Welsh Newspapers

Search 15 million Welsh newspaper articles

Hide Articles List

19 articles on this Page

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

OUR INDIAN ARMY.

[No title]

THE CASE OF THE REV. MR. DODWELL…

THE NEPTUNE.

[No title]

DOTHEGIRLS' HALL:

CAVALRY ORGANISATION.

[No title]

THE CLEOPATRA VERDICT.

SALE OF THE NOVAR COLLECTION.

[No title]

MADAME TEIAL AND

ah fv, a FL°or)S IN LONDON.

[No title]

OUR MILITARY POSITION. ■

News
Cite
Share

OUR MILITARY POSITION. ■ READY FOR WAR. {trom thell Times.") A few weeks have effected a transformation which may be almost termed dramatic. The regiments, with few exceptions, have been brought up to the increased peace strength laid down by the latest rei Illations viz., a little over 900 of all ranks. The weakest of them only want some 30 or 40 men each to complete. Moreover, there are scarcely, any men who in the course of another fortnight will not be fully clothed, equipped, and sufficiently drilled to take their place in the ranks in the event of an emergency. It is true that a small proportion of the recruits are too young and weakly to go at once on active service, but a few months' regular living, good food, drill, and gymnastics will make such an improvement in their physique that they may be reckoned on for the first reserve of an army in the field. In addition to these deductions for immediate purposes, an addition of nearly 200 men per battalion will be required to bring the line battalions of the 1st Army Corps up to their full war strength of 1097 of all ranks, or in all about 250 men per battalion. This makes for the 18 line battalions in question 4100 men. These would, we imagine, be furnished by the 10,000 men or so of the infantry portion of the First Class Army Reserve, thus leaving nearly 6000 men for the2nd Army Corps. We have left out of calculation the three battalions of Guards, for out of seven battalions of a strength of 5913 these could be easily completed to war strength, without including the Guards portion of the First Class Army Reserve, which, indeed, is comparatively insignificant in numbers. The six regiments of cavalry belonging to the 1st Army Corps have been rendered efficient by the purchase of a number of excellent five and six year old horses, so that they could now on an average turn out four squadrons of 100 rank and file each. The greatest improvement of all has been the formation of regimental transport, by which each regiment of cavalry and battalion of infantry is ren- dered independent-save as regards the carriage of tents and camp equipage—of the general transport of the army. It will be easy with the present cadre to so increase the regimental transport that it will be able to carry the tents also. The 2nd Army Corps has just received its orders for mobilisation. It will be necessary, in the first place, to provide it with regimental transport, and, in the second place, to obtain more horses for the cavalry and men for the infantry. Provisional arrangements have, we understand, been made by the Remount Committee for at once ob- taining both the troop and transport horses needed, and, judging from the fact that in the 1st Army Corps the drivers have been rendered tolerably efficient after only six weeks' training, we may feel confident that before the end of May the regimental transport of the 2nd Army Corps will be equally ready to take the field. As regards the men, it is to be regretted that several of the infantry battalions constituting the 2nd Army Corps have been so weakened by giving volun- teers to the 1st Armv Corps that they are mere cadres, and the remainder at home have not got, even if up to their establishments, more than 603 of all ranks. After deducting recruits and men medically unfit, it is pro- bable that the average number fit for active service is under 500 of all ranks. It has been suggested that a second brigade of Guards would form a portion of the 2nd Army Corps, but such an arrangement would not be desirable, for, even admitting that there were 100 men per battalion of Guards in the Reserve-and this, we are convinced, is far in excess of the true number-there would not be then enough to furnish six battalions of Guards, without any deduction for re- cruits and the medically unfit. Moreover, it would be indispensable that some men should be left to per- form home duties, trfcin recruits, and supply a reserve for the field battalions. We may assume, therefore, that the second Corps d'Arntfe would consist entirely of line bsttalions, of which twelve now in garrison in the Mediterranean might form a portion. The twelve regiments might be relieved by weaker line battalions from England and militia regiments. The Mediterranean battalions are each 896 of all ranks strong, and would only need some 200 men, exclusive of officers, to raise them to a full war establishment. Thus, to complete the in- fantry of the second Army Corps some 7800 men would be needed. Now, after supplying the needs of the 1st Army Corps, there would remain of the infantry portion of the First Class Army Beserve about 5800 men available for the 2nd Army Corps. Thus it would be necessary to draw 2000 men from the Militia Reserve. This would leave about 23,000 men of the latter available for other purposes. It is evident, therefore, that, if necessary, we could have by midsummer three army corps, or rather over 100,000 men, ready to send from England to any seat of war, and that these army corps, judging from the experience of the last three months, would be com- plete in every requisite for the field. The only difficulty would be as regards transport horses and troop horses for the cavalry. But we are entitled to assume that by paying a good price these would be forthcoming. We have 19 regiments of line and three of Household Cavalry at home, and for three army corps 18 would be needed. We have thus sufficient, but only just sufficient, cavalry for an army of 100,000 men, and it would be, perhap3, desirable in case of a serious war, not only to add a depot squadron to each regiment in the field, but also to raise two or three additional regiments. We are justified in be- lieving that our artillery is the most efficient in the world, and that nothing but a few additional horses is required to enable us to turn out sufficient of that arm for three army corps. These would require 12 Horse Artillery and 33 Field Artillery batteries, or a total of 270 guns. The war establishment of a Horse Artillery battery if, officers and officers' chargers excluded, 172 men and 157 horses. This would give for 12 batteries 2064 non commissioned officers and men, and 1884 horses. According to the estimates, we have 2832 non-commissioned officers and men, and 1818 horses, exclusive of the riding establishment. We could, therefore, supply the men, and by taking all the horses available, we should be only, after deduct. ing sick, &c., deficient of, say, 100 horses, which could be easily and quickly obtained. As to the field artillery, the total war strength of thirty-three field batteries would be, non -commissioned officers and men 6069, and horses 4782. We actually possess 7688 non-commissioned officers and men and 3918 horses. There are, therefore, enough men and a deficiency of about 1000 horses. Some additional horses have, we believe, been lately pur- chased. For the ammunition columns we should need 3302 non-commissioned officers and men and 3924 horses. Neither men nor horses need be of as good quality as those employed in the batteries, and the men could be furnished from the artillery portion of the Army Reserve and the Militia Beserve and volun- teers from the militia.

[No title]

CIGAR ENDS.

[No title]