Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-25
ARMY MARKSMANSHI
THE TRAINING OF FOREIGN
TROOPS.
Of the Germans in Simulat-
ing Moving Soldiers-Remount
Systems Abroad.

| volume of great interest to the military
service has just been made public in the
shape of Target practice and remount
| systems abroad" published by Lieut. Col.
| W. A. Simpson, chief of the bureau Of mill
| tary information and arranged by Capt. E.
| A. Edwards. 25th Infantry, and Capt j. s.
Heron, I'd Cavalry.
Recent events have shown how necessary
good craftsmanship is to success in war.
| and the volume just made public gives a
| good idea of the methods and course OF
! training adopted in the countries of the
| world to give their troops the desired skill
| proficiency in shooting to kill" The re-
| ports from the various foreign countries
| were compiled by the military attaches OF
| the United States at the various capitals,
| and naturally, as they have worked to-
| ward the same ends, the results necessarily
| involve something of sameness Neverthe-
| less numerous and valuable hints for adop-
! ton into our own service might be gathered
| from a study of the foreign systems.
In Germany the course of instruction for
an infantry soldier comprises preparatory
| instruction, then range firing and lastly
| field for combat firing. The firing exercises
| are conducted with great eXactness, and in
| one year of work the soldier is expected to
| have fitted himself to use a rife well in
| actual warfare.
Ingenuity Shown by Germans.
| A feature of target practice in Germany
| is the ingenuity displayed in the fashioning
| of the targets themselves. On permanent
| ranges figures are arranged as disappear
| ing moving targets are manipulated from
| covers not noticeable from the front. A
| target representing a line of infantry 100
meters long may be erected in ten minutes
| by eight men, and may be worked by one
| man. By ingenious methods the advance
| Of reinforcements or the thinning Of a line
| of infantry or the advance of a column of
| soldiers is stimulated. Balloon targets are
| used to represent lines of sharpshooters ly-
| ing in trench Imitation keeps them erect.
and when punctured by a bullet they soon
| collapse, showing the German firing line
| that another enemy of the fatherland has
met his just deserts. The agility of sharp
| shooters is represented by variety of tar
| gets which be made to pop up and
down out of trenches and from behind en-
| bankments at will. Other movable targets
are attached to sheds and drawn over the
| surface of the ground by steam power or
| by horses Cash gratuities, badges and
| other prizes are held out to enlisted men
| for proficiency in target practice, and in
| the case of the officers a sword, saber or
| fine watch presented in the name Of the
| emperor awaits the successful markSmen.
British Adopt New Methods.
The war in South Africa has caused the
| British service to revise its mnsketry regu-
| lations. and the reported changes show in
a nutshell what the struggle with the Beers
has taught-they practically abolish volley
firing, provide a system of firing behind
| cover, and encourage individuality rather
| than consolidated, machine work
A new system Of field firing has been
| adopted at Aldershot. Targets are placed
at the crest of a long hill. and battalion
1xyoy 20 to1y b.
an enemy A peculiar part of the arrange
ment Is that the advance is the whole time
| subjected to shrapnel fire, which is simu-
| lated by the explosion of small, harmless
bombs suspended over the heads of the
dummy men in the fort or laid at their feet.
Dummy guns in the 'enemy's' position are
| fired in the same way. All over the ground
are covered pits for the use of umpires.
who, by means of mirrors, can watch the
| advance in all it's movements.
Practice of the Russians.
| A picturesque feature of the work in Rus
sian army is the selection of certain num-
Der Of men of good constitution and keen
sight, whose principal training consists in
hunting wild animals, the object being to
have specially trained men for difficult and
dangerous duties in war.
The great center of target pra ctice work
in France is at Chalons, where every year
groups Of horse batteries and regiments of
most war footing, the whole artillery and
ammunition train Of an army corps.
In little Switzerland skill in the use of
the rifle Is much sought after, and even be-
fore they enter the army Swiss youths
have attained quite a degree of proficiency
in shooting.
Importance of Remounts.
Military remounts have been shown to be
factor on which success in war depends
il large measure. Great Britain purchased
100000 horses for the South African war;
Germany has 10000 horses in her army
France has 142, 600 and Russia 10000 AS
high as 100000 more, it is stated would be
equtred to bring any one OF the countries
mentioned up to a war footing. In Austria
Hungary all the horses purchased for the
army are procured within the limits of the
empire There are nearly four million
horses n the country, and in case of war
all MAJ be taken from their private own
ers and given back on the return of peace
Horses intended for the use of officers are
given system of superior training by
iocsing a deer and following it in an ex-
citing chase over all obstacles capable of
negotiation in the course
All horses and mules for the French army
are bought in open market. The remount
service is charged with the purchase and
delivery of all horses and mules needed for
the military service, and for the purpose of
the remount the country is divided into two
uiSlIiClS, edCH COHltndnQeO by colonel
cavalry.
Germany's Excellent Mounts
The production and improvement of horses
for the German army have been for a long
time the object of active vigilance, and the
result accomplished it is stated, is that the
emperor can justly claim better bred mounts
| in his army than are found in that of any
other European country. Aside from the
private breeding stables, Germany has or
ganized government breeding establish
| ments. where are kept both stations and
mares.
The remounting of the British army az
home is carried out under the orders of the
! inspector general of remounts. In normal
| times, the regular army has had no mount
| ed troops abroad, except in South Africa
| India and Egypt, and these, it has been the
| custom to purchase locally. The horses are
acquired by purchase in the open market
| 1t is said that in case of need for mobili-
| cation for home defense, Great Britain
| would need about $4,000 horses and that
| she is at a loss to know where they could
be obtained.
Tale Of Greek Brigands.