WAR OF THE FUTURE.

Shannon News, 18 October 1927, Page 4

WAR OF THE FUTURE.

London, Aug. 27

Experimental training is in progress on Salisbury Plain with what is known as the Tidworth Mechanised Force.

In this all-mechanised unit "horse,' in its sense of a fighting arm which united mobility - and reconnaissance with a possibility of shock-action as well, has been replaced by armoured cars and tanks, both of which form part of the Royal Tank Corps. One battalion of each is taking part in the operations, the number of tanks being forty-five, with four more forming a I radio 'telephone section with wireless equipment. Of armoured cars, twenty i are included, and there are in addition some eight tankettes, as the little oneman and two-men tajiks are called. The artillery of the Mechanised Force'consists of a mechanised brigade of field artillery, with batteries of both dragon drawn and self-propelled guns, as well as a light battery of 3.7 howitzers carried on semi-track lorries. Thi engineer iield comp'any is carried entirely in six-wheeled motor vehicles. As for the "infantry," this consist, of a battalion converted into what i--really a light-gun unit. The battalion is the 2nd Somertshire Light Infantry, organised as a machine-gun battalion and armed with thirty-six Vickers guns. The organisation is in three companies, each of three sections of four guns each. The transport consists of semi-track and of six-wheeled vehicles, about sixty vehicles in all, in eluding five motor-cycles and fourteen semi-track motor-cars. For marches is divided into a fast group, comprising only the armoured car companies, whose normal rate of march is reckoned at 25 miles per hour; a medium group, comprising light batteries, field companies R.E., machine-gun battalions, and mechanised transport, all conveyed in semitrack or six-wheeled vehicles, whose normal rate of march is reckoned at 10 miles per hour; a slow group, composed of tanks, tankettes and mechanised artillery, whose normal rate is reckoned at 7 miles per hour. Those normal rates are, of course, on tfce conservative side, with the sound object of allowing for hindrances and reducing wear and tear.

Petrol consumption in cross-country work is an important item. It is cstimaied that the tanks move about a mile for a gallon of petrol ancl' 50 per gallon of oil; the tankettes about six miles for each gallon of petrol; the artillery dragons and o'ther machines for transporting field-guns from 1.7 miles upwards for each gallon, according, to the nature of the machine; and the various types of lorry in the hands of the infantry from 3 to 8$ Biileß a gallon, according to type.