The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-03-04
MARCHING ARMIES
For Infantry Fifteen Miles Is a
Good Days Work.
HORSES make TWENTY MILES

; But to Do This Day After Day Re-
quires Good Artillery Stock and Al.
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 il 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
rade march," or goose STEP" is used
at times by German soldiers. No 9th
er army has a step similar to it. The
German goose step consists in throw
ing out the legs without bending the
knees and it is used only Oh cereIno-
NAL occasions, In changing guard and
wien detachment of men pass an
officer of high rank.
The rate of march of a 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
and the weather
Two and half miles an hour aud fif
teen miles a 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
uatioD requires it. but when IN in
fantry division or even brigade has
moved over fifteen miles of road In one
day 1t has done u days work
Stonewall JacksOn's foot cavalry Of
the valley now and then covered for
~ miles in one march. but it was ey.
traordnary infantry
In some of the press reports from
the Russo japanese war 1t was given
out that Oh occasion large bodies Of
Japanese infaptry covered fifty miles
OF road In Il day and night and came
Up OH the firing line fresh enough to
shoot Rnt great many prodigies
II
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 us good as
its feet An infantrynan who can
march and shoot Is worth regiment
Of men who struggle. 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 time is thirty
inches, measured from heel to heel
and the cadence is at the rate of 100
steps to the minute. At 100 steps to
the minute the soldier marches 5000
inches minute. which equals 100
yards, And marching 100 yards
minute he will march in00 yards in
one hour. or three and nine twenty
seconds of Il mile-a little under three
and Il half miles They do not do this
practically because time must he taken
out for rest
The British infantr! step is thirty
one and onehalf inches. the longest of
all the steps Germany keeps step
with Switzerland each doing thirty
one inches. while twenty nine inches
is 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 ll2
in n minute. The German infantryman
does ia. the Austrian Ii and the
French and Italian each, manage TO
Consequently to march Il mile takes
the Russian twenty minutes. the Aus
TRAN eighteen and two thirds minutes
the French and Italian eighteen min
utes. while the German could beat this
by ten oI eleven seconds
fair days march for n 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
qllires 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 nS,la! practice in the light artillery
IL 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 II horses shoulder may
be relieved and cO0ied. and Of course
the timber props are let down that the
weight of the pole may be taken off
the Hecks Of the wheelerS. Spokane
Spokesman. Review