KITCHENER'S MILLIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 August 1915, Page 12

KITCHENER'S MILLIONS.

(By lieut.'Colouel A. A. Grace, H.Z.V.A., in Auckland Herald.)

It seems to become more and more plain that what is commonly known as Kitchener's Army will play a part in the war which is likely to be of the maximum importance to the Allies. It is evident that of themselves Russia and France could hardly hope to bring the war to a victorious conclusion ,that with Italy's help they may hope for great things, but that when Britain puts forth her full strength then the Allies may expect to conquer.

The help which Britain has already given by sweeping the German Navy from the ocean, is one of those things which are so great and far-reaching that it is difficult, if not impossible, to measure them. This maritime exclusion is of itself sufficient to prove a deciding factor with Germany, in course of time. It has already done incalouable harm to out.enemies. But, besides imposing such maritime restrictions, Britain decided, a year ago, to create such armies as should play a major part on land while her glorious Navy played a maximum part on the seas.

. It is interesting to examine the composition of these huge, newly-created forces in at least one of their most important branches—the artillery. W course no one knows the exact composition or numbers of these armies, no one knows exactly how they arc organised, or their actual state of warlike efficiency —no one except Lord Kitchener and his Staff. But to illustrate what a stupendous undertaking has been their creation, a few deductions may be made which may help the ordinary reader to understand the gigantic work which has been accomplished by the British military authorities. '

When the British Expeditionary Force landed in France in/August last year, the proportion of guns to the number of infantry of a division was 4 to 1000, as near as could be. But we will suppose that such a high proportion cannot be allotted to Kitchener's Army. We will put the proportion at 2 guns to 1000 infantry, which is as low a proportion as conid be sanctioned even in the most favourable circumstances, and we arrive at some extraordinary conclusions. That army has been computed to number 3,000,000 troops, and if'such a computation be correct, as it well may be, than it will comprise at least 6000 guns. These will be divided into 1000 batteries, which will again be divided into 333 brigades, which will have attached to them 333 brigade ammunition columns. They will be manned by over 200,000 artillerymen, nnder the orders from over G665 officers, and the officers forming the staffs of brigades will number 1000. Each battery will go into action with at least ■2OOO rounds of ammunition in its limbers, waggons, and with Hie ammunition columns or at the refilling points: which means that when these armies take the Held they will take with them 2,000,000 rounds of gun-ammunition, besides what is .in reserve at the bases and on the lines of communication. If the proportion of g»ns to infantry is as much as 4 <mns to 1000 infantry, as it well may be," then all the figures given above must be doubled. So it will be seen at a glance how tremendous has been the work which has been faced, and faced successfully, in regard to the creation of the artillery of i Kitchener" Army It is difficult to make a good gunner linder a year's training, to train a field-artillery officer takes .(uito R9 long: to make and test the guns has been a colossal task; to provide sufficient ammunition for those guns has probably been the ereatest task of all. And lam writing oiilv of the artillery. It has been an enormous undertaking to provide toe millions of rifles for the infantry, and ilic hundreds of millions of rounds of small arm ammunition required. Than think of what the creation of the arms of the Service must have meant—tie Engineers, the Army Service Corps, the Medical Service, etc. The imagination is staggered by the contemplation, let ali has been done out of nothing in one short year. The guns to which I have referred aw the field-guns, high-velocity guns of the 18-pounder type and high-angle-fire guns of the howitzer type. Both -sorts are absolutely indispensable. I have not taken into consideration the heavy gujis drawn by mechanical traction, and the creation of these must have been a very great undertaking indeed, but it was a task which had to be performed before the new armcies could take the field. It must be romeiuheved that the exact composition and numbers of those armies are unknown, except to the few who have the right to know and that these computations are merely given as a guide for the proper comprehension of Britain's task. It must bo remembered that before it can begin to have any influence on the issue of the war this great army has to be transported across the sea—in itself, and in peace-time, a huge undertaking: in time of war, an undertaking of the most momentous character.

But Britain quails at nothing! Observing the extraordinary sacrifices which her allies are making in the East and in the West, she whole-heartedly and with almost superhuman energy sots herself to accomplish the most tremendous task viich a ration ever set itself, a task which it is safe io say none but Britain could accomplish—the creation _ and equipping and organising and training fu armies numbering mililons, in one short year: and the perfecting of all Ihc arrangements for transporting them across the sea.

When, therefore, the reader is inclined to question the apparent delay in this huge host's effective participation in the mighty struggle on the Continent of Kin-ops, let hii'.i consider, as no doubt our gallant allies consider, the nature of the work which had to be accomplished before Britain's new armies could take the field, and at the same time let him consider, as doubtless the Russians and French consider, what will be the effect on the tide of affairs when Kitchener's Army takes the lleld in a-H tlic plenitude i,t its .power! It is foilv to contemplate where the great blow will lie struck. Owing to the übiquity conferred by the mastery at sea. the blow may fall in at least half a down .places. l.e|. it «iirtice to know that when the blow falls it may well fall with a weight so -.iviit as to exceed the onKlamiht which the Germans are making

in the Fast, and with an ell'eel which mav he largelv instrumental in bringing the war to an end. It is one of the rules of strategy that in taking the aggressive there must be no dissipating of force. When Britain launches her blow, it may he expected, therefore, that it will have -behind ; t Britain's full strength. It is likely that when that blow is made, it will be made simultaneously with a general aggressive movement of the Allies. To fritter away

our energy in sporadic and spasmodic aggrOes'lve movements would be dissipating our fbree. Our great military leaders \ leave that role to Germany, who is exhau3'ing herself In furious hut ineffective efforts to conquer, at first In the W*»t» now in the Ea»t. Prcitntly her

striking power will have waned to as little aa .fifty per cent, of what it Was a year ago. Then will the Allies' opportunity have arrived, and then will that marvellous and mysterious military machine which'Britain'has created, as it were by some wizardry or miraculous power, he put in motion: but as to how or where it will strike, why should we enquire? It is enough to know that none are so suited to use that machine as those who made it.