The Topeka state journal., 1900-03-10
HOW A BATTLE
IS FOUGHT.
Many Changes Have Been Made but
There are Facts That the English
Might Learn From American
Methods.

AS the English Army has world
wide reputation as one of the most per
feet bodies of lighting men in existence
the reVerseS that attended their APP
pearance in South Africa was a matter
of surprise to military men. At first
it was thought that the British War
Office must have been keeping too close
to the old methods of warfare that a
conservative policy would naturally
have suggested. 1t was known that
the War ONCE had long stood as the
representative of all that was cOnSer-
vative and it was felt that old-fashion-
ed methods were responsible for the
army's reVerses.
When the actual facts were received
from the front, however, it was found
that popular opinion had been mistaken
and that although the War Office may
have been old-faShiOned in the manage
ment of it's affairs at home it had GER
tainly adopted many innovations since
the days of Waterloo, since the Crimea,
and particularly since the Franco-Prus-
sian war.
The English soldier, as he fought Ma
poleon, and as he is now fighting in
Africa, is the same stamp of man, but
his style of combat then and now are
as different as chalk and cheese. In
the old days he fought in the old-faSh-
ioned way, now in squares, now shoul-
der to shoulder in companies as close
to the next man as he could jam. On
the occasion of his last meeting with
the Beers, some twenty years ago, he
fought in the same way. To-day, how
ever, the fighting is all in 9 exteE led
order
ORDER OF BATTLE
The " extended order " is carried out
in this way:
An Army Corps consists of from 25.-
600 to $4,000 men, divided into three
armS-caValry, artillery and infantry.
These latter are subdivided into divis-
ions, these into brigades, brigadeS into
battalions, battalions into companies,
half companies and sections. Each
unit has it's commander and in battle
it takes it's orders only from him.
When this army moves out to give
battle it marches in parallel columns,
each composed of so many regiments
of infantry supported by cavalry and
guns At a given hour these columns
arrive at a certain position, for care
has been taken to see that each col
| umn has timed itself to appear at the
appointed place exactly upon the min
ute The guns Immediately take their
places, at points commanding the
enemy, and open fire, While the main
| body of the cavalry push out to right
and left to cover the Hanks and, pre-
pare to pursue the enemy in the event
| of victory
In this field work the artillery gener-
ally fire shrapnel, which is shell
charged with bullets and timed to ex-
| plode at a required distance. 1t is
aimed about ten feet over the enemy s
head so that when it bursts a perfect
| shower of bullets fly in all directions.
In addition to the shrapnel there are
| the lyddite Shells thrown by the
howitzers and which do frightful dam
/ age when they fall into the midst of
the enemy's entertainments
Under cover of this hail of bullet and
explosive the columns form for attack
1t is at this time that the infantry are
| divided. Half the battalions are told
off for the firing line, While the other
half is held for the reserve In the
/ ,Nf ~, ha+ arc n
the firing line the " extended order ,
| is Immediately assumed
! In other words the men march out
and commence rapidly and silently 10
. extend - to single rank That is to
| say the half company, Which is in two
| ranks, commences to open out, the rear
rank men stepping up into the front
rank and this opening-out process is
continued until each man is one, two
or four PAGES from his nearest neigh
i bor, according to orders.
/ At the same moment each column has
/ been carving out this = extended
i order - until the long thin line of men
/ reaches out a couple of miles or more,
4 overlapping and covering the whole
front of the army. This is the firing
line - in . extended order. and it does
. almost the whole of the fighting.
When the line has been completed the
men break into faster step ana the
battle has commenced IN earnest There
| is no shouting of orders. The lieuten-
ants marching behind the half COM
panies make their signs by blowing
whistles The sign is repeated by the
sergeants, and the men move or halt
accordingly.
such is the mode of attack that is
| followed by the British army to-day
and it is thoroughly up-to-date in every
respect. At Waterloo the men fought
in solid companies of double ranks. Ii
| didn't matter then, because musket
was not much good over hundred
yards. Now the army opens out ano
makes itself as thin target as pos
| sible, because of the rife IRE that car