The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-10-22
German Officers Praise the Work
of Cars Artillery.
Shooting Of His Infantry, However,
Found Not Effective-AgeressiVe-
ness Surprised Kaiser's Men.

Berlin.-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
t had been supposed In military quar-
'ers here that they would occupy
strong defensive positions behind the
vistula and other streams and await
the attack of the Germans and Aus
trians. Instead OF such strategy, how
ever, they pushed into East Prussia in
great numbers at a very early stage of
the war.
From this fact 1t is inferred here
that Russia's 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 thelr
troops into battle in close formation
as in previous wars, but have med
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
is no wonder, if prisoners told the
truth in saying that they had no tar
get practice whatever and had usec
only their rifles shooting with blanE
cartridges in mnneuvers. Even sol
diers of the standing army appear Il
have had practice only in shooting a
about nine hundred yards. At tha
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 II
quite different. It's firing is remark
ably good, and the unanimous verdic
Of the German officers is embodied II
the frequently heard words, Hats OF
to the Russian gunners." AS ruiz
the first salvo of the batteries WoulC
fall short, the second would overshoot
but the third would begin frighttu
carnage among the German ranks un
I, less they had changed their position
meanwhile. One OF the specialties @
the Russian artillery was to locate an
fire upon the German staff officers
with the result that these had frt
quently to change their position.
The accurate Russian gunnery wa
I considerably neutralized, however, b
the large proportion Of shells whic
failed to explode-a fact which 500
found legendary explanation in th
report that many shells containe
q sand instead CT explosives. Artiller
y experts find a more probable explain;
ton in the marshy nature Of the se
: rain in many places along the Russia
frontier, the shells burying themselve
in the soft earth without exploding.
The Cossacks have again prove
that they are of little value, accordin
to German officers, either for recol
, noissance work or in fighting. On tn
! other hand, the German officers spea
:, much more favorably of the regula
= Russian cavalry. The conduct of tt
: troops in the invasion Of East Prussi
= particularly when together in large
e units and under the command of nig
. er officers, appears to have been
= general excellent They appear
. have respected private property al
= paid for supplies requisitioned, eve
if payment WIS only in Russian scriI
Small detacAments. on the contrar
;, seemed to have looted and burned.
The Russian officers have by
il means Impressed the German militia
ID men favorably. In many cases 1t WI
as remarked that they called to grasp Il
I'd most elementary tactical points in S
xt uaticns on the battlefield. 1t was al
&C frequently charged in newspaper Q
in counts and letters from soldiers al
ia officers that many Russian ONCE
% lack courage. A German captain
e! ports that he counted $50 dead RI
III slams on the heights near Hohenstei
I'll hut not oMe oFRN"r among them!
~