DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 675, 27 November 1909, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

; y (Br Echelon.) guns in action offer no greater target than a body of riflemen lighting under liW conditions, and in proportion to their-- fire' valuo support far greater losses than infantry, Jlliey uso all cover which infantry. men- übo. Covijr which is barely sufficient 1 for a section , 1 of iifantry protects an entire machine-gun do- •• tacliment. l Macliineiguns should bo employed in • pairs and in mutual support/ : The.'whole detachment must' not only bo trained to work the jjmis, but: must ba also trained scouts And •' rangp-takors. The golden rulo for machine-gun .-, tactics is "conceal your guns, utilise cover, and ■ . operate by surpriso, for surprise is the essonoo ot tactical success." 1,. Artillerymen wilt be' interested;!# hear that, • . with a view to facilitating practice in ranging and enabling artillery officers to master all . the intricacies of tho. trying operation of baud- , ling a battery on. tho firing -line,' Sergeant-V,;.-. Trumpeter MacKinnon; 5 of tho Royal Canadian Horse Artillery, has invented an ehlchie pyrograph.v. This consists of a koyboard resting' on:. !■: an operating table, > and - a framed upright ' 1 : "field" closely intersected with parallel lweiof wires, ■ oir which is fixed the map or photograph: of tho country- in which tho target is . assumed to, ,be placad. The' keyboard and■. >•. "field" are connected by a number of. wires which may bo of any length; to suit tho con- ■ venience, of the' operjior. Tho position of the target is located on p|e/map, . and the battory • commander or issued his orders, wlfile the operator at the keyboard indicates tho > i bursting of the shells. As nach gun is sup.posed to bo fired tho operator rings a boll which - corresponds with the report of the gun, thea the ranging officer turns nia classes on the map, i and notes the positibn: of tho burst which i« . indicated by a small electrio spark. The in. vontion is ingeWous, and it is only by using it practically that a ranging olßcct discovers how accurately it reproduces all tho difficulties that ■ lie encounters while at actual practice; The v three problems of ranging, namely, to find the elevation, the fuse,' and the lino can bo at • ■ successfully demonrfrated with this pyrograph. . as ; with a battory of four or six. guns. The suggestion has been made (states the "Canadian • Military -Gazette")' (that thoso instruments should be made up in quantity and one sup- , , plied,., for : the ptirpose of instruction, to each . V : battery and company in the Canadian Artillcrj, The French War Office orders special maa- ; oenvrea annually for the benefit of the mcdifcal units of the' army. •: They generally, last from five to seven days, and Consist of leotures and exercises in the field. The various units mobilies with; complete: transport ana equipment, and," after a lcoturo,'movo out on the march to, selected points •in the L<»untry, and encamp J each night qn' route. A. certain number of . infantry battalions accompany the medical .-. units, and ,tactical operations take^ place based,, upora general idea drawn up' 6pecialjy. for thai occasion: are' oontinuous, and'. during, thOjfigh-ting.men' are told off to'fall out":, as casualties, and are ticketed with v the nature '- 1 of wounds' or injuries' supposed to have been received 1 -in action.-.J:The battalion stretcher-' :.- bearers , brfng'them out of the firing ■ lino, to : - tho battalion field post for examination by the regimental: medical officers, v . Meanwhile , the ... jmedioal unite take up positions'on either flank:,.:-;, of the forces in battle, and utilise , v schools and churches as temporary hospitals in, the village or town near to .the sceno of action. The: ambulance wagons, : stretoher'bearers, and.:V little mules then go ahead to the fighting line, and briiig back the wounded froiii the battalion' post.-' As the progress of the fighting carried the troops-forward day by day, the; ambulance . ■ s'Kitions.moyed on in tho rear, from village to, vil-v lage.-: If possible, the : authorities arrango for,, ■ , liiauobuvres to take plaoo near' a railway, and, ; canal; in order to praotiso: the conveyance ,of wounded to' ; . the'base, by rail ,or boat. Searchlights were .used>;,at, night, and dogs to search for the wounded.. - , ' .. . ....

British spectators at'.the recent autumn, manoeuvres in .Germany consider that ' the men and.horses wore-excellent, and. the. officers -• ; , generally but tho..crux"of 'the, whole sys* , tern of training,lies'-iu the" prejudiced {avour. - for .offensivo' ; 6trategy and tactics. It is .per-:-.-. -v ■ feotly-plain. that'a long.era of-peace has made . • its mark 'upon the fighting mothode of tho ~; German Army to-dr.y. - Heavy' losses, aro sure to .be incurred,; even, though tho Germans learn ; ; t6 use cover'and move more rapidly under fi.ro • :■..- than' they'do-at present. Tho- umpires unduly /. ~ favoured tho attacking forces throughout thobporatio'nsojwithflufe'.ogusidering y,|}he. te^ip|^.:'" losses';when iottaduiig; ; .strongly ; -.qefended posit,,! ■ lions. : When tho '.test . of-reid . war-Mmes it is;.. to. . confidence will not , ■ensue ?b a-rresulf ofl-fiko lessons in time' of ; peaoel It > "isi. alsib. . 6pqb.v.'question- whether — the' men will 7 withstand tho terrible, losses i! thev maintain.' their 'dense' formation! in the next 1 war.' •If thoy. do, then they, will- bo practically iiivinciblb, and will ovorcome .'all . : obstaclcS,. 'In fact,';.the., great ; plea", is. to ■.* .. ."lose : -'as many men-'' as' you.' like,. but got • through to the .end.", The' Germans also be- . ■ lievo in■•■using,'-'great'bodies •,'of■ ■ cavalry in attaoting ..demoralised infantry and• artillery.. 'l'hey maintain that the'vastness and confusion of "a modem field .of battle .will.' offer,';. many favourable, chanoes • for cavalry ...and;,, hold .'that "this ',arm of 'the service should. he -: able to: march- rapidly and. cover long. dis- , tane«s" en : masse,'"•'.and' at- the same time: bo, ■ able;.'to 'inflict' heavy losses upon a.- disorgan- ~■ •: ised: force,;''.. The'-'.scoutuig, of the. cavalry i» nothing, so; , good .as our own. ■ ■ O&ccrs patrols • w'ere. frequently. 6ecn to ride up to "■ 'defended positions--'.andbodies -of troop* without. taking • any notice of the.fire, , ,>■ -. directed at. them. They also appeared on ' , - the sky. line too often. % Ground scouting_ by- : - infantry is' only' just . being taken into gonoral use,-.in fact,', scouting, 'as. taught in ; the;: British, Army,-.-is . 'practically unknown.; , ; ,■ The only real.scouting was that done,by. the v Jager ana Rifle-,Battalions, oomnosed of. men trained• in iWoodVcrafh and,;.field .work, .from,-,,-birth almost.'.The.infantry still neglect :.'to; f •••;, move-their sights. during. an. advance, but not to suoh an extent as in former years). greater - , - attention has .been-paid to..fire discipline, and : give the object, range, and ~ , nature of lire, and the ordors aro passed along' the linoi mail by man. The arlillery during the' operations , were well- handled and . con>; ?, cealed.;According i'o : regulations, German field; ;artillery' are to ■ simultaneously, come' into ao-,, tionj' massed iuv great, strength at, the. begin-, ning of ; a'' fight,' so'. asltb lay the foundation ■ upon . tho infahtiy: attack is developed, The guns are'-fought .at distanocs- from whioh :■ accurate observations cau; be made, but the • . Germans have a great tendency to overdo the: principle of closely supporting a .final attack ; • where; the;ground perrmts of it. As■ regards >,■' sanitation on.;the" manoeuvres,-, the-experiences.. of former-years, and, of tho Horrero-'campaign,; ; has' proved,'that>tho German' officer knows: very :.,;■;■ little, about such ;an important subject, and i cares-less. Tho medical .corps, hove, however, ■..., begun to ; form sanitary; sections based on .the : , , lessons of the Japanese- in . itanohuHa, : - and-. . :;, the'oanips and bivouacs are no longer, left cov- ;., ered ,with all' kinds ,'of. refuse,- empty; bottles, ...' tins," ots,'they are properly cleaned up. Cyolista Were extensively -.used, during the operations; , . the troops' are ericburaged l to bring;,their; iua>, chines ; with' them: and,receive;a-small sum,for :. . expenses. To briefly summarise tho -ohief iiu«: pressions of . the observer :,; firstly t the excel, lent'moral and physical effects of; .military;; , r, training,' and thp fair, amount of -WiUtoryA, knowledge displayed, taking, into; consideration; the short-service system with 1 tho colours, .vis. three years, y Secondly, the comparison botweon the physique of the German soldier of,,two i , years Eorviceaud that of the; British soldier of >.■.?. . similar eeroco on the peace establishment,: the v odds are rather, in favour of the Gorman at present.—Thirdly.!- the value, attached by the -. Germans'to the, spirit of tho.ofitnsive, the mu- . tual cooperation,, rapid decisions, and tho termination to conquef at any price, The General Staff knows that heavy-lossos aro bound to • be incurred in modern warfare, and therefore.;, thov: think. it best .to keep, men together, and under olose control; suffering-heavy losses, and; > > filling'up tho terrible gaps .with more and ,-; , more- men, rather thaii. lose; control by ;\vide .ex- .> 5 ■tensions and trusting to .tho'inteVligence of th» >,■ ,; v soldier as we' do' in' oufojfttack . system;' • : ; r ; .