Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1910-03-25
MACHINE GUNS IN The
WORLDS ARMIES.
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The value OF machine guns was
first exemplihed in the Franco-P -Prus.
sian War, the Boer War In South
Africa confirmed the conclusions Of
the tacticlans, and the Russo-Jap-
anese War proved the correctness OF
their views Since then all European
nations have made machine gun bat
teries an essential part Of their or.
ganization.
The supply Of machine guns is in
creasing in all European armies.
Everywhere it is conceded that this
the latest arm of the service will play
a decisive part in the battles OF the
future.
At present the following is the
armament Of the principal nations in
this respect:
The German army has sixteen ma
chine gun batteries, which 1t has had
for some time. and which there ap-
pears to be no tendency to increase.
1t may therefore be assumed that
they are designed to fit out the dIvis-
ions Of cavalry which Will be organ
lied in he event of war, one for each
division.
On the other hand. there are also
machine gun companies assigned to
the infantry regiments and forming
part of their organization. and these
have been gradually increased in
number, so that now each infantry
brigade has in one OF its regiments
such company armed with the latest
1908 model gun and carriage. The
supply of material and all accessories
Of this kind is regarded as of the
first Importance. Further additions
are to be made as funds become avail
able,
Austria-Hungary developed its ma
chine gun organizations very rapidly.
At present every infantry regiment
and every Jager battalion has a bat
terry Of two guns. 1t is proposed in
the near future to effect an increase.
so that every battery will have six
pieces. The Landwehr regiments are
fitted out similarly. In the cavalry
there are now four machine gun bat
teries Zone for every cavalry divisionl
Of four guns each.
In Italy the supply of machine guns
is still in its infancy. BY the end Of
the year, however, every infantry
regiment and every Alpine battalion
is to have one gun for training the
men. In the fall of 1910 a begin
ming is to be made to give every in
fantry and cavalry regiment one bat.
terry OF four and every Alpine bat
talon one battery Of two such guns.
France has very recently solved the
machine gun question and has pro-
ceeded very energetieally, so that at
present all infantry regiments have
four Gin time Of war six). the chas-
seur battalions two Tin time of war
four machine guns. and the reserve
regiments are fitted out In the same
way. The machine guns OF dismount-
ed troops are carried on pack animals.
Every cavalry regiment. including the
reserve, is TO have two machine guns
on wheeled carriages. and every field
artillery regiment is to receive two
such guns as support.
Russia had carried on its armament
of machine guns so that at the end
of 1903 every infantry regiment, in
clnding the reserve (except the Co.'S
sacks) had machine gun battery of
Sou : guns, which number is to be in
EIRroG mobilization to six.
>i '1rsat army of Eng
lam, na. s,,dlon two. in
every cavalry brigade six machine
guns
In our own army machine guns
have been supplied from time to time.
but only experimentally and not as
an intrinsic part of the army organ
ization. The question has been stud
led. no doubt. by the General Stan
but the definite organization and sun.
ply of this new arm has been post-
poned to make way for other more
considerations and also 10
profit by the experience of European
nations before adopting any definite
organization or tactics for this new
but highly important arm of the SER
vice.-New York Sun.