Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-06-20


/ the Infantry In everything. BY itself
artillery. despite all recent differences
from the Balkan war, Is absolutely.
helpless impotent. usnless ARTILLERY
has no other mode Of action than
mere fire. It never or itself and by
itself decides the fate OF 4 battle,
because to decide that fate two things
are necessary Which artillery lacks;
conQuefing mobility and the capacity.
to give shock. It's action Ii not In
deed the less valuable and indispen
sable on these accounts Artillery
Skaters obstacles. il spreads terror,
ii overMhelms from afar. A powerful
artillery Is thus essential. Without 1t
the best infantry would be destroyed
en- the battlefield. This explains
why as its effect grows more de-.
IstFnetiVe is numerical relation. to an.
army increases continually. In the
time OF the. great Napoleon 4 snffIeed
to supply. three pieces or artillery f6i
every thousand men Today this pro-
portion is almost trebled. In the latest
Of all European wars, the Balkan peo-
pies were wise to sustain their young
soldiers with artillery as numerous as
II was formidable.
We have seen that infantry no lon
ger operates in the old mass forma.
ton. Artillery. on the other hani,
las abandoned its former independ.
eace. 1t acts in mass great de-.
parture from tradition:
Grouped in the park, artillery
concentrates its fire upon point to
be attacked, either to silence the enc
my's batteries or to oyerWhelm his
menacing infantry. The moment the
battle is on, the action of artillery.
is two-fold. 1t must not only destroy
the enemy's position but also cover
its own infantry with adequate pro-.
teetive fire from the time OF the first
advance of the foot soldiers Until the
actual final assault Inclusive. II Is.
for the commanding officer to decide.
what proportion of the pieces shall
be assigned to one or the other OF
these objects.
The devotion of the artillery mnst
be carried to the last limit. It mat
tiers little that 1t be overwhelmed it
self provided that it can protect the
infantry until they arrive at their des.
tination.
Thus the artillery-the interview
tion Of which at every stage OF a bat
tie must he incessant--rnns very
great risks. 1t possesses, however,
precious moral advantage Amid
the shower of shot and shell, all the
men are occupied The infantryman
has at moments his cruel anxiety
when, motionless under fire and wait
ing for the signal to advance. he re-.
ceiYes a ball without being able to
reply to 1t. This terrible test-which
may, If prolonged, prove too severe
for the braVest of the braye-is spar
ed the artilleryman He serves his
gun, devoting all his time and atten-
ton to it. The horror of the actual
field of battle he does not experience
and, his mind being on something
else, is not disconnected by 1t. That
is why panic, spreading at times;
among the most. heroic infantry, so
seldom affects the artillery"
The new tactics tend more and
more to throw responsibility upon the
Individual soldier in the ranks The
infantry wins the battle. The artil-
lery protects the advance. The cav
airy pursues the defeated foe that he
may not have time to form his lines
anew when driven from the field by
a supreme assault, which the infan.
try alone can deliver.