Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-08-31

Corps are multiplied beyond any pre-
Vious experience.
The officers of the Quartermaster
Corps must be able business men.
Many of them have held important
business positions. The enlisted men
of the corps are skilled in such oc-
cupations as blacksmithing, painting,
driving teams and trucks, baking
bread, and the like.
Work of Ordnance Department
OF the same general character
Is the work of the Ordnance Depart
ment, which furnishes the guns, am
munition, and other supplies needed
for fighting. Several times during
the present war whole armies have
been forced to retreat or have suf-
fered severely because of the lack of
munitions. The quantity of am
munition used daily is enormous.
During the French offensive of June,
1917, 12,600,000 shots were fired
from artillery guns.
In the actual theater of war the
ammunition service is under the con-
troll of the Field Artillery. Bringing
up supplies of ammunition to troops
and to batteries in action is one of
the most essential of all duties on the
battlefield. The wagons or trucks
carrying ammunition must be driven
when necessary within easy reach of
the firing line. Sometimes there is
an opportunity here for the display
of resourcefulness and courage far
above the ordinary requirements OF
the service.
At the second Battle of Ypres in
April, 1915, the Third Battery in the
Third Brigade of the Canadian Field
Artillery galloped into position within
few hundred yards of the Ger
man front, where they did gallant
work fighting against overwhelming
odds to hold back the enemy's on
slaught. After a time it became nee
essary to bring up high explosive
shells. One of the Canadian gun
ners tells how they were brought.
The ammunition wagon contain
ing them came galloping across the
open field under a heavy fire, the
men lashing their horses and yelling
like mad. The horses were simply
crazed. Some of them had been hit
with bullets, and when they neared
our guns the men could not stop
them. 1t looked as though they
would go right on to the German
lines. There was only one thing 10
do: The rider of the leading horses
drew his revolver and shot them
dead. They went down, with the
other horses and men and the wagon
rolling over and over them. With
the high explosive shells we tore
trees to bits and left the whole place
open; then our infantry, quickly fol-
lowing up the advantage, drove the
Teutons back"
The Fighting Team
When the three fighting arms and
the nine staff corps are all brought
together under one control they form
what we may call "the fighting
team" This Is the team in which
you and every other soldier must
be ready to play your part.
The smallest unit in which all
these branches of the service is
represented is known as a division
Under present regulations an Infan-
try division is made up of three In
fantry brigades; one brigade of Field
Artillery; one regiment of Cavalry;
one regiment of Engineers; one bat
talon of Signal Corps; one squadron
of airplanes; together with field
trains and combat trains carrying
rations, baggage, ammunition, and
all kinds of supplies. A division,
therefore, is in itself a complete
small army. When at full strength
it includes 2S,334 officers and men.
A field army is made up of q num-
ber of such divisions.