The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1917-10-25
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THE FIGHTING ARMS.

much more complex. There are two
other lighting arms" Of the service,
the cavalry and the artillery. These
three branches Of the army are some
times called the ''line''-a term which
comes down to us from the day when
soldiers In battle were always drawn
up in line. The other branches to be
described later, are included under the
general term "staff." However, the
engineer corps and the signal corps
are In part troops of the line, though
they are herein described for convent
ence under the heading OF "Staff
Branches Of the Service"
The infantry is the backbone of the
army. "It is the infantry soldier who
must bear the greatest stress of battle,
and war is more dependent for success
upon his individual action than upon
any other factor" BY far the largest
number of men in the National army
, will go into the infantry branch of the
service. In the present war the impor-
lance of infantry Is even greater than
in previous wars.
1t is not enough for infantry to know
how to defend itself. 1t must know
also how to attack. 1t Is not enough
that it should be able to move forward
in masses. The infantry soldier must
also have the intelligent self-reliance
that will enable him to act as an indi-
vidual; always, of course, within the
limits OF military discipline.
The chances for initiative in present
day warfare can best be illustrated by
recounting the story of Michael
OLeary, lance corporal Of the Irish
Guards In the British army. On Feb
ruary 1, 1915, the Guards were ordered
to retake a trench which had been
temporarily lost to the Germans.
OLeary was off duty and need not
have Joined in the attack at all. But
that did not stop him for a moment
from using his courage and his brains
to help his regiment win.
Jumping out Of the trench he ran at
full speed to a railroad cut on the right
Of the first German line where he was
partly under cover from the enemy's
killed or disabled five men before his
comrades reached the trench. Not sat
lSfied with this achievement he ran
ahead until he came up from the rail-
road cut beside the second German
line. Here was machine gun. The
officer in command had just pointed the
gun at the Irish Guards in the first
trench and had his finger on the firing
button when he was dropped by we'll
aimed bullet from O'Leary's rifle. He
shot two other Germans who were at
tempting to fire the machine gun.
whereupon the remainder of the squad
threw up their hands and surrendered.
Thus it happened that when his COM
pany of the Irish Guards reached the
second line without the loss of a single
man they were amazed to find O'Leary
ahead of them in complete possession.
He was made sergeant on the field,
and later given Victoria cross. After
other exhibitions Of bravery and initia-
tive, the twenty-year-old soldier be-
came Lieutenant OLeary.
There is always an element of luck
in such unusual achievements, but all
the luck in the world is useless unless
the soldier has developed his intelli-
gence, spirit and self-reliance during
his months of training.
The cavalry is armed with saber and
pistol, as well as rifle. Since the early
months of the present war there has
been little opportunity to use cavalry
on the western front. For the most
part the cavalry forces Of Eurdbean
armies have been fighting in the
trenches as infantry.
Under these conditions it has been
determined to reorganize several of the
cavalry regiments of our regular army
as field artillery. United States cav
airy, as such, is not to be used in Eu-
rope at present. Some good judges be-
lieve that the cavalry will again come
into it's own before the war is ended,
but on this question no final opinion
can now be given.
The coast artillery, which handles
the big-caliber guns guarding our chief
harbors against naval attacks, is a
branch distinct from the field artillery,
which handles the smaller guns drawn
by horses or motors and moved about
with the rest of the army. The pres
ent field guns range in size from three
inch caliber to AT inches.
The chief kinds of artillery ammuni-
ton are shrapnel and high explosives.
The shrapnel is intended to burst in
the face of the enemy and scatter a
large number of bullets. The high ex-
plosives are used chiefly to blow up
enemy trenches.
The Importance of artillery has been
very much increased during the pres
ent war. 1t is the most effective of all
weapons in preparing the way for at
tack. In advance of an attack on a
large scale there are often several days
of continuous artillery duel, during
which the big guns of both sides try to
locate and put out of action the oppos-
ing guns In fact, on the western front
the artillery duel never entirely ceases.
The chief qualities of good artil-
leryman are intelligence and tenacity.
He must know his gun so well that he
can not only play his own part but, if
necessary, can take the place of any of
his comrades. He must have the cour-
age that enables him TO hold any posi-
tion assigned to him until the order is
given to move.
Similar to the artillery I'm many re-
snects are the machine-gun troops. Ma