Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1917-09-24
Ancient Hand-to-Hand Warfare of Greece
And Troy Is Revived in Modern Trench
Knives, Which Replace Lance and Sword
American Troops MagnificentIy
Equipped With All Devices Of
Present-Day Battle; In
fantry Reorganized.
(By Associate. Press.)

Washington, Sept. 23.--The hand
to hand character of modern trench
warfare is sharply illustrated in de-
tailed tables of organization for
American overseas infantry units
made public today by the War de-
partment
Only few years ago the wise men
of all armies predicted that because
of high power, long range artillery
and rifles and automatic and machine
guns troops would never come to ac-
tual grips. The complete reorganiza-
tion of the whole infant. -ervice out
lined in the new tables, however, is
based on the proven fact that the
battle will be decided by the foot SOL
diers, fighting breast to breast with
bombs, bayonets and knives. #
New Trench Knives Included.
Included in the equipment OF Amer
lean regiments which enter the
trenches are trench knives" one of
the most up-to-date Developments of
European battlefelds. In addition,
each infantry division will have 4l6
machine guns. Less than two years
ago the American army had not more
than 1900 of these weapons for its
entire active and reserve stock.
American troops will enter the
trenches 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 over
seas units will be supplied with every
weapon fund useful.
Infantry Platoon Is Unit.
The tables published today fix an
infantry platoon as the operating unit.
1t will be composed of ffty-eight en-
listed men under lieutenant, In
each platoon there will be a section
OF twenty-five bombers and rifle
grenadiers, two sections of twenty
four rihemen--all of them trained
marksmen, and the only survival OF
the old infantrymenapd one section
Of eleven auto-riAefnen, who will ham
die the light machine guns or the ,au-
tomato shoulder rifles that may be
developed.
This means that there will be four
light machine guns on the ground Tor
every sixty men, backed by the r.gi-
mental and divisional machine gun
batttlions and companies armed with
the heavy. watercooled weapons that
are the real first line of defense In
trench warfare.
Knives Supplant Bayonets.
The use of trench knives supplants
the old rifle and bayonet for forty
men in each company of ESQ. These
terrible weapons are long, keen
knives with heavy metal hits, worn
strappe to the left arm, and are made
fox use in trench raids by men who
cannot be encumbered with rifles and
bayonets because of their special du-
ties. Vi
Each company of an infantry regi-
ment will have four of these typical
platoons and each regiment will have
l03 officers and 1862 men, one section
Of the headquarters company, being
armed with three one-pounder guns.
Each regimental machine gun COM
jpany will carry twelve heavy guns
and four reserve weapons.
Trench Telephone Detachments.
The headquarters company will be.
the largest unit in the regiment, hav-
ing seven officers and 2o4 men. In
addition to the one-pounder section,
there will be signal platoon with a
special trench telephone detachment.
a sappers' and bombers' section and
a platoon of pioneers for regimental
engineering work.
The strength of the tactical unit,
the infantry division, has undergone
a change, having been increased from
10000, the old typical European di-
vision, to 27,152 men of all arms. Its
structure remains the same.