Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1915-01-28
motorcycles IN
MODERN WARFARE
Daring Riders as Scouts. Dispatch
Bearers and in Hospital
Service.
|R|SHMEN ARMED WITH GUNS
Germany Mounts Its Aids de Camp
and Messengers on Fast-Mov-
ing Machines.

and Messengers on Fast.Mov-
ing Machines.
American army officers are studying |
the use of the motorcycle in modern |
warfare. Many of them are ardent adj |
vocates of the extension of that service |
in our army work, confident that the |
operations of the thoroughly drilled |
motorcyclists of European armies will |
show that 1t is destined to be one of |
the most important of the auxiliaries |
OF the army. Already the motorcycle,
both in it's original form as a means |
of rapid locomotion for a single dis |
patch rider and in the later develop |
ment as a mobile way of carrying OBJ |
servation officers about field Of oper-
ations more quickly than on horse
back, have been tested here incident
ally.
Experimental use has been made OF
the machines In the regular service as
we'll as in the National Guard of sew
eral of the states. A serious study of
the possibilities of the service has not
yet been made as 1t has been abroad.
Such men in the service as are little
ahead of the sometimes dilatory move
ments Of our military authorities have
speculated already on the possibilities
OF the service, and are waiting with in
terest detailed stat ments of the con-
duct of the campaign In Europe in
order to see what part the machines
have played and how far expectations
as TO their utility have ben realized.
In the advance of the German army
through Belgium both Germans and
Belgians used the motorcyclist largely
in scouting work. Aeroplanes, used as
the eyes of both the invaders and de-
tenders, have located scouting parties
and the advance armies, and then
through the services of Inotorcyclists
have been able to communicate swiftly
and certainly with the bodies Of cav
airy, whose duty 1t has been to hew
the way for the safer movement of the
infantry masses and the supporting ar
tillery The French and English have
used their motorcycle corps for the
same purpose. Whether Austria and
Russia are now using these scouts is
not definitely known among military
men in this country, no details of army
operations being at hand as yet.
= With the side cars attached to these
rapidly moving machines they were
used in the transfer of surgeons from
reserve corps to the front, where the
Services of the doctors were needed to
attend the wounded. These side-car
machines are also being used to move
Al, Rnl tn thGh hnG n
in the rear, doing the work more
humanely and rapidly than it could be
done by stretcher bearers or ambui-
ances, thus adding materially to the
effectiveness Of the hospital train and
relieving fighting men OF that duty.
Nurses have been rushed In the slce-
seat cycles from one point to apother
when motor cars intended for their
TRANSFORMATION were in use elsewhere.
Supplies were also carried in the car
riers attached to these high'powereq
machipes,
X AS the motorcyclist follows the air.
ship feet and prec edes the cavalry
column while an army Is in motion, his
work is dangerous in the extreme
Only men who are absolutely devoid
of fear reckless and yet cool.headed
able to think and act quickly in emer
gencies, are used in the dispatch-bear
ing and scouting end of the service. A
soldier looking for excitement is pretty
certain to get all lie wants in this parl
of service that has been developed
almost entirely in the last two years.
British army officers have used the
motorcycle corps with the best of re
suits in the stringing of field telegraph
and telephone wires and rapid install
lation of this means of communication
on the field in army maneuvers. The!
took to France men trained especiall!
in this branch of the service, to be uset
in place of the older methods where
bulky wagons were used to transpor
telegraph and telephone equipment.
American manufacturers have com
paratively little interest in the use
the machine in war, but one of then
having extensive works abroad, tha
one in England But they have shipped
many machines for government use t
japan, where 1t is believed there Is al
efficient motorcycle corps attached Z
the army, as the Tachines have bee'
of the 7-9-horsepower type, the mos
powerful made. 1t is hardly propapl
that these are Intended for rural MAJ
delivery service.