Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-24
EVERY USEFUL WEAPON
FOR OVERSEAS TROOPS
Americans Will Enter Trenches Bet
ter Equipped and Organized
Than ANY Other Army.
MEN OFTEN AT ACTUAL GRIPS
hand-to-Hand Character of Modern
Warfare Sharply illustrated In De-
tailed Tables Of Organization for
Infantry Units.

WASHINGTON. September 23.-The
hand to hand character Of modern
trench warfare is sharply illustrated
III detailed tables Of organization for
american overseas infantry units,
made public yesterday by the War
Department.
Only few years ago the wise men
Oh all armies predicted that, because
OF hich-power. long-rance artillery
ana rifles and automatic and machine
guns, troops would never come TO
actual grips. The complete reo~gan-
iaion of the whole infantry service.
outlined in the new tables, however,
is based on the proven fact that the
battle will be decided by the foot SOL
diers. nghting breast to breast with
bombs. bayonets and knives.
Included in the equipment of Amer
lean regiments which enter the
trenches are trench knives" ono of
the most up-to-date developments of
European battle fields. In addition,
each infantry division will have 4lG
machine guns. Less than two years
ago the American army had not more
, than 1000 Of these weapons for It's
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 adopted promptly. and the over
seas units will be supplied with every
weapon found uBful.
INFANTRY PLATOoN
IS OPERATING UNIT
foh
an infantry platoon as the operating
unit. 1t will be composed OF lfty-
eight enlisted men under a lieutenant.
Tho old days of the solid company
ranks Of men. with rifles on their
shoulders and bayoncts at their belts.
arc gone. In each platoon there will
bo section OF twenty-five bombers
and rife grenadicrs, two sections OF
twenty-four rifemcn- all Of them
welltrained marksmen and the only
survival of the old infantryman
and one section OF eleven auto rife
men. who will handle the light ma
chine gums or the automatic shoulder
rides that may be developed.
This means that there will be four
light machine guns on the line for
every sixty men. backed by the reri-
battalions and companies armed with
the heavy. water-coolcd weapons that
are the real first line OF defense in
trench warfare.
The use OF trench knives supDlants
the old riIic and bayonet for forty men
in each company OF ESQ. These ter
rible weapons are long. keen knives.
with heavy metal hits. worn strapped
a do for
In trench raids by men who cannot be
incumbered with rifles and bayonets
because OF their special duties
CARRY TWELVE HEAVY GUNS
AND FOUR RESERVE. WEAPONS
Each company OF an infantry resi.
mcnt Will have four of these typical
platoons and each regiment will have
100 officers and 1852 men, one section
OF the headquarters company being
armed with three one-pounder guns
Each reEimental machine gun company
will carry twelve heavy guns and four
< reserve weapons.
f The headquarters company will be
the largest unit in the regiment, hav-
ing seven officers and 294 men. In
addition to the one-pounder sectior.
there will be a signal platoon with a
special trench telephone detachment. a
SdppcTS anu DOmOSTS section ana a
platoon Of pioneers for regimental en-
Eineering work.
The strength of the tactical unit, tie
infantry division, has undergone a
change. having been increased from
10000, the old typical European dt-
vision. to 2I.1S2 men OF all army. Its
structure remains the same with four
infantry regiments. divided into two
brigades. an artillery brigade Of three
regiments and trench mortar bat
terry, a regiment of engineers. field
signal battalion. and the headquarters,
ammunition. supply engineer and sani-
tary trains. Ii the divisional and bat
talon organization. also. provision is
made for an addition heavy machine
gun battalion, making a total of four
teen machinegun companies Of this
type to the division. or 16S active and
iffty-six spare guns.