Command, except that of the registration number, will be removed from the vehicles.

"Price $1,000 Each

The price of the tanks was listed in the bill as $1,000 each. Similar tanks, without weapons, cost about $58,000 to build during the war.

Government sources in Washington reported that the shipment included 70 medium tanks, 100 armored cars and 70 scout cars. They said another 30 tanks left this country for Formosa about a week ago.

The only comment from Capt. Nuri Yilmaz of the Mardin was that he was taking a shipment of sulphite to Formosa.

"I can't say," he replied when asked where he was taking the tanks.

"What is your next port of call?" he was asked by newsmen.

"I don't know," he replied.

Sources who desired to remain anonymous said the tanks and armored cars also are bound for Formosa.

---

報紙： 民主與紀事報 (Democrat and Chronicle) 發行地點： 紐約州羅徹斯特 (Rochester, New York) 日期： 民國39年 (1950年) 1月11日

援蔣戰車與裝甲車裝船運台

費城 (Philadelphia) — (美聯社) — 近三百輛美國陸軍戰車與裝甲車，昨日在此地裝上一艘土耳其貨輪，準備運往福爾摩沙 (Formosa) 給中華民國政府。

這批裝備是從俄亥俄州利馬 (Lima, Ohio) 軍械庫售出的美軍剩餘物資。

在華盛頓 (Washington)，中華民國大使館表示，這批戰車與汽車是根據美國國會於1948年投票通過的一點二五億美元援華計畫所採購的。

利馬 (Lima) 軍械庫指揮官 R. B. 方丹 (R. B. Fontaine) 中校表示，將裝甲車輛裝載至雷丁鐵路公司 (Reading Co.) 火車的工作已於上週完成。

這些車輛被運至費城 (Philadelphia) 東北部的里奇蒙港 (Port Richmond) 碼頭，準備登上 S. S. Mardin 馬丁輪運往太平洋。該貨輪為土耳其伊斯坦堡 (Istanbul) 的 Marta TAS 公司所有。

方丹 (Fontaine) 中校表示，中華民國政府安排了所有的鐵路與海運運輸事宜。

由中方挑選採購

美國國務院新聞官邁克爾·麥克德莫特 (Michael McDermott) 表示，中華民國政府一直透過其自身的採購代理人來花費這筆援助款項，並購買了任何其所想採購的軍備。

「我們仍承認中華民國政府，且不反對其將這批物資自本國出口，」麥克德莫特 (McDermott) 補充道。

關於貨物內容與目的地的唯一說明，來自正在裝上貨輪的90個鐵路平車中，其中一節上提貨單的記載：

「中華民國政府將直接支付包裝、處理與運輸費用，而非使用國防部撥款。」

「除註冊編號外，車輛上所有陸軍裝甲兵司令部特有的標誌都將被移除。」(譯註：「基本配賦品」木箱上的嘜頭(SHIPPING MARK)還是印有 SHIPPER ARMORED FORCE COMMAND，並未完全移除)

每輛價格1,000美元

提貨單上所列的戰車價格為每輛1,000美元。而在戰時，製造不含武器的同型戰車，成本約為58,000美元。

華盛頓 (Washington) 的政府消息來源指出，這批貨物包含70輛中型戰車(譯註：M5A1 司徒輕型戰車)、100輛裝甲車及70輛搜索車(譯註：M3A1 裝甲搜索車)。他們表示，約一週前，另有30輛戰車已運往福爾摩沙 (Formosa)。

馬丁輪 (Mardin) 船長努里·伊爾馬茲 (Nuri Yilmaz) 僅表示，他正載運一批亞硫酸鹽前往福爾摩沙 (Formosa)。

當被問及要將戰車運往何處時，他回答：「我不能說。」

新聞記者問他：「你的下一個停靠港是哪裡？」

他回答：「我不知道。」

希望匿名的消息來源表示，這批戰車與裝甲車的目的地同樣是福爾摩沙 (Formosa)。

---

• M5A1司徒戰車在二戰時的建造成本不含武器約為58,000美元，以現代幣值推估約為1.07百萬美元(3,440萬新台幣)。