The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-06-30
HOW ARMY FIGHTS
No Place for Cavalry Units in
Present Warfare.
Infantry Must Bear the Brunt
on All Occasions.
ENGINEERS ARE ESSENTIAL
Signal Corps Men Have Very
Important Duties.
AerOpIanes Are Essential To
Protect Reserve Troops.

If after American troops take their /
places in the battle-line in France ana /
Telgium 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
q sector of territory. A study of the
accompanying diagram will give an
idea Of this.
Everything is subordinate to the in
fantryman, who leaps forward and ad-
vances on the enemy when he hears |
the whistle of his company COM
mander. He makes it possible for ar
tillery to be moved up, for he digs in,
at his new position, which is ad-
vanced as far as he can 60 and thus
the fight goes on. Military men are
agreed that these tactics must be fol-
lowed until the enemy's armies are
broken.
The infantry of a division is made
up Of three brigades each of three
regiments. American regiments now
have 2.015 officers and men when re-
cruited up 10 war strength. The sup
porting troops in the division bring up
the total number of men in the fight
ing force TO 2S,324. y complete divi-
sion comprises the following support
ing units to the infantry brigades:
Complete Division.
Two regiments of field artillery,
each made up of six batteries; one
regiment of heavy field artillery, and
ditional regiment of siege artillery of
the heaviest calibre for certain picked
divisions: one regiment of engineers
road and bridge builders and trench
Makers signal corps with its tele-
graph, telephone and aviation sec
tiOus: 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
MI Of nv
ders to the division headquarters and
one each TO the three brigade head
quarters. The division has its field
bakery. supply train of wagons, its
hospitals and ambulance companies.
The signal corps must MAINTAIN
communication between brigade and
division headquarters and run wires
to the first line trenches Command
ers Of the field armies, or army corps,
see that communications are kept up
with division headquarters. Aviators
of the division report how shells are
falling within the enemy lines ana
give quick news of any movements TO
show a contemplated advance or re
treat They must be prepared to tlght
enemy aviators, too, but the work OF
gaining air superiority will fall main
II upou the aViators attached to corps
headquarters.
How the Infantry Moves Up.
The regiment of engineers is kept
TRUalIluR
communication from division head
quarters to the fighting units and as
sisting the infantry in digging new
trenches. The cavalry, in trench
fighting is useless unless sent for
ward to the trenches, where it acts as
infantry.
The actual fighting men-the infan-
trymen-must not be kept in the front
line trench until eXterminated-
Twenty-four hours is as much as com
.1.,4~e or N
first-line cover trenches. They must
be constantly alert when on that shift
and a 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 cannot be trained upon
first-line trenches of the enemy, for
tn latter are too near their own fire
trenches. 1t is generally used for OBJ
jects one or two miles distant.
Next, in the third-1ine trench, is
the heavy ordnance. This can shoot
seven or eight miles. but is more eff
fective at four. Both classes of bat
teries are used to make curtains to
prevent supporting forces reaching
the first-line trenches of the enemy
Far in rear are the monster siege
guns. which can shoot ten. fifteen or
nineteen miles. Artillerymen take
turns with their misunderstanding in
environments and then working.
Let us move up with a regiment
of infantry
First to the Fourth Line.
The first move, after the regiment
Is detailed to go forward. is to the
fourth line. 1t was in environments
beyond range of the enemy's greatest
guns, and as it proceeds toward the
front il needs no shelter
1t goes first to the brigade reserve
of three regim ents, which are kept
in well protected positions. The big
gest guns OF the enemy frequently
feel OUT the locations of reserve
regiments. They are safe, however,
from ordinary artillery and from rifle
J, fire, and the anti-aircraft guns keep
the aeroplanes away from the bat
teries and camps.
For three days the regiment is held