Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-11-05
German Officers Praise the Work
Of Cars Artillery.
Shooting Of His Infantry, However,
Found Not Effective-Aseressive.
ness Surprised kaiser's Men.

Rerln.-German army officers are
giving their views as to the fighting
qualities of the Russian emperor's SOL
diers and officers. The first surprise
the Russians gave to the German mill.
tary leaders was the aggressive way
in which they pushed the campaign.
1t had been supposed in military quar-
ters here that they would occupy
strong defensive positions behind the
NiStula and other streams and await
the attack of the Germans and Aus
TRANS. Instead Of such strategy, how
ever, they pushed into East Prussia in
great numbers at very early stage Of
the war
From this fact It is inferred here
that Russias mobilization was very
far advanced and other preparations
for war begun long before the Petro-
grad government admitted that even
one soldier had been called to the
colors. This inference finds strong
support, too, in admissions declared to
have been made by Russian prisoners.
The next surprise was that the Rus
sian generals no longer send their
troops into battle In close formation
as in previous wars, but have mod
erniZed their tactics and try to utilize
all the advantages of the ground. The
shooting of the infantry, however, was
found to be still very ineffective. This
T., priCnnnrc told the
truth in saying that they had no tar
get practice whatever and had used
only their rifles, shooting with blank
cartridges in maneuvers. Even SOL
diers of the standing army appear to
have had practice only In shooting at
about nine hundred yards. At that
range their work was fairly accurate,
but at longer and shorter ranges near
ly all their bullets went wild.
With the field artillery the case Is
quite different. Its firing Is remark
ably good, and the unanimous verdict
of the German officers Is embodied In
the frequently heard words, Hats of
to the Russian gunners." AS rule
the first salvo of the batteries would
fall short. the second would overshoot.
but the third would begin frightful
carnage among the German ranks un-
less they had changed their position
meanwhile. One Of the specialties or
the Russian artillery was to locate and
fire upon the German staff officers,
with the result that these had fire.
quently to change their position.
The accurate Russian gunnery was
considerably neutralized, however, by
the large proportion Of shells which
failed to explode-a fact which soon
found a legendary explanation In the
report that many shells contained
sand instead Of explosives. Artillery
experts find a more probable explana-
ton in the marshy nature Of the ter
rain in many places along the Russian
frontier, the shells burying themselves
in the soft earth without exploding.
The Cossacks have again proved
that they are of little value, according
to German officers, either for recon-
noissance work or in fighting. On the
other hand the German officers speak
much more favorably Of the regular
Russian cavalry. The conduct Of the
troops in the invasion Of East Prussia,
particularly when together In larger
units and under the command of high
er officers, appears to have been IN
general excellent. They appear to
have respected private property and
paid for supplies requisitioned, even
If payment was only In Russian script.
Small detachments, on the contrary,
seemed to have looted and burned.
The Russian officers have by no
means impressed the German military
men favorably. In many cases 1t was
remarked that they failed to grasp the
most elementary tactical points In sit
uaticns on the battlefield. 1t was also
frequently charged In newspaper ac-
counts and letters from soldiers and
officers that many Russian officers
lack courage. A German captain re.
ports that he counted $50 dead Rus.
slams on the heights near Hohenstein,
but not one officer among them.