THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 110, 11 May 1877, Page 4

THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

Tbe following information respecting the military resources of Russia are compiled ■ by the Star from late German military papers, :and- the information may be depended upon as thoroughly . reliable and authentic : — The Russian infantry i consists of forty-eight divisions, each of two brigades, each brigade comprising two regiments. In ten of these divisions namely tbe guards, and the seven Caucasus divisions, the regiments are four battalions*, and the army divisions three battalions. There are 616 infantry battalions, each of a thousand men on a war footing, in addition to 32 rifle battalions, divided into 8 brigades, and 34 so-called line battalions. The total strength of the regular infantry is as follows : — 616 Infantry Battalions ... 616,000 men 32 Rifle „ ... 28,000 „ 34 Line „ ... 56,000 „ 682 Battalions 679,600 men Of irregular infantry the Russians have but little, some 11 battalions of Cossacks. When the army is mobilised, for each regiment of the active army a Reserve Battalion would be formed, which would supply au additional force of 160,000. Every Russian male under the age -of forty^ capable of bearing arms, and not serving in the standing army, is liable to be called out to serve in - the "Landstrum," or "Opoltaohenie." These men are called "Ratuiki," and are divided into two bands. The Regular. Cavalry consists of 56 divisions, each of 4 squadrons, and one Reserve Squadron. The war strength of a squadron is 16 non-commissioned officers, 4 trumpeters, and 128 men mounted, and the strength of a regiment is 629 men. This gives a force of 35,224 men for the 56 regiments. To this force must be added 22 regiments of Cossacks, numbering 1,134 man. each, makiug 28,148 men, or a total force of s ßeguiar Cavalry of 55,372, divided into 19 cavalry divisions of 4 regiments each. Besides the Cossacks of the Don, there are other Cossack regiments in the Russian service. The following gives the total force of Cavalry, regular and. irregular, at the disposal of the Czar : — Regular Cavalry 30,C00 men Cossack Regiments of do ... 20,0 jo Don Cossacks 36,000 " Other Cossacks 35,000 " j To\&\ 12*6,080 men Of Artillery, the Russians possess the following : — Batteries. Guns. Men. 288 field 2,504 73/00 34 horae 204 7,650 24 Cossack 164 .^l5O B** 2,672 87,300 To each infantry division is attached an artillery brigade of 6 batteries, numbering in all 48 guns. Of speoial corps, the Russians have 5 Sapper Brigades, comprising 11 sapper battalions, 6 pontoon half battalions, 2 engineer battalions, 2 siege engineer battalions, 9 telegraph battalions, 4 reserve sapper batteries, in all 14,340 men. The following gives the total strength of the different arms on a war footing :•— Infantry 682 battalions 67",600 men Cavalry 933 squadrons 120,000 I Artillery 346 batteries 37,000 , Engineers 1 4>30 0 .', Total active army ... 907,000 men Guns 2j6 72 Of local troops there is a force, including garrison infantry and artillery, of 254,000 on a war footing. To these, in the event of war, would be devoted tbe task of garrisoning the fortresses and maintaining order. Excepting in Poland and the Caucasus this force would amply suffice, and the main body of the active array would be free to operate upon the frontier. Although the issue of the Berdan rifle to tbe troops was commenced in 1869, the army has not yet been supplied with it, and some of the troops have not yet been trained to its use. Tbis is a great drawback in the efficiency of the Russian army The weapon itself is said to be second to Done in Europe. Emb Russian infantry soldier carries 60 rounds of ammunition in two pouches. The training of the troops is said to be very good. The Russian soldier, tbough macoeuvering somewhat clumsily, may be- relied upon to advance with undaunted resolution anJ confidence following bis leaders doggedly, and delivering his fire with great coolness.

The Russian artillery is excellently horsed, and tbe guns are well served. The employment of masses of Artillery does not appear, however, to have received due attention in the manoeuvres. Every officer has to pass an examination. The mobilisation of any army scattered over a vast extent of country is necessarily slow, espeoially when the Russians have to watoh Poland and other disaffected parts of the Empire. To form an estimate of the army at thejdisposal of the Czar to cope with Turkey and her allies, a dedootion must be made of forces required to keep the peace in Russia, and to guard her coast, whicb, owing to the superiority of the Turkish fleet, are peculiarly open to attack. In Warsaw some divisions muat be left, two divisions for the protection of Finland, and the Baltic ooast, and two for Odessa aud the shores of the Black Sea. The looal troops would suffice to guard other parts of the Empire. The following gives the number of troops which Russia has available for aotive service in the field: — 3 Infantry Divisions of the Guard ... 48,000 men 32 Infantry Divisions ... 334,000 „ 24 Rifle Battalions ... 20,000 „ 52 Cavalry ... 33,000 „ 20 Cossack Regiments . . 20,000 „ 244 Batteries of 1,884 guns ... 52,000 „ Total ... 657,000 men These figures only give the actual combatants, and Military Train and Administrative Departments are not included. For active operations in Asia-Mioor at the same time, the following force would be available, allowing a force of two divisions to be left behind to keep order in the Caucasus, there would remain for active service across the frontier— 5 Infantry Divisions ... 80,030 men 4 Rifle Battalions ... 4,000 „ 7 Line Regiments ... 7,000 „ 4 Dragoon „ ... 2,500 „ 15 Cossack „ ... 12,000 „ 37 Batteries, with 296 guns ... 7,000 „ To** l ... 112,500 men Guns ... 296 The calling out of the reserves would after some time free the eight divisions left behind, which, if sent to the front, would strengthen the active army by 100,000 men aod 400 guns. The National Zdlung in October last gives the following as an approxi- ' mate statement of the whole of the array forces in Russia, including reserves and non-combatants: — Regular Troops ... ... 897 000 Irregulars ... .. .. 173,000 Reserve ... ... ... 182,000 ♦Ersatz ... ... ... 319,000 Local Troops .. ... 325,000 Grand Total 1,900,000 •The Ersatz reserve is formed of men who are permitted to finish their period of service on furlough, but are liable at any time to be called to the raoks, to complete the battalions to a war strength.