Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-25
ARMY TO ABSORB
GUARD REGIMENTS
New Unit of 1855 Men to Ex-
ceed Entire Brigade of
Old Regime

ton for service in Europe. The an
nouncement, which has been awaited
with much interest throughout the
country, shows that the new infan-
try regiment will exceed in number
OF otf1cers and men an entire brigade
OF the past. The new regimental
strength is 1856 officers and men.
1t becomes certain, therefore, that
many National Guard regiments will
lose their identity in the consolida-
t1ons that VIII be necessary to whip
the new organization plan into
shape.
Nevertheless many of the militia
regiments will remain intact and
will be brought up to the newly au-
thorized strength by the assignment
of - fled men to their ranks follow
ing We course of training at the
contonments. This fact also was made
known, although not officially,
to-day.
More Artillery and Machine Guns
The new organization increases
the ratio of artillery and machine
gun strength to infantry. In place
of the old division of three brigades
with three infantry regiments in
each, are two brigades with two in
fantry regiments in each. But in
the new, as in the old organization,
there are three regiments of field
artillery in each division, making
the ratio of artillery to infantry regi-
ments three to four, in place of three
to nine. A trench mortar battery,
added to the artillery brigade, and
a one-pounder platoon, attached to
each Infantry regiment headquarters
company adds to the gun strength
of the division.
A Ifx,fg %
of 27,152 men and includes a total
of fourteen machine gun companies.
Each of the four infantry regiments
has one, each of the two brigades
has machine gun battalion of three
companies, and the division has q
machine gun battalion of four com
panies. This gives each division a
mobile machine gun strength of ten
companies, which can be used as
special needs require, while each
regiment still has its own machine
gun equipment in one of its COM
ponent companies.
In addition, there are forty-eig ght
sections of auto-rifiemen, each sec
ton carrying four light machine
guns (automatic rifles), one section
in each of the four platoons making
up each rifle company.
Outline of New Organization
The following statement is the
complete outline of the new organ
ization. as announced by the War
Department.:
At maximum strength an infantry
regiment will comprise 103 officers
and 1862 men. 1t will be made up
as follows:
One headquarters and headQuar-
ters company, 500 officers and men.
Three battalions of four rifle COM
panies each, 3,0S7 officers and men.
One supply company, 14O officers
and men.
One machine gun company, 17S
officers and men.
One medical detachment, fifty-six
officers and men.
Total, 1855 officers and men.
Each rife company has a strength
of 250 men and six officers. 1t is
composed of a company headquar-
ters-two officers and eighteen men
and four platoons,
Each platoon includes:
One headquarters, two officers and
men.
One section bombers and rifle
grenadiers, twenty-five officers and
men.
One section auto-riflemen, four
guns, eleven officers and men.
The machine gun company has six
officers and 172 men. 1t consists of
the dquarters-three officers and
twenty-one men - three platoons,
each with one officer and forty-six
men, and n train-thirteen men. Its
armament is twelve machine guns Of
heavy type and four spare guns.
Transportation Equipment
The transportation equipment of
the regiment is:
Twenty-Five combat wagons.
Sixteen rolling kitchens.
Twenty-Five baggage and ration
wagons.
Sixty ration carts,
Fifteen water carts
Three medical carts.
Twenty-four machine gun carts.
Fifty-nine riding horses, eight
riding mules.
Three hundred and thirty-two
draft mules.
Two motorcycles, with side cars.
One motorcar.
Forty-two bicycles.
New Fighting Equipment
New fighting equipment for each
regiment, in addition to the usual
$50 trench knives, forty to each
company; 1872 automatic rifles,
sixteen to each company, and three
one-pounder cannon, manned by the
one-pounder cannon platoon of the
regimental headquarters company.
Each regimental headquarters
company is made up of seven officers
and 294 men, as follows:
One headquarters platoon. ninety
three officers and men, including:
One staff section, thirty-six officers
and men.
One orderlies' section, twenty-nine
men.
One band section, twenty-eight
men.
One signal platoon, seventy-seven
officers and men, including:
One telephone section, fifty-o
men.
One SETON with headquarters, ten
men.
One section with three battalions,
sixteen officers and men.
One sappers and bombers' platoon,
forty-three officers and men, includ-
ing:
One section sappers, nine men, for
digging and special work.
One section bombers, thirty-four
officers and men.
One pioneer platoon. fifty-five of
ficers and men, for engineer work.
One-one-pounder cannon platoon,
thirty-three officers and men.
To put into effect this new organ
ization for overseas service, consid-
cradle rearrangement of units form
ed on the old plan is, of course, nee
essary. AS soon as possible a state
ment will he made outlining the new
organization of units in the National
Guard.
Infantry Division Changed
The organization of infantry di-
visions made public by the committee