DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 526, 5 June 1909, Page 15

DEFENCE NOTES.

' ' (Bl ECHSLOH.) "THE WHITE ARM" ON HORSEBACK ' An , interesting change in tho Germai cavalry tactics is foreshadowed by th< adoption of the bayonet (states a writer ii the Aldorshot "Military Mail"). A new car bme ,of ',tho latest pattern, sighted to >210( yards, 'is to be shortly issued to every Ger irian , cavalry regiment, with , bayonot attached, b It is to ; bo carried on, bandolier The- lanco still remains, and the sword ii still - fixed to the saddle. Some Germai newspapers object strongly to the'adoptior. of the bayonet, presaging, and perhaps justly,, .'that it means tho conversion of theu cayalfy to mounted infantrymen during the ' nekt.war: If the rills and bayonot is essential, then let, they say, tho cavalryman be trained in time or peace with these weapon! only.- "Why drill with lanco and sword when in warfare they are left in barracks? The change -is highly significant. Mischensko brought his 30.000 Cossacks round Oyama'e flailk- safely to Ying-kow, and failed in destroying bis objective, hdon up with JapahM6 stores, because his Cossacks could not assail ,withoub bayonets tho very, sparsely hold trenches of their foes. The object lesson may'now bo bearing fruit. y Cavalry That Will \'Fly Light." iTho advantages of. speed are still being seriously considered in Continental armies. For'somo time past every Gorman cavalry regiment ■ has possessed two light pontoon wagons,' drawn by four horses. Since the beginning of the month, the teams have been 1 increased to six, and extreme mobility attainod. Tho pontoons have been proved inyaluable in practico manoeuvres. They are made ;of steel, and being light, are easily handled. With their aid and tho bridging materials in the wagon, a 96 feet plank bridge can bo thrown across a stream, or one 24, feet long and 12. feet wide, or 36 feet long and 6 feet wide. Provided the two portions of each pontoon arc fastened together,' a field gun, machine gun, or ammunition waggon, can easily bo ferried over. The pontoon also holds four horses, and tgain 30 troopers. By means of these swiftly, transportable pontoon wagons, masses of cavalry thrown far to tho front of an advancing army are not rendered ' immobile by the whereabouts of intervening rivers. Service, newspapers declare that cavalry 1 movements have been enormously benefited by itho light flying pontoon wagon.—"Military'Mail." - '' \ ,"The Legs'of an Army. ,,, ' , The tabloid ration is to be given & trial during tho coming summer manoeuvres of tho Army. Fifteen hundred of tho new haversack rations have been.ordered for this purpose.' jho now ration includes, in ono smal! paokage, two small boxes of hard bread, two and one-half pounds in weight; threc- ■■■ quarters of a pound of bacon in a tin; a small package of sugar, two cakes of coffee, salt in tablet form, and. pepper in a capsulo. Each edible is enclosed in a vegetable parchment, covered with paraffin, for protection against climatic conditions.—"Army and Navy> Journal" New York. s • ' ■■ ,». Now British Equipment. In.a short description of the new British lArmy, equipment (Mills-Burrowes 1908 web pattern), the Aldershofe "Military Mail" , stated that the main principle underlying the' design is tho sub-division of what may be termed the "marching" and "fighting" portions/ In the latter, nothing is included which'is not essential to the fighting efficiency of the soldior, and the articles composing ,it consist of rifle (with sling), bayonet, ammunition, intrenching tool, and water. To these may be added such cooked food as can bo carried in the haversack, together with , i an emergency ration, a spoon, and a fork. Everything elso which goes to complote a soldier's field kit is bo considered as surplus to his' figEting' requirements, and, as such, is'relegated to the A'marehing" portidn of) his equipment. Such articles comprise greatcoat, comforter cap, pair socks, mess tin and-, covor, tooth brush, .shaving btiish,,razor, comb, towel, sc.ap, housowifo, atad pavbo&k, and are carried in a readily removable pack. In previous equipments, the , groatcoat, mess tin, and valise containing caj6e and smaller articles, were carried in separate portions, and were far from being easily removable. In fact, each portion was more or'less dependent on tho othors. The Mills-Burrowes 1908 pattern allows the soldier having normally with him the whole of his kit-and equipment, while when an action is imminent the, for tho moment, unnecessary portions can be discarded, and their place, 'tiken, if necessary, by extra ammunition in "emergoncy bandoliers. Tho component parts of the equipment congist 6f 1 waistbolt, 1 frog, 2 braces, 2 cartridge ckriers (left and right), 1 pack, • 2 supporting, straps, 1 haversack, 1 waterbottle carrier, and 1 intrenching tool carrier. A special'feature of this equipment is that all theso'parts are directly connected together,, end .the whole can be removed in ono piece, in. a moment. Similarly, it oan bo put on by the man himself by simply putting Tiis shoulder's under the braces—lihe work of a moment. Tho advantages of this are obvious. Men cin turn out in barracks or camp, fully ! equipped, in a few minutes. AH searching for'separate articles (possibly in the dark) ie v d6ne away with. AH that each man has to do l is to seize, his rifle and equipment, and double to, the place of assembly, and within seconds of his arrival there his equipment'!s adjusted, andyhe is ready to march off.- Again, if a halt occurs on the march, each : man oan at once divest himself, if he wishes,',of the whole of his load, resuming it again the moment tho prder is given to . 1' *? u m \ , The equipment is made throughout of specially waterproofed and woven webbing. The waterproofing is applied in a peculiar way; the result of which is to render the matoriallpraelioally impervious to the .weather, which otherwise tend to make it hard or cause it to stretch, or shrink. Compared with the leather or buff strap of the old equipment, the present are the ideal of comII "'« i , stTa P s used *° cut an d bruise the fjesh because of their inflexibility, whereas the new web material is soft and P" 4bl K, Another feature is that all buckles are of tho tongueless or solf-locking variety. Tnis.ii'an extremely simple and porfect form or buckle and a great lmwovement on the old toiiftue btickle. It may bo tightened or-loos-ened at will, but cannot slip. Anyont who hss ever seen a soldier buckling his belt when jwMine into marching order, with the old equipment, will at once appreciate the EZ*j •fi. be i t x wW ?t c!m %htened or loosened without trouble. ' ■ • Australia's Defence Sohemo. The Australian Minister for Defence made a statement recently, giving particulars of the .universal military training scheme which his' Government has in mind for the future doftaeVof Australia. Hβ said:— ."Assuming the Act embodying our proposals .to be passed by ■ Parliament about Dccembor, 1909, it is proposed that tho requirements of universal training shall operate from January 1, 1011, i.e., about ono yeAr later. , 'Before the training on this enlarged scalo oommonces, arms, accoutrements, ammunition, clothirig, and other matorial must be,provided, amounting to nearly £600,000 for ,tht> citizen forces and the new cadet forces. It is proposed to divide this preliminary expenditure over three years, at 8 *?&« it e«oh rear. For the year 1909-10, therefore, it will bo necessary for Parliament to provide £200,000 for tho supply of warlike material in addition to the present cost of the military forces. For the year 1010-11 a B imilar sum of £200,000 for. the supply of material, in addition to the .present cost of tho military foroes, will •gain be required. On January 1 of this hnanoial year a registration of all lads in the trainine.districts, of ajes 14 to 18 years, will be corned, out, nnd the organisation of those lads, estimated at 75,000, will aho be carriod out. This registration of lads attaining tho age of 14 years will subsequently be performed annually on January 1. '3>n July 1, 1911, tho training of 75,000 of | tue how cadet forces will commence, and ASS n on -,? n i! ual, y' The thir( i 6 " m of £200,000 will bo roquired this year, also £133,000 for the training of the now establishment of cadets, in addition to the nroeent cost of the military forces. On July

1 tho ■'- lads over 18 years, estimated at 18,000, will, be transferred to the citizen forces, excepting such as are required for the naval forces. 'The military forces now number about 20,000 militia and volunteers, and the addition of these young men will bring :them up: to very nearly their authorised war . establishment. . Those 18,000 young men.will go into camp for sixteen days, and will there bo trained, at first ;by .themselves, and later with portion of a.regiment. In later years, when each-contingent will have done two, three, or four_ years \in the cadet forces, the preliminary training! of tho now men will be: much greater, and far' than that now given to recruits. From this 1 time forward it will'bo no longer necessary to enlist men under tho old conditions in the militia and volunteers. "The year 1912-13 will, it is calculated, see 75,000 cadets in training, and the citizen forces expanded to 40,000, each unit being brought to.practically;ite war strength. During this and the former year provision will have been made, by the holding of many schools of instruction, for the training of new officers. The cost for this year will bo £1,200,000. In the year 1913-14 the; action of ;the last year will be repeated, tho cadet forces will be kept up to 75,000, and another 18j000 will pass into the citizen forces. Allowing for a certain amount of loss in the old portion of the existing troops, the total will still be over 50,000. The cost for'this yearwill bo about £1,250,000. ; in 1914-15 the same aotion will be repeated.: The citizen forces will now number nearly 70,000, and we shall have about twice the number of regiments and corps all at war strength, xhe cost for • this year will he about £1,300,000. 'Bythe end of,this year the young men serving under the Act will reach the age of 21 years, and it is proposed that in future years their liability to serve in war, and to remain organised in fighting units, shall continue, but that attendance at eamps shall be voluntary. Some will come out. tut not. all, end there will,thas. : bi in ea,eh year a slight increase in expenditure, the maximum being reached in the year 1917-18, when the estimated expenditure is:£1,400,0()0. .- ' ' ; ."Adding to: the reserve units about 18,000 men annually, for whom,.it is io.be remembered,' this scheme Iseeps the riflos or other arms, the accoutrements,, reserve ammunition, and other equipment required for them, we shall have in each succeeding year the following troops available:—; r ; V • : "\'^' •C bITIZEN JOKCES.' i ; o'- ' : ■-■"■'■'-'■:■:■ •■.in , ,.- , --: ■:/■■■-in- ".:■'; ' : "" Tear. r' : ..Training.".. Keserye. -Total. ißifcie'-' :: '' 68,004 '•.■■■. .14,000 ■: .82,000 1916-17.-' .:: 69,000- ; 31,000 100,000 1917-18 ■ - v 70,000? : r 48,000 .118,000 1918-19 '-.■■'■. " 71,000 . ". 65,000 --..; 136,000 1919-20 "-, r 72,000 : : 82,000 :.. ■-.■'-.154,000 1920-21 : ' 73,600 . > : 99,000. ;. 172,000 921-22 ■ V. 1 .: 74,0001 ; : . 117,000 ■ .. -191,000 .1922-23. ;.. 75,e00 : : :, 184,600 :. :; ;. 200,000 ■' :"Probably, before these numbers are reached/the system will have long been extended to the whole country, and: the numbers proportionately 'increased. . Allowance has been made only for an increase of population at' the rate of 1$ per cent, per annum., and for the average decrease by. deaths in -the men ■ who havo been trained. It is t<3. be trusted ■ that. the numbers above estimated uay prove much too Jotv by reason of the increase of our population. The reSult of tho system 'now proposed will," however, "give us a trained body of men, amoiintingto over! 200,000, with war equipment, in fourteen years .honce." ! /