The Savannah morning news., 1904-11-05

Styles of Organization of the Two
Armies as shown by the War De-
-paFtment RepOrts-SOme of Rus
sin's Army Corps Are said to Have
Had Only Fl 900 Soldiers in the
Battle of Lao Yang.
BY r. NJ. Larner.
Washington, Nov. 4-Some of the
military experts in this country are
evidently in the dark as to the con-
stitution and organization of the Rus
sian and japanese armies. Military
authorities in the War Department
are frequently applied to for informa-
tion on this subject. From these in
ouiries it is ascertained that some of
the most distinguished military en-
thusiasts in the service and out of it,
are unable to fully appreciate and I'M
derestand the conflict now going on in
the Far East. because of the general
lack of information as to the number
OF men constituting a regiment, bat
TALON, division and corps in the Rus
sian and japanese armies.
distinguished iurist from the
South with a streak of military en-
thusiasm in his nature. recently wrote
to friend in Washington to this eff
fect
Il would like to inquire something
about the constitution and organiza-
ton of the Russian and Japanese
armies so that the interesting reports
of the military movements published
daily could be better understood. The
formation of these armies seem differ
ent from ours The Russian infantry
battalion seems to have 500 men and
the regiment seems to consist of three
battalions or 2,4O0 men with artillery.
A division seems to consist of $4,000
and an army corps of 25,0C yet an
army corps seems to be constituted of
at least one division of cavalry, and
presumably much more infantry and
about 12S cannon. Somewhere l have
seen that the paper strength of an
army corps is about $4,000 actual
strength about $4,000, and there are
eight guns to a battery in the artil-
lery, but if that is true, as there were
nine army corps collected at Mukden,
before the recent battle, the strength
of the Russian army would be some
thing like $4,000, which seems incred-
ible''
The Armies of the East.
In reply to this inquiry the following
interesting information was obtained
from the official records of the War
Department.
A Japanese regiment of infantry con-
sists of three battalions of four COM
panies each. When modified for war
the company has S officers and 2S5
men; the regiment has 6S officers and
hoe off
and 5,5T7 men; the battery six guns,
has 5 officers and 1888 men; the artil-
lery regiment has Sc officers and 1,l94
men; the squadron has officers ana
1876 men; the cavalry regiment has II
officers and AIS men.
The division consists of two infantry
brigades, a cavalry regiment, an ar
tillery regiment, the various detach-
ments of special troops and the trains.
If at full strength the combatant
strength of a division is S51 officers
and 1921 men In addition it has
about 1876 officers and 5,l04 men, class
ed as on-combatants, comprising the
various attachments of special troops
and the train service.
When the reserves join, the strength
of a division is increased nearly one
half.
The Russian Organization.
The strength of Russian organiza-
lions is more variable. The infantry
company has three or four officers and
s23S or 240 men; the infantry battalion
has II or IS officers and 95S men; the
infantry regiment has rs officers and
3STS men, if containing four battal-
ions; if containing but two battalions,
as in the East Siberian Rifles, the reg
inent contains 80 officers and zoos men.
The squadron has four or six officers
and 165 to 1853 men: the four squadron
regiment has IS officers and 6l5 men;
the squadron regiment has Al officers
and 975 men: the battery usually has
eight guns: its strength since the be-
ginning of the introduction of rapid
fire gun is not known. A division con-
sists of two brigades of two regiments,
an artillery brigade of six batteries,
and various detachments of special
troops; a corps consists of two infan-
try divisions. one cavalry division, one
mobile artillery park, and various de-
tachments of special troops having a
combatant strength of 1,010 officers and
al 097 men: and a non-combatant
strength of 200 officers and 1851 men;
the total artillery is 1OS guns.
The Field Forces.
II must be understood, however, that
organizations in the field frequently
fall far below the maximum numbers
and practically never reach them. Not
only must the casualties of battle and
the absentees from sickness be allowed
for but il must be remembered that
units are frequently sent piecemeal and
not held until the mobilization is COM
plete. This is particularly true of the
Russian army. in which in some cases
q battalion is expanded into a regi-
ment by calling out the reserves.
AS an example some of the Russian
army corps at the battle OF Lao Vans
are said to have had not more thar
21 900 present.
Statements of strength not based or
official returns are liable to be very
erroneous. and no statements based OF
official returns have been made pub
lie.