The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-09-24
LONG KNIVES PROVIDED
FOR AMERICAN SOLDIERS
Terrible Weapons BE Strapped TO Arms
Machine Guns Many.

Washington, Sept 23-The hand.to,
hand character modern trench warfare
is sharply illustrated in detailed tables
Of organization for American overseas
infantry units made public by the war
department
complete reorganization of the whole
infantry service, outlined in the new
tables is based on the proven fact that
battles win be finally decided by foot
soldiers fighting breast to breast with
bombs bayonets and knives.
Included in the equipment Of Ameri.
can regiments which enter the trenches
are trench knives" one Of the most
uptodate developments Of European
battletelds. In addition. each infantry
division will have 416 machine guns.
Less than two years ago, the American
army had not more than l.2OO Of these
weapons for it's entire active and re.
serve stock.
American troops will enter the trench.
es equipped and organized in a way that
no other army engaged in the war has
been able to provide. Every lesson
learned by the allies has been adapted
promptly and the overseas units will be
supplied with every weapon found use,
| full.
Platoon Is Unit.
The tables just published fix an in.
fantry platoon as the operating unit.
II will be composed OF fifty.eight enlist
ed men under a lieutenant. The old
days Of the solid company ranks Of men
with rifles on the shoulders and bayonets
at their belts are gone. In each pla
toon there will be section of twenty.
two bombers and rifle grenadiers. two
sections Of twenty.four rifemen-al Of
them trained marksmen and the only
| survival OF the old infantryman and
one section Of eleven auto.riiiemen who
will handle the light machine guns or
the automatic shoulder rifles that ma,
be developed
This means that there will be four
light machine guns on the line for every
sixty men, backed 10y the regimental and
divisional machine gun batthlions and
companies armed with the heavy wat.
ercooled weapons that are the real first
line Of defenses In trench warfare.
Use of Trench Knives.
The use Of trench knives supplemepts
the old rife and bayonet for forty men
In each company OF 2j0. These terrible
weapons are long, keen knives with
heavy metal hits worn strapped 20 the
left arm and are made for use I'm trench
raids by men who cannot be encum.
bered with rifles and bayonets because
Of their special duties
Each company Of an infantry rcgi.
ment will have four of these typical
platoons and each regiment will have.
lO3 officers and 3.652 men. one section
of the headquarters company being
armed with three i.pounder guns Each
.regimental machine gun company will
carry twelve heavy guns and four re-
serve weapons.
The headquarters company will be the
largest unit In the regiment having
seven officers and 294 men. I'm addi
tion To the l'pounder section. there win
be signal platoon with special
trench telephone detachment. 70 sappers
and hombers section and platoon Of
pioneers for regimental engineering
work
Divisions Are Made Larger.
The strength OF the tactical unit the
infantry division has undergone a
change. having been increased from
rinete,n thousand, the old typical Eu.
ropean division, TO 25l52 men of AN
arms. It's structure remains the same.
with four infantry regiments divided
into two brigades, an artillery brigade
Of three regiments and trench NOR
tar battery regiment Of engineers.
field signal battalion and the head.
quarters, ammunition. supply. engineer
and sanitary trains.
In the divisional and Iattalion orgln.
izations also, provision Is made for an
additional heavy machine gun battalion.
and the headquarters, ammunition. sup.
ply, engineer and sanitary trains
In the divisional and battalion organ.
izations also, provision is made for an
additional heavy machine gun battalion,
making a total Of fourteen machine gun
companies OF this type to the division.
or i6S active and iifty.slx spare guns