Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-23
THE NEXT WAR,
Tactics Adopted by Armies on the CONT
nent Of Europe.

Tactics Adopted by Armies on the Cont.
nent Of Europe.
From the London Times.
Yesterday at the Royal United Service Insti
tuition, Whitehall Yard, the second session OF
the year was opened bya lecture on the new
tactics of continental and especially German
troops, the lecturer being Capt. ]. NJ. Grierson,
R.A., deputy adjutant general, who has at.
tended the maneuvers of the German army for
the last two years.
Capt. Grierson said that with the enormous
masses Of men who would appear upon the
continental battlefelds Of the future it became
OF the utmost importance to shorten the march.
ing columns, and various experiments were
made by the Germans to carry this out. The
plan now adopted was to move on as broad
front as the road permitted. with the
ranks closed up. In the German army il
was the invariable pzasties- to carry out
generally all other arms, in marching order.
and the men were thus accustomed to maneu.
yer In peace, as they would fight in war. As to
smokeless powder, one required to see it used
to grasp the enormous difference this material
field Of the future. At few yards distance
only faint blue haze was seen when q single
rifle was fired, and even when large bodies
were using their rifles as reporters the
smoke was SO slight as to make no
real difference to those firing. The new
powder must give a great advantage to troops
acting on the defensive. Then. as to the adop-
ton Of the magazine rifle this had necessitatej
the supply Of additional ammunition, and had
increased the difficulties OF distribution. ALI
continental armies appeared to have endeavored
| to solve the problem by "fractioning" the sup.
ply, and had adopted light company ammuni.
ton wagons instead Of the old battalion wagons
As to the new small-caliber rifle, the lecturer
said that more than by smokeless powder
more even than by the repeating principle
had tactical formations been affected by this
rifle. The weapon with which the German in
fantry was armed was used entirely as
a repeater, and not, as with US, as a sim
gle loader, and he called attention to the
increased distances at which the German sol.
dier was expected to hit. Regulations were
laid down that between ego and $50 yards
closed bodies in the open or behind defective
| cover could only be allowed to remain halted
or to move to flank for short time, and
then only when the fire of the shooting line
| covering them was. in a measure. equal to that
of the enemy. II under artillery fire the
companies formed line at about 500 meters.
German infantry always moved at the
| quick" and thus kept their breath. and were
thus in good form for shooting when halted.
| Generally half a shooting line OF battalion
moved forward covered by the fire of the
half remaining in position. The fire disci-
than in other systems.
He then spoke of the remarkable grip the
officers had Of the supports and reserves and
dwelt upon the fact that in the supreme mo-
ment of a contest the parade STEP was as
sumed. the drums beat and the bands played
| the regimental march. The men in front
knew from the drums and the music that
| their comrades we're coming. and SO &C.
quired that new strength of mind which was
only second to strength of body. Little
use was made in the German army Of volley
firing and infantry fire at long range was
quite the exception. Great use was made by
the German infantry Of the intrenching tools.
with which every second man was pro-
vided. As to mounted infantry the lecturer
said every continental nation rejected it abso-
lutely. II infantry were required to keen
up with cavalry, they were conveyed on
carts Even the Russians seemed to be
changing their ideas about their dragons.
who were. armed with rifles and bayonets.
and trained to fight on foot. Then. as to artil.
lery, it was shown that the proportion of guns
to an army would be enormously increased
and the work Of the masses of guns would
be facilitated by the smokeless powder.
In conclusion, the speaker emphasize ed
the great Importance Of the assemblage OF
troops at maneuvers: These were the SCHOOLS
in which all ranks. and especially the staff were
trained in peace for the duties they would have
| to perform in war.