The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-11-29
The Army Units

The smallest unit OF infantry un-
der our new army organization,
writes Col. Cornelius de Witt will
cox. u. s. A., in Harper's Magazine,
is the company Of $50 men, with two
captains, one first and three second
Iieutenants, six officers instead OF
three as hereto fore. If the first cap
tain should be killed or wounded. his
place is taken by the second, held in
reserve for that reason.
Each lieutenant commands
nlatoon. From ali accounts, trench
combat is what may be called close
work. and this kind of work Is es-
sentiaIly the affair OF submits, es-
peciaIly trained for the particular
object in view at given moment.
The organization OF the company is
made to fit the work. Accordingly,
each company has a headquarters
1.-TWO officers and Is menu, and each
of its four platoons includes one
headquarters 1.-TWO officers and menl:
one section of bombers and rife
grenadiers (22 officers and men), two
sections Of rifiemen "a officers and
mem, one section OF automatic rine-
men flour guns, IL officers and mem
lin all, 50 officers and men.
The small number OF rtfiemen
proper at once attracts the attention
that is, of men whose principle
weapon is the regulation rife. Bomb
ers throw the hand grenade; rife
grenadiers use the rifle grenade.
This is a grenade connected by a
suitable continuance with the muzzle
of the ordinary rife from which ii is
then fired. A part OF the equipment
consists of the socalled trench
knives" At first sight it seems hor-
hible to use this weapon, and 1t Is
horrible, but no more so, really, than
to run a man through with
bayonet, which we all accept as
matter Of course. But the bayonet,
fixed to its rife, is not so handy q
weapon in trenches, in a melee, as
the trench knife. The Roman empire
was carved out with 2-foot sword!
Besides, there is the business OF
'mopping up a trench, old in the
art of siege warfare, but today much
more thoroughly done. Special weap-
ons are needed in this business, for
the necessity of which the allies are
indebted to their Teutonic adver-
saries.
Four companies form a battalion.
and the three battalions bring the
number up to 5000. To these must
be added the machine gun company,
the supply company, the headquar-
ters' troops, so that our infantry
regiment Is brought up to more than
300 men. as follows:
No. OF
Units Men
Headquarters and headquarters
company .s..s.s.......s... 3as
battalions of companies
each ..s-s.."..-%-s...ss. S,lO6
i supply company ...-.s...s.. $50
i machine gun company .s..s IFS
/ medical detachment ...-.... 56
Total .........s~....... 1855
Two regiments form the brigade
and two brigades the division. The
division is organized as follows:
No. Of
Units Men
1 division headquarters ...... 164
machine gun battalion Of 4
companies ..s...ss.sss...s... IbS
2 infantry brigades Of regi-
ments and / machine gun
battalion @ companies each. .16, 400
field artillery brigade OF 3
regiments and trench mortar
battery ..................... 5,Oss
1 engineer regiment .......... 1855
field signal battalion .... 362
1 train headquarters and mill
tary police ..........-.... 337
1 ammunition train .....s 962
1 supply train ............... Az
/ engineer train .......... 81
] sanitary train Of field COM
panies and 4 ambulance COM
panies sss.ss.sss~.ss.%s.. S49
Total .......................s7 .l5s