New Britain herald., 1917-08-29
Lesson No. Is.
FIGHTING ARMS OF THE SERVICE

AANAAA AA> :" AINNlS or toIf1 v HE
Preceding lessons: /. Your Post of
Honor. >. Making Good as a Sol
der ;. Nine Soldierly Qualities
4. Getting Ready for Camp 5.
First Days in Camp. 6. Cleanlt-
ness in Camp. Z. Your Health. 9.
Marching and Care of the Feet 9.
Equipment and Arms. 10. Pecre-
ahoG IN Camp. IL. Playing the
Game. u. Teamwork in the Army
13. Grouping Men Into Teams. IA.
The Team Leaders.
We have spoken so far as if all
soldiers were infantrymen: that is, as
II all fought on foot armed with
rifle and bayonet AS we all know
an army is much more complnx.
There are two other fighting arns''
Of the service, the Cavalry and the
Artillery. These three branches of
the Army are sometimes called the
':ine"-a term which comes down TO
us from the day whes soldiers in bat
tie 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 convenience un-
der the heading of staff branches of
the service
The Infantry is the backbone of the
Army. 1T is the Infantry soldier who
must bear the greatest stress of hat
tie, 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 In
P1 7tv~Jy hr.0., Z.
present war the Importance Of III
fantry As even greater than In pre-
vious wars.
The Value Of Infantry
1t is not enough for Infantry 70
know how to defend itself. It must
know also how to attack. 1t Is not
enough that it should be able to
move forward in masses. The Infan-
try soldier must also have the intelli-
gent self-reliance that will enable him
to act as an Individual; always, Of
course, within the limits of military
discipline.
The chances for initiative in pres
ent-day warfare can best be illustrated
by recounting the story of Michael
O'Leary, lance corporal of the Irish
Guards in the British Army. On Feb
oe1iy l., IoLo, CIlo 1UaFQS were or
dered 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 fire. With five shots in sue
cession he killed or disabled FIVE men
before his comrades reached the
trench. Not satisfied with this
achievement he ran ahead until he
came up from the railroad cut beside
the second German line. Here was
machine gun. The officer in COM
mand 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 sur
rendered.
Thus it happened that when his
company Of the Irish Guards reached
the second line without the loss of a
single man they we're amazed to find
O'Leary ahead Of them in complete
possession. He was made a sergeant
on the field, and later given Vic
toria cross. After other exhibitions
of bravery and Initiative the 25-year-
old soldier became Lieut.. O'Leary.
There is always an element of
luck in such unusual achievements.
but all the luck in the world is use
less unless the soldier has developed
his intelligence, spirit and self-reli-
ance during his months of training.
The Cavalry.
The Cavalry is armed with saber
and pistol, as we'll 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
European armies have been fighting
in the trenches as Infantry.
Under these conditions it has been
determined to reorsanize several of
the Cavalry regiments of our Regular
Army as Field Artillery United
States Cavalry, as such, is not to be
used in Europe at present. Some
good judges believe that the Cavalry
will again come into it's own before
the war Is ended, but on this ques-
tian no final opinion can now be
given.
The Coast Artillery, which handles
the big-calibre guns guarding our
chief harbors against naval Alta ks
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 present field guns range
in size from 3-inch caliber to At
inches. The Field Artillery also han
dies howitZers, which throw heavy