The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1870-09-02
THE FRENCH AND GERMAN ARMIES
A German Comparison.

! Tho reports hitherto published cor
corning tho vast armies sent into tn
, J field by the two .jcontcnding power
havo boon mostly confined to q com
, parison of figures as to thcir numori
cal strength. Tho following extract
from sories of letters published ir
tho Gazette Of Cologne by Julius VOL
Wiclsodo. ono of tho bost military wri
tcrs in Europe, enter moro fully int,
tho details Of organization, equipment
and armament Of tho two armies:
We commence with tho infantry nj
tho most important branch of an ar
my. The equipment Of tho French
introduced for the campaigns in Algc
ria and Italy, is worry light and cspc
cially calculated for field service in ,
warm climate or during a summer
campaign, so that the Germans, witt
their tight, heavy coats, will be undo,
disadvantage, unless they leave thci,
coats at home or on the baesa:t,
teams, and fight either in blouscs o,
III Shrt-$lccvca. The ovcrcoat, used
10Y projection against the rains and
coii nights, is the same in the French
rs III TIC German army. The military
! cap OF the French, while undoubtcdly
lighter and more comfurtal,lo tlan the
German helmet, docs not AFFORD equal
projection against rain and wind, and
anain%t the fabrc-cuts Of the cavalry.
!A5 regards the armament, there is
A0w but iit.lc doubt that although the
cli"*;cpot may bo supcior al long
range when carefully Handled, il bears
no comparison with the nccdIc-gun in
sunci';'i engagements st si,ortcr dis
tancc. in fact IL is generally conuc-
;lcl chat tic Prua::ians h. We lad out.
'aAd-out thc best cf i; in shooting 80
;a". The French arc generally lad
marIsmcn; they hardly know how to
take Sood aim, and appcar to take
particular pleasure in wasting amuni-
ton. They advance rapidly upon the
enemy, FIRE into the air 10 no purpose
whatcvcr, and when sufficiently near
may DC easily routed by we'll dircc-
ted fire from q strictly disciplined ell
cmy, especially when followed by Il
firm charge OF the Layonct. The
Cha.sGuc:.a-pied form decided The best
part Of the French inGantry, and are
decidedly preferable in any serious
engagement and i'll open battle TO the
Lanccrs and Turcos.
The four light infantry regiments Of
Tie Imperial Guard, aud the twenty
'IatC,iiions Chasseur-a-pied constitute
the flower Of the French infantry, but
even they cannot compete with the
German Chasscurs aud Fuoiliers in ra
pidity and accuracy Of firing.
The mitraiIlcur, Of which we havc
heard so much lately, is found to be
of but little practical use in tho field,
and it is already rumorcd that tho
French will renounce it before the
campaign is over. Its transportation
across tho country is difficult, and it
is not easily brought into position.
Wherever it can be made available, O
light rifcd piece of artillery does much
better service.
The French infantry arc generally
good skirmishcrs, especially tho vctc-
rams who have served in Algeria,
They likrwisc excel in tho rapid bull
ding-uP of camps, striking Of fonts,
and their peculiar adoption to camp
life. But on tho field of battlle thcy
lack precision in all movements in
closed columns, they arc in all their
cvolutions decidedly inferior to their
German antagonists. Tho outpost
service is but imperfectly and negli-
gently attended to, and French inian-
try can be but very little relied upon
in all night attacks.
The French artillery forms, beyond
all doubt, the best disciplined branch
Of the army. The officers arc almost
without exception men of theoretical
knowledge and Of fair practical cxpe-
ricncc, while the rank and file arc
composed o. robust: picked men. The
brave and skilled German art;llerists
will find them TO he worthy antago-
nists, with whom it will be an honorl
and u delight TO vie in skill and dar-
ing on the battlefield. Franco has
undoubtedly brought into action a.
heavy force Of artillery, and it is
mere than probable that fully two.
thirds Of the entire contingent Of the
regular army (157 batteries with 955
is now laundering forth
q against tho Pruss:an lines. The French
have nearly all rihcd cannon, made
after the model invented by la lIitte
The brccch-loading system has not
been introduced into the French artil-
lery: they use exclusively La Jfit!c's
innr and twclvc-pound muzzIc-loaders.
Experience will sh; w whether these
guns will bear comparison with the
German rife hrccch-loadcrs. A ma
tcrial drawback to the movements Of
the French artillery is the inicriority
and insufficient training of their hor-
scs; they are strong, but clumsy and
slow. 1t is tho common belief that
the Gcrman.Prugsian rying-arliI!cry
man~uvcrs with greater dcxtcrity and
rapiiity than the French and that
they easily pass over obstructions in
their way where French drivers
would be compelled to halt. 1t is q
well-known fact that horsemanship is
still but indiiferentIy understood in
France, although remarkable progress
has been made since the advent Of
the Second Empire. We confidently
anticipate that one-half Of tho horses
of the French artillery will be unfit
for service before the first of next
month.
Tho weakest point of the Frcncb
army is tho cavalry, although The