The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-07-22
How Army Division Is Aligned in War;
No Place for Cavalry; Infantry First

1OI At atTSts IHey VIII soon learn how
essential all arms q the military serv-
Ice are for the proper protection OF a
sector Of territory. ~,
Everything Is subordinate to the in
fantryman. who leaps forward and ad-
vances on the enemy when he hears
the whistle of his company COM
mander. He makes 1t possible for
artillery to be moved up, for he digs
In, ut his new position, which is adj
vanced as far as he can go, and thus
tho fight goes on. Military men are
agreed that these tactics must be fol-
lowed until the cnemy's armies are
broken.
What Division Is.
The infantry OF a division is made
up Of three brigades each of three
regiments. American regiments now
have 2,015 officers and men when re-
cruited up to war strength. The sup
porting troops in the division bring
up the total number of men in the
fighting force to 2s,324 complete
division comprises the following sup
porting units to the infantry brigades:
Two regiments of field artillery.
each made up of six batteries; one
regiment of heavy artillery, and under
the most recent orders, an additional
regiment of siege artillery of the heav-
lest caliber for certain picked divi.
slons: one regiment of engineers--road
and bridge builders and trench maxi
ers-a signal corps with its telegraph.
telephone and aviation sections: the
sanitary corps. quarterna corps
and the staff departments necessary to
assist the major general commanding
in his administrative work. Two addi-
tional machine gun companies are at
tached. by recent orders. to the divi-
sion headquarters and one each to the
three brigade headquarters. The di-
vision has Its field bakery supply train
OF wagons. its hospitals and ambu-
lance companies.
The signal corps must maintain
communication between brigade and
division Headquarters and run wires
to the first-line trenches. Comman-
ders Of the field armies. or army corps,
see that communications are kept up
with division headquarters. Aviators
OF the division report how shells are
falling within the enemy lines and give
quick news OF any movements to show
contemplated advance or retreat
They must be prepared to fight enemy
aviators, too, but the work of gain
ing air superiority will fall mainly
upon the aviators attached to corps
Headquarters. ais
rs How the Infantry Move. Up. '''r
The regiment of foreigners, is kept
busy repairing trenches and lines of
communication from division head
quarters to the fighting units and as
sisting the Infantry in digging new
trenches. The cavalry, in trench
fighting, is useless unless sent forward
to the trenches, where ii acts as in
fantry.
The actual fighting men-the in
fantrymen-mast not be kept in. the
front-line trench until exterminated.
Twentyfour hours is as much as com
manders expect a man in the fire and
first-fine cover trenches. They must
be constantly alert when on that shift
and at the same time be careful of
their own artillery. which is stationed
In their rear and shoots over their
heads. Premature explosions are al
ways expected.
The nearest supporting artillery
excepting the machine gun nests and
trench mortars, which are in the first
line trenches-consists of light field
pieces in the second line. These have
effective ranges of from three to five
mitas. but cannot be trained Upon
first line trenches of the enemy, for
the latter are too near their own fire
trenches. 1t is generally used for OBJ
jects one or two miles distant.
Next. In the third line trench, is the
heavy ordnance. This can shoot seven
or eight miles. but Is more effective
at four. Both these classes of bat
teries are used TO make "curtains' to
prevent supporting forces reaching the
first-line trenches of the enemy. Far
IN the rear are the monster siege
guns, which can shoot 10, Is or 10
miles Artillerymen take turns with
their misunderstanding in cantonments
and then working.
Let us move up with a regiment of
infantry.
First to the Fourth Line,
The first move. after the regiment
Is detailed to go forward, is to the
fourth line. 1t was In cantonments be-
Eond range of the enemy's greatest
guns. and as it proceeds toward the
front 1t needs no shelter.
IL goes first to the brigade reserve
OF three regiments. which are kept in
well-protected positions. The biggest
guns OF the enemy frequently feel
out" the locations of reserve regi-
ments. They are safe. however, from
ordinary artillery and from rifle fire,
and the anti-aircraft guns keep the
aeroplanes away from the batteries
and camps.
For three days the regiment is held
in brigade reserve. The night follow
ing 1t advances via the bad roads"
that are frequently shelled, to the third
line trenches. For "a hours the reei-
ment remains in dug outs upon this
line. ready to repulse any sweep of
the enemy that might. by chance
oVernower the more advanced
trenches.
r1,H.