THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 767, 17 May 1877, Page 3

THE RUSSIAN ARMY.

Nominally^ the effective army of the Czar consists on a peace footing of 750,000 men, which could be brought up, in case of war, to 1,520,000 ' } but by re-oi sjanisation of the forces which was recently effected, it was anticipated that this number WQuld be increased to 2,500,000. According, however, to an artiole which appeared a few months ago in the Magdeburg Gazette, and which was regarded by ' The Times ' aud other influential journals as worthy of credit, the largest force which Russia could dispose of on a peace footing is 35,,0Q0 officers and 750,000 men, and on a war footing 40,000 officers «nd ; 1,200,000 men. On the other hand, there can, bo no question that that power has made great and sucoessful efforts to place its artillery in the highest state of efficiency. Each division of infantry has a brigade of artillery attached to it, and every brigade— sl in numberconsists of three nine-pounder and three four-pounder batteiies of eight gnns each. Adding to these 1 mountain, 10 field, and 34 horse batteries, wo have a total of 2,680 guns, besides a reserve of 48 batteries, containing 348 guns and 200 companies of fortress artillery. THE TUKISH ARMY". The Turkish army numbered, at the beginning of the war with Servin, 400,000 men, including 20,000 regular cavalry and 15,000 artillery, and as at the age of 19 every Turk is bound to enrol himself as a soldier for a service of six years, at the expiration of which time he passes into the redif, or relief, and is called out for a month

or two attfidftliy, th6%hole of the adult Moslem population is available for fighting purposeiß.' Tlie' rfeguiav' troops are armed with the MartiniHenry and Winchester rifle, and .supplied ; with: the best and .most recent pattern o€. reyolyers apd ;Bword4)ayohet. The cavalry havJß breechloading cavtines and revolvers. Fnder the advice and instruction; of foreign officers, the'Turksh artillery has beeii in process of reorganisation for sqme time past ; and, t . according to W communication furnished to the..Allge.meine Zeitung not many \ weeks ago by the military attache to : one' of the embassies *t Consi;an.tinople, it is by fav, the best por^ tion of the army.' It is well officered,:; and obtains the most efficient of recruits. Each, regiment of field artillery is provided with 16 batteries of six guns each, consisting of Krupp's, breech-loading 12 j pounders and 1 Broad well gnns^Of the i same calibre. All the guns of the horse-artillery are rifled Armstrongs./ The mountain batteries^are said to be especially exoeilent. T ey are composed of Wliitwbrth 3 pOuniders, fastened oii the backs; of mules, trained for this particular purpjjse, and the utility of such , living .gun carriages in rugged passes and rocky defiles will' be obvious at onber The fortress artillery nnmbers ' " six : : reginients!j the;; strongholds, at Scbumla, ; i^erna, Silistria, Rostohuct,, and- Widdin, are b'eizJg ; strengthened and armed with rifled cast / steel 'guns.' " The Turkish arsenals aire well organised, and are mostly under the management . of Frenchmen and Italians, while immense supplies of arms and ammunition have been, and are still, being , drawn from the workshops of Prussia, England, and the United States. There are four battalions of sappers and pontooners, commanded by intelligent youug officers * who have studied engineering in Paris and Berlin j and it is the policy of the Turkish Government to offer liberal pay and rapid promotion to the best military and scientific, men belonging to the countries of Western Europe who are willing to enter the Sultan's service, the. artillery school at , Constantinople being under the control.of ; a staff .of professorß, every- one of whoni is an ex-officer of the German army.-r- --' j^iistralasian.* . -