Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-07
! ARMY OF NORWEG|ANS
OrganizationThat Dates From
Seventeenth Century.
WARIIKE TRADITIONS
ARRANGEMENT OF FORCES PECU-
LIAR TO THE COUNTRY.
Ships of the Vikings Known Far and
Wide in the Middle Ages
Navy of Today.
WARLIKE TRADITIONS

King Oscars decision to mobilize the
army for the purpose of making show re-
calls the fact that Norway. too. has an
army. which. in It's present form. dates
back to the beginning of the seventeenth
century. The weii-deveioped defense of the
middle ages. "ledingen.' had altogether de-
generated in the time of troopers and lans-
quenets and ii was completely new for
nation when special national Norwegian
army was again raised by Christian ".
The warlike traditions of the army con-
slst of a long series of border engagements.
in which it defended the frontier with
honor and success against the renowned
Swedish troops The strength of the troops
of the line generally amounted to between
% and per cent of the population; the
organization was territorial based upon
"laegder. four subsequently two.- farms
having together to provide one soldier. The
towns had their city militia. On the coast
and frontier there were great number of
batteries and fortresses.
The fundamental law of 1914 determined
that obligatory service should be universal
and personal After the union with Swe-
den had been entered upon. however, a
great reduction was made in the army. and
most of the Notifications were vacated.
The bill for liability to service was not
passed. until HuCn later. L is on the BASS
or the CONSUMPTION act of 1885 that the
army has obtained its present complete or
ganiZation. in which however most of the
former line commands are retained. Every
able-bodfed Norwegian. except members of
the clergy and pilots. Is liable to service
and may be employed in any position where
he is best suited This obligation to serve
holds good from the age of eighteen to
nifty. The men are not enrolled. however,
until the year in which they complete their
twenty-second year. thus later than in most
countries, and they are on the army list
for sixteen years. The men serve first In
the line for six years. then in the landvern
for six years, and then for four years In the
landstOrm. The remainder of the age
classes are in the unorganized landstorm
reinforcements. The three opbuds have the
same number of parallel battalions. squad
rons. etc, and the line and landvern have
the necessary army reserves within their
own age classes. The line only according
to the fundamental law, can be employed
outside the country.
a, Peculiar to Norway
This arrangement, peculiar to Norway. of
the three successive opbuds of equal
strength has been brought about by the
position of the country as once indie
pendent member in a union. IT, in defense
of the united kingdoms. the line is operat-
ing in Sweden. it will be necessary to have
u field army of considerable size and
strength to protect Norway from a special
attack, namely. the landvern. BY consist
emily carrying out the territorial system
the third opbud also acquires the same con-
formation. The landstorm, which in Nor
way. as elsewhere, is mainly intended for
local defense, is also expected to cover the
concentration of the troops belonging TO
the line and the landvern by instantly oc-
cupying prepared points by sudden mobi-
lization.
The training the commissioned and
non-cOm missoned officers have to undergo
DPf0rf they given nOGiffDDS nf
bility is very strict and lasts for a consid-
cradle period. The enlisted men also
given a thorough course of instruction be-
fore they are regularly assigned.
The infantry line and landyern are armed
with krag -Jorgenseu rifles. most OF which
are made at the royal mandatory of arms
at Kongsberg. The ammunition is pro-
cured from the royal cartridge and powder
factory at Raufos. west of Lake Mjosen.
The landstorm has at present a magazine
rifle of an older Norwegian pattern.
The annual number of recruits to the
army. including TromsO diocese, is about
IL 900 (15 per cent of those examined are
fit for service in the line). Norway at this
time is able to raise Systematically and
quickly by mobilization an army of about
80 900 for the defense of its own land, di-
vided as follows: \ line army OF about
26 900 men that, according to law, can be
employed abroad; a militia army of more
than - $50 men, the landvern, together with
a field force of 81. COO men. about % per
cent of the population: a second ban OF
the militia the landstorm, 5000 men, chief
ly for local defense: coast artillery. 400
men or regular officers there are about
500 al present and about 700 ''conscripted,''
or unassigned to regular commands.
Volunteer Rifle Corps.
Besides the regular army. the volunteer
rifle corps can be utilized for the defense
of the country. These number about 10000
members. of whom about 10000 are not on
the army list The rifle corps members pos
sess about $1,000 rifles of the army pat
tern. In case of war 1t has been planned
TO provide this rifle corps with uniform
marks and place it under the command of
the army.
In the middle ages the ships of the Nor
weglan Vikings were known far and wide.
The Old national defensive organization.
''ledingen" (the levy, was entirely based
on naval warfare; the coast was divided
into ship provinces, which each had to pro-
vide a manned vessel with oars and sails.
In the development of the larger types of
warShips of more modern times Norway
had no part until long after union was
effected with Denmark. and the traditions
of Norwegian naval wars during the last
centuries hardly to be separated from
those of Denmark as long as this union
existed. IL in great measure Nor
wegian sailors and Norwegian officers that
manned the fleet which maintained the
intercourse between the kingdoms and
which was most frequently victorious in
the numerous engagements with the Swe-
dish fleet in the Baltic and Kattegat In
1901 a bloody battle was fought with the
English under Parker and Nelson in the
roads of Copenhagen; and in 1907 the large
and splendid united feet given up to
the English. who quite Unexpectedly landed
in Zealand. During the succeeding years
of there were no ships left in Nor
way but two three brigs and a few
rowing gunboats.
Gunboats Important.
Since 1914 special Importance has been
attached to gunboats, these vessels have
proved capable Of keeping the belt of rocks
and islands along the coast the "skjae-
gard" free from the enemys ships and
open for the coast traffic. which is so nee
essary for Norway.
Steam was introduced fairly early and In
the sixties Norway had fleet of screw
frigates and smaller steamers that was
quite on a par with those of her neighbor
When the general introduction followed the
civil war In this country few monitors
were built. but 1t was. of course impossible
for nation numbering less than 1900 900
persons to keep up with the very rapid de-
velopment of large and costly vessels that
followed Norway confined herself mainly
to strengthening to some extent the defense
of the skjaegaard by building small steam
gunboats, with heavy guns. The impor-