The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-12-26

sack 10 rosgnds o. 80 c1rJf1geS-smose-
Lass cartridges IN twenty -fcftr magazines
for ska rife - only used rs = repeater,
watch must tzrd 20 the wsse OF arnnun.-
sson, whatever the uorrn1l excellence 0.
TIE fire. dkscl olsre-an !nsrs urhirg tool and
part % teri
The organization OF tire cavalry Is re-
cusar. There are five sqUzd-ors 10 eaen
regiment fn peace, but one IS broken Up
TO bring the res. 20 war strength anu
form a depot. There are fourteen cTlifas
sser ard heavy regiments only two or
which carry cgsraSses. ard these on pal
ace duty: twenty-eight Dragon regiments.
only two OF which carry c1iErasses, ana
these on palace duty; overweight ora
goon, the latter being wholly Bavarian.
The 80 batteries and artillery are ranged
ga brigade divisions Of two ar three, ana
IN one case fosir batteries. zach 9atfeeF
consisting OF six guns. nine ammunition
wagons two battery store wagons. one
provision wagon and one forage wagon
and field forge Each g-os1s o. SIX cams
and the first lire wagons constitute the
fighting battery" Bat all the batteries
DO not 20 into the field al the outbreak Of
war. A certain number. not precisely de-
terrnined. and possibly depending on CIR
cunstances will be kept back 10 form
cadres and 3 depot The number OF
rounds carried with a battery Is 5os
shrapnel, 10 high-explosiye and 81 case
on each wagon and timber - Oh each
gun and Timber e. Our batteries as yet
carry no high-exploslve shells. Then the
German field artillery consists Of hrupp's
issz- pognder guns. with an extreme range
Of 80 yards. They nave a m1IZZle yeloc-
ity OF lao foot seconds. Thus. IN every
respect they are heavier wea pons than
OURS. but our new guns are and VIII be
much more mobile, and could thus prob
Al. All
man batteries were getting int1 position
and unIirnbertng.
We have seen that the Infantry man car
ries iai rounds. but on an advance before
going into action he is loaded up with ex-
ira rounds placed In hayersacks, trousers
and coat pockets, and indeed wherever
they can be held. Thus each man goes
into action leaving the small arm anlrau-
milton wagons empty. and carrying about
go rounds. Then the small arm wagons,
refllied, are posted In the nearest cover.
lit is important 70 take the ammunition
from the wounded and fallen" But this
viii surely lead TO skuIking. and We know
from the confessions of their officers even
German troops do skulk sometimes. The
field ammunition parks are supplied from
depots in the chief frontier fortresses. and
these are repienished from the depots Of
Germany. The Organization for food sup
ply is very perfect, but too full of detail
for description here.
AS regards drill with view to
maneuver 1.-The Germans keep their men
in close order as long as possible pie
ferring the los. Of few men 10 letting
their commands get out of hand a mo-
msnt sooner than Is necessary" Yet 1T
is recognized as a general principle that
infantry fight In dispersed order only"
We do not seem to have much IL any
anything TO learn from Germany In the
matter OF battle formation. If all our
battalion and brigade leaders acted up in
practice TO the principles of Infantry
Drill. 1882 (Which contains the principles
OF tactics for comH,ned arms as well rs
infantry. we should be In as good posi-
ton practically as the Germans in respect
Of handling men. But. unhappiIy, unlike
the Germans, We have abundance OF Of
hcers who are always trying to wrest the
directions Of the drill book toward their
own "fads." Substantially, however. all
nations, the French first of all. have
adopted the same principles In view Of the
power of modern arms. and there is DIFF
ference only TO the extent as to which
those principles are carried out. The Ger
mans like ourselves. forbid a normal
attack and leave the scheme of attack to
the divisional commander Their artil-
ieTy work is very Ike our own. Ordinar-
lily battery Of six guns will fire four
rounds minute. but this may be In
creased TO ten. and for Independent firing
to fifteen. Time shrapnel Is the chief pro-
1ectlle against 'lving targets" and high
explosive shell IL for living targets behind
cover. There do not seem to be any
range finders. but there Is a method,
(which is not known In the British serv-
Ice. Of giving small corrections OF eleva-
ton and length of fuse hy means Of small
scale plates" If the shells are bursting
too short one or mora OF these are placed
under the tangent scala