Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-09-23
American Troops viii Be
Equipped in Way That No
Other Soldiers Engaged in
World War Are.
INFANTRY PLATOON WILL
BE THE OPERATING UNIT
Twenty-four RifIemen Only
Survivors Of Old Infantrymen
in PIatoons; Others Special
lists.


New York, Sept. 22.-The hand to-
hand character of meoern trench war;
fare is sharply illustrated by detailed
tables of organization for American
overseas infantry units made public
today by the war department.
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-
ton Of the whole infantry service out
lined in the new tables, however, is
based on the proved fact that the bat
tie will be decided by the 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
up-to-date developments In addi-
tion each infantry division will have
416 machine guns. Less than two
years ago The American army had not
more than 1900 of these.
Platoon Organization.
American troops will enter the
trenches equipped and organized in a
way that no other army engaged in
the war has been. Every lesson learn
ed by the allies has been adapted
promptly.
The tables published today fix an
infantry platoon as the operating
unit. 1t will be composed of fifty
eight enlisted men under lieutenant.
In each platoon there will be Sec
tion of twenty-five bombers and rifle
grenadiers, twenty-four .riflemen-all
of them trained marksmerF and the
only survival of the old infantryman
lin two sections, and one section of
eleven auto-riflemen who will handle
the light machine guns or automatic
shoulder rifles.
This means that there will be four
light machine guns on the line for
every sixty men, backed by the regi-
mental and divisional machine gun
battalions and companies armed with
the heavy, water-cooled weapons that
are the real first line of defense in
trench warfare
Trench Knives Terrible.
The use of trench knives supplants
the old rifle and bayonet for forty
men in each company of $50. These
terrible weapons are long, keen
knives with metal hilts, worn strapped
to the left arm, and are made for use
in trench raids by men who cannot
be encumbered with rifles and bayo-
nets because of their special duties
Each company of an infantry regi-
ment will have four of these typical
platoons and each regiment will have
103 officers and 1852 men, one sec
tion Of the headquarters company be-
ing armed with three one-pounder
guns Each regimental machine gun
company will carry twelve heavy guns
and four reserve weapons.
The headquarters company will be
the largest unit in the regiment, hav-
ing seven officers and 294 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.
Division Enlarged.
The strength of the tactical unit
the infantry division, has undergone a
change, having been increased from
1900, the old typical European di-
vision, to 27,152 men of all arms. The
structure rpmainc the aapa