The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1917-07-19
HOW AN ARMY DIVISION
OPERATES IN TRENCHES
INFANTRY BEARS BRuNT OF THE
BATTLE, ARTILLERY OPEN
ING THE WAY.

Ii after American troops take their
places in the battle line In France and
Belgium trench fighting is to be their
lot at first, they will soon learn how
essential all arms of the military ser
vice are for the proper protection of a
sector of territory.
Everything Is subordinate to the in
fantryman, who leaps forward and ad-
vances on the enemy when he hears
the whistle of his company command
er. He makes 1t possible for artillery
to be moved up, for he digs in, at his
new position. which Is advanced as far
as he can 60, and thus the fight goes
on. Military men are agreed that
these tactics must be followed until
the enemy's armies are broken.
What Division Is.
The infantry of division Is made
up of three brigades each of three reg
iments. American regiments now
have 2015 officers and men when re-
crtiited up to war strength. The sup
porting troops in the division bring up
the total number of men in the fight
ing force to 2S,324. A complete divi-
sion comprises the following support
ing units to the infantry brigades.
Two regiments of field artillery,
each made up of six batteries; one
regiment of heavy field artillery, and
under the most recent orders, an adj
dtional regiment of siege artillery Of
the heaviest calibre for certain pick
ed divisions; one regiment of engin-
eers--roaa and bridge builders and
trench makers-a signal corps with its
telegraph, telephone and aviation Sec
tons; the sanitary corps. quartermas-
ter's corps and the staff departments
necessary to assist the major general
commanding in his administrative
work. Two additional machine gun
companies are attached, by recent or
ders to the division headquarters and
one each to the three brigade head
quarters. The division has it's field
bakery, supply train of wagons. its
hospital and ambulance companies
The signal corps must. maintain COM
munication between brigade and divi-
sion headquarters and run wires to the
first line trenches. Commanders of the
field armies, or army corps, see that
communications are kept up with div
ision headquarters. Aviators of the
division report how shells are falling
within the enemy lines and give quick
news of any movements to show a
contemplated advance or retreat They
must be prepared to fight enemy avi-
ators, too, but the work of gaining air
superiority will fall mainly upon the
aviators attached to corps headquar-
ters.
How the Infantry Moves Up
The regiment of engineers is kept
busy repairing trenches and lines. of
communication from division head
quarters to the fighting units and as
sisting the infantry in digging new
trenches. The cavalry, in trench fight
ing, Is useless unless sent forward to
the trenches, where 1t acts as infan-
try.
The actual fighting men--the in
fantrymen must not be kept on the
front line until exterminated TWEEN
ty-four hours is as much as command
ers expect man in the fire and first
line cover trenches, They must be
constantly alert when on that shift
and at the same time be careful of
their own artillery, which is stationed
In their rear and shoots over their
heads Premature explosions are al
ways expected.
The nearest supporting artillery
excepting the machine gun nests, and
trench mortars, which are in the first
line trenches-consists of light field
pieces in the second line. These have
effective ranges of from three to five
miles, but can not be trained upon the
first line trenches of the enemy, for
the latter are too near their own fire