Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-10-14
Value Of Field Pieces.

vaIue OF TISiU TiSSSS'
The standard American field gun is
the three-inch, as are the jackass bat
teries substituted in mountainous
country. But the inferior roads Of
America would render the use Of the
great German howitzers impractic-
able. When the Germans have been
unable to get their great weapons in.
to action, French field artillery has
proved superior because of allowing
for more rapid movement than the
German of the same calibre. In rap
i'd action the French have had de-
cidedly the advantage in this respect.
At any rate, the European War has
caused experts somewhat to revise
their opinion as to the value Of artil.
lery, which had been considerably
less effective in other recent wars.
Artillery has now regained its old
prestige. 1t settled the battle OF
Mons without any doubt.
To come to infantry, on which the
ultimate decision in all wars rests,
the German fighting unit appears to
be inferior to The English or French.
He fires without aiming and does not
make a sufficient use of cover. But
what the German infantrymen lacks
individually is atoned for by the per.
feet discipline under which he and
his fellows act. American tradition
trusts a great deal to the individual,
a relic no doubt of frontier fighting.
The German theory trusts nothing
considers it less important that COM
mands should be sacrificed through
a mistake in their disposition than
that they should take it . on them
selves. to override the orders of a SUI
perior.
Much has been said by newspaper
critics on the subject Of close order
fighting. America learned open order.
as well as the art Of taking the best
advantage of cover, from the Indians.
And in the civil war the skirmishline
grew of more and more Importance
until it became the battle order in
the last phase of THE struggle. In
the Spanish war the space intervals
became greater in the Philippine
fighting than in the earlier Cuban.
The tendency in South Africa also
was to scatter. Russia abandoned
the old solid formations in Manchu-
ria. The result was that English cri-
tics scoffed at the closely packed In
fantry advances in the German man
ouevers of previous years.
Open order, all critics admit, is an
immense advantage when fire a be
concentrated on an equal number OF
enemySin close order. But when the
battle line is Of enormous extent the
side which utilities its advantage OF
numbers by thickening its line, as
The Germans do, can deliver a much
heavier fire than the thin line. This
advantage is improved when the side
Of superior numbers refuses to be
checked. German theory considers
human life it's cheapest val material.
General Grant followed the same pol
icy, figuring that he could afford to
lose two or three men if it cost the
enemy one.
Effectiveness Of BayoDet.
Data is yet lacking as TO the effect
iveness OF the bayonet. Reports
speak as if the two sides have often
clashed hand TO hand. This, thinks
the American expert whose views are
here quoted, IS a misleading. When
one side Isl unable to check an at
tack, a lbayonet charge by the at
lacking party has a decided moral eff
feet. The defense feels that if rifle
fire can not stay a charge it is about
time to get out. However, most bat
ties are fought at about half a mile
range, and unless the way for an ad.
vance has been prepared by aTttl-
lery, or the opposing side is weak in
numbers, the range is seldom short
ened.
Much criticism, even ridicule, has
developed upon the German method
Of volley firing with the rifle butt
placed to the hip. This is condem-
| ned because it does not permit Of any
accuracy in fire. On the other hand