The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-10-23
MARCHING ARMIES
For Infantry Fifteen Miles Is a
Good Days Work.
HORSES MAKE TWENTY MILES
But to Do This Day After Day Re-
quirss Good Artillery Stock and Al
most Perfect Conditions - The Pace
For Soldiers In Various Countries.


most Perfect Conditions - The Pace
For Soldiers In Various Countries.
The infantry pace varies in detail in
the armies Of the nations. 1t varies
not only in length of step. but In the
number of steps to the minute, and
each nation, of course, thinks its own
step is the best.
One peculiar step, known as the pa
rnde march, or goose step" is used
at times by German soldiers. No 9th
er army has a step similar to 1t. The
German goose step consists In throw
ing out the legs without bending the
knees, and it is used only on ceremo-
NAL occasions, In changing guard and
when detachment Of men pass an
officer Of high rank.
The rate of march Of detachment
of infantry in active service depends
on many factors, including the size Of
the marching body or the length Of the
column, the training, physical cOndi-
ton and spirit of the troops, the road
and the weather.
Two and half miles an hour and f1f-
teen miles day is good average for
seasoned infantry carrying, Of course,
field equipment. Seasoned troops In
good spirits and spurred by the pros
pect Of action may be depended on to
do much better than this when the sit
uation requires It, but when an In
fantry division or even a brigade has
moved over fifteen miles of road In one
| day 1t has done days work.
Stonewall Jackson's "foot cavalry of
the valley" now and then covered for
| ty miles in one march, but 1t was ex-
traordinary infantry.
In some of the press reports from
the Russo-JapaDese war 1t was given
out that on occasion large bodies of
Japanese infantry covered fifty miles
! Of road in day and night and came
up on the firing liue fresh enough to
shoot But great many prodigies
were accredited to Japanese troops in
that war
1t has long been saying among
military men of countries other than
France that the French foot soldier
has the best legs in Europe, and the
mobility of an army depends on its
] feet and legs. Infantry is as good as
its feet. An infantryman who can
march and shoot is worth regiment
Of men who straggle. hunt shade, pant
for water. develop blisters on the feet
and keep their ears pricked up only
for mess call, sick call and recall.
In the American army the length of
the full step in quick dime is thirty
inches, measured from heel to heel,
and the cadence is at the rate of 100
steps to the minute. At 120 steps to
the minute the soldier marches 5000
inches minute, which equals 100
yards. And marching 100 yards u
minute he will march 5000 yards In
one hour, or three and nine twenty
seconds Of mile--a little under three
and half miles. They do not do this
practically because time must be taken
out for rest.
The British infantry step is thirty
one and one half inches, the longest of
all the steps. Germany keeps step
with Switzerland, each doing thirty
one inches, while twenty nine inches
ia the pace of the armies Of Italy,
France and Austria. The Russians
take the shortest step, twenty-seven
and one-half inches and only do H.
In minute. The German infantryman
does ia, the Austrian 115 and the
French and Italian each manage 120.
Consequently, to march mile takes
the Russian twenty minutes. the Aus
trian eighteen and two-thirds minutes,
the French and Italian eighteen min
utes, while the German could beat this
by ten or eleven seconds.
A fair days march for battery or
battalion or regiment of field artillery
Is twenty miles, but to make this day
after day on the usual American road
without killing the horses not only re-
uuires good artillery stock with some
warm blood In their arteries, but per-
feet fitting harness and drivers who
have some native intelligence and into
whom discipline has been hammered
The usual practice in the light artillery
Is to march for fifty minutes and halt
and rest ten minutes. During that
rest, which Is mainly in the interest OF
the horses, collars are opened and laid
back so that IL horses shoulder may
be relieved and cooled. and, OF course
the timber props are let down that the
weight of the pole may be taken OF
the necks Of the wheelers.-Spokane
Spokesman Review.