11 MAY 2002, Page 32

Outnumbered

From Major Ai Stringer

Sir: Like Mr Brady (Letters, 27 April) I served in Germany during the latter stages of the Cold War. In the British Army of the Rhine we were aware of the shortcomings of the Soviet equipment through the pages of Threat magazine, produced by the Intelligence Corps and distributed widely among us. However, when looking across the Inner German Border at the massed ranks of 3 (Shock) Army, we were only too conscious of the dictum 'Quantity has a quality all of its own'.

Major A.J. Stringer

15 Signal Regiment, BFPO 801