Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-30
MEN IN
DIVISION UNDER
NEW ARMY PLAN
COST OF FULLY EQUIPPINC DIVISION
Is ESTIMATED At MORE THAN
SEVEN AND HALF MILLION.
UNITED STATES DIVISION WILL NUM-
Der SIS PER CENT MORE THAN
THE GERMAN DIVISION.

IUG oCumHN Otvt0ION.
The National Geographical Society has
issued from its headquarters at Washing
ton n bulletin on the units and equipment
of an infantry division of the United
States army "a reorganized in the light
of lessons learned from the European war.
Under the reorganization and increase
of the army of the United States for war
purposes the American army will number
sixty-five per cent more than a division
of the German army n now constituted.
The German divisions are made up of H.
600 men and 1000 horses. A division in
the new United States army, at maximum
strength, will be composed of 2S,235 men,
6S3s horses and 1875 mules.
The average layman has little concep-
ton of the various units which go To make
up an infantry division or the enormous
cost of its equipmet. According to esti-
mates made two years ago, the cost of
fully equiping a division amounts to 81
636.55O, but since that time the cost of
materials ha sadvanced so greatly that a
conservative estimate requires the addi-
tion of 20 per cent TO this amount, max
ing the total in excess of 80, 900. 600. And
this takes into consideration the immense
saving effected by the coucil of national
defense in providing for the purchase by
the government of munitions and equip
ment AT "A porfit TO the manufacturers not
TO exceed 10 per Get, which il far less
than the profits originally realized on mar
%terials sold in the world markets.
The new United States army divisions
will be composed of the following units:
The infantry brigadcS, 1879 Officers
and men.
One field artillery brigade, 1880 Officers
and men.
One regiment of cavalry, 1879 Officers
and men, 1911 horses. .
One regiment of engineers, 109S Off
GERS and men.
One field signal battalion, 80 Officers
and men.
One aero squadron, 173 Officers and
men, II aeroplanes.
Total, 25,S71 Officers and men.
Total with wagon trains, 2S,235 Off
GERS and men.
Total with motor trains, 2s,334 Officers
and men.
The number of commissioned Officers
in a division is ST., with 80 additional of
ficers for the wagon train; 81 if the divis-
ion * organized with motto rtrainS.
The medical department of a division is
composed of l25 officers, 1882 cnlisted men
and Is am~bulances.
If the division is equipped with wagon
trains 1909 wagons are required. supple
mented by 60 motor trucks; if equipped
with motor trains 1913 wagons supplement
the 627 motor trucks.
The total number of horses required for
a division and its wagon trains j. 1915 to-
gether with 221S draft horses and 1875
riding, pack and draft mules.
More than 10000 rifles are required to
arm a division and its trains, together with
5000 pistols.
The artillery consists of so thrcc-inch
field guns firing either high explosive
shells or shrapnel, each projectile weigh
ing Is pounds, and % 3.S-inch howitzers,
the shells for which weigh 80 pounds. The
number of machine guns with which a di-
vision j. to be equipped j. still an open
question, but the number which will appear
in army charts soon 10 be printed j. -
for the division itself and % additional
guns for the wagon trains. The number in
all probability will be greatly increased,
perhaps to as high a. 30 guns for every
o rifles, making a total of 600 for the
division.
The lcnght Of 4 division in marchin.
order is more than II miles, while tn,
wagon trains require an additional Xix
miles making 4 grand total Of % miles. IL
equipped with motor trains instead of wag-
on trains the length from the head at the
column 10 the. last Of the rear guard j.
10 miles.
Within the next few weeks detailed ia
blcs prepared by the war college NJ Wash
ington will be issued from the govern
mcnt printing office, showing the strength
and equipment of each unit Of the various
branches of the United States army. The
foregoing statistics are based upon these
forthcoming tables.