developed _par excellence_ in the Prussian Rifle battalions. These draw
a very large proportion of their recruits from the gamekeepers and
forester class of the country. Such men have of necessity been already
trained in the attainments required for that branch of the Infantry.
They are well acquainted with firearms and can shoot; they can put up
with considerable hardships, they can find their way about a strange
country, and they have studied in the school of nature—in short, they
are the very men to make into skirmishers and marksmen, and are in
their element on outpost or patrol duty. Frederick the Great was the
first to train the Jäger as Light Infantry, and his influence is seen
to this day. “Vive le roi et ses chasseurs” was the motto engraved on
their “hirschfänger” (lit. “stag-sticker,” a large knife still worn by
keepers for the purpose of giving the stag his _coup de grâce_) in his
day, and it is still the watchword of the Prussian Riflemen of to-day.
Frederick recognised that the true method of employing Riflemen was to
extend them as skirmishers, and there is a story which tells how, when
one day, in Potsdam, the Rifles were marching past him in close order,
the old king shook his crutch-stick at them and shouted: “Get out of
that, get out of that, you scoundrels!” and made them march past in
extended order.
On the 1st of April, 1890, the German Infantry numbered 171 regiments
of 3 battalions each, and 21 Rifle battalions—total 534 battalions.
The Guard and Grenadier Regiments are:—
4 Regiments of Foot-Guards,
4 Regiments of Guard Grenadiers,
12 Prussian Grenadier regiments (Nos. 1–12),
1 Mecklenburg Grenadier regiment (No. 89),
2 Baden Grenadier regiments (Nos. 109 and 110),
2 Saxon Grenadier regiments (Nos. 100 and 101),
2 Württemberg Grenadier regiments (Nos. 119 and 123),
1 Bavarian Body-Guard regiment,
1 Hessian Body-Guard regiment (No. 115).
The Fusilier and Rifle (Schützen) Regiments are:—
12 Prussian Fusilier regiments (composed of 1 Guard Fusilier
regiment, and Nos. 33–40, 73, 80, and 86 of the Line).
1 Mecklenburg Fusilier regiment (No. 90), and
1 Saxon Rifle (Schützen) regiment (No. 108).
Of the remaining Line regiments, 81 are Prussian, _i.e._, Nos. 13–32,
41–72, 74–79, 81–85, 87–88, 97–99, 128–132, 135–138, and 140–143;
No. 91 is Oldenburg,
No. 92 ” Brunswick,
No. 93 ” Anhalt,
No. 94 ” Saxe-Weimar,
No. 95 ” Saxe-Meiningen and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha,
No. 96 is Saxe-Altenburg, Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt, and the two
principalities of Reuss,
Nos. 111–114, and 144, are Baden, and
Nos. 116–118 are Hessian.
Total, 95 regiments of the first group.
Nine belong to the 2nd group, Saxony, _i.e._, Nos. 102–107, 133, 134,
and 139.
Six belong to the 3rd group, Württemberg, _i.e._, Nos. 120–122 and
124–126.
The 4th group, Bavaria, has 18 regiments of the Line, which are
numbered apart from the rest of the Army.
The Rifle (Jäger) battalions are thus divided:—
Prussia: 1 battalion Rifles of the Guard; 1 battalion Schützen of the
Guard; 11 battalions Rifles of the Line (Nos. 1–11); 1 battalion
Mecklenburg Rifles. Total, 14 battalions.
Saxony: 3 battalions Rifles of the Line (Nos. 12, 13, and 15).
Bavaria: 4 battalions Rifles (numbered apart).
[Sidenote: +Cavalry.+]
The Cavalry is intended for fighting chiefly at close quarters and on
open ground. Their use on the battle-field is generally confined to
the attack in close order.
Although both branches of the Cavalry, the Heavy and the Light, receive
an identical training, yet the distinction between them has not yet
entirely lost its old significance. The Cavalry of the German Army
is divided into four groups, distinguished by different equipment
and arms; they are the Cuirassiers, the Dragoons, the Lancers, and
the Hussars. The chief weapon throughout is the sword, though the
Cuirassiers differ from the others in being armed with a long straight
sword, whilst that of the latter is slightly curved. Besides this
weapon, the whole of the Cavalry is being armed with lances. As it may
happen that the men may have to dismount and use firearms on foot,
at present they are all armed with a useful carbine (Mauser, 1871
pattern); the non-commissioned officers and trumpeters wear a revolver
instead.
The main point in a Cavalry fight is the shock, _i.e._, the moment
when they come into contact with the enemy. This must be the result
of gradually quickening the pace till at the supreme moment an
irresistible mass is hurled with crushing force on the ranks of the
enemy. The best powers of man and horse must therefore be reserved for
this moment, and it is a fact that the turning-point of an action has
often been decided by the mere impetus of the charge, and without any
use whatever of cold steel.
[Illustration: German Empire. II.
_Printed by G. Löwensohn, Fuerth Bavaria_
_Published by William Clowes & Sons, L^{d}, London._]
Of the whole German Cavalry the Prussian arm has the best record. This
dates from the time of Frederick the Great and his celebrated Cavalry
leaders Zieten, Seydlitz, and others, who made use of bold and clever
offensive tactics which led to grand results at Rossbach, Leuthen,
Zorndorf, and other actions. Prussian horses are powerful, fast, and
capable of considerable endurance, so that they are particularly suited
to military service. In addition, the Prussian soldier is a capital
groom. These qualities, in conjunction with thorough discipline and
tactical training, have brought the German Cavalry to a height of
excellence that is surpassed by few.
The Cuirassiers are the troops who from their outward appearance
most resemble the knights of the Middle Ages. Although the cuirass,
from which they take their name, has lately been abolished for field
service in consequence of its weight and inability to keep off the
enemy bullets, yet with the lance, just introduced, a genuine knightly
weapon has been brought in to take its place.
The Prussian Regiment of Gardes-du-Corps, whose chief is _ex-officio_
the King of Prussia, is equipped and armed in the same way as the
Cuirassiers. Although it forms a Royal body-guard, still the regiment
has seen a considerable amount of service. History tells of a memorable
saying of the Commander of the regiment, Colonel von Wacknitz, at the
battle of Zorndorf (25th August, 1758), where the enemy, the Russians,
were getting the best of the day; Frederick the Great was with his
regiment, the Gardes-du-Corps, and said anxiously to Colonel von
Wacknitz: “What do you think of it? My idea is that we shall get the
worst of the action.” Von Wacknitz lowered his sword and said: “Your
Majesty, no battle is lost, in my opinion, where the Gardes-du-Corps
have not charged.” “Very good,” said the king, “then charge.” And the
fortune of the day was decided by the brilliant and successful attack
made by this regiment. The battle was won, and the country saved.
[Illustration: Württemberg. Dragoon.]
In Bavaria the two regiments of Heavy Cavalry, and in Saxony the
regiments of Horse Guards and Carbineers, correspond to the Prussian
Cuirassiers.
The Dragoons were originally intended to combine the fire-action of
Infantry with the rapidity of movement of Cavalry, and were therefore
armed, on horseback, with a light musket and bayonet. The Brandenburg
Dragoons of the great Elector Frederick William came greatly to the
fore in this double capacity at the battles of Warsaw and Fehrbellin.
The uncertainty, however, of the results of shooting when mounted, and
the inconvenience of dismounting or mounting according as to whether
the fight raged on foot or on horseback, showed plainly as time went on
that the idea of an intermediate arm, a sort of mounted infantry, could
not yet be brought to perfection. The Dragoons were therefore, during
the eighteenth century, gradually formed into Cavalry pure and simple,
and at the present time they are horse-soldiers, and horse-soldiers
only. One of the most celebrated Cavalry attacks was that of the
regiment of Anspach-Bayreuth Dragoons in the battle of Hohenfriedberg
(4th June, 1745). In this action, the regiment rode down no fewer than
20 battalions of Infantry, took 2,500 prisoners and 66 standards,
besides a large number of guns: as Frederick the Great said, “It is a
feat unparalleled in history.” This regiment was, at a later period,
turned into a Cuirassier regiment, and is now known as the Queen’s 2nd
Cuirassiers (Pomeranians).
The Bavarian Chevau-légers correspond to the Prussian Dragoons, and
many a record testifies to their gallantry in action.
The spirit of Zieten, the “Hussar-father,” and of old Blücher, “Field
Marshal Forwards,” still lives in the Hussars of the German Empire.
Activity, boldness, and cheeriness are the attributes which make a good
Hussar, and many are the songs which record their successes in camp and
field.
The Uhlans (Lancers) who spread such terror amongst the enemy in the
war of 1870–71, hail, as far as their name goes, from Tartary.[15] For
this reason, the French took them for a wild tribe, such as the Kirghiz
of the Steppes, or the African Turcos. The name is, however, the only
foreign element about them, for their mode of fighting is essentially
German.
The chief weapon of the Uhlan, the lance, with which they caused such
consternation among the French, although it had been the most popular
weapon of the Middle Ages, disappeared almost entirely from European
armies on the introduction of firearms; the Russian and Polish Cavalry
alone retaining it. After the second Silesian war in 1745, Frederick
the Great armed a body of Light Horse with lances, and gave them the
name of “Bosniaks.” Consisting at first of only 1 “company,” their
strength was increased afterwards to 10 companies, and in the year
1800 they were founded into a regiment under the name of “Towarczys,”
_i.e._, experienced in war. In 1808, the name was changed to “Uhlans,”
and the corps was divided into several regiments, whose number was
increased at a later period. In 1870 the French peasantry called the
whole of the German Cavalry “ulans,” and the sudden appearance of a few
of their horsemen in a district at a time when the Frenchmen flattered
themselves that the enemy was still far distant, caused shouts of “les
ulans! les ulans!” universal consternation, and immediate flight. The
German Uhlans were everywhere at once. More than one populous town,
_e.g._, Nancy on the 11th August, 1870, opened their gates at their
approach, and the small fortress of Vitry le françois surrendered to a
mere handful of Uhlans.
[Illustration: Bavarian Halberdier.
(Full-dress.)]
The Cavalry of the German Empire consists altogether of 93
regiments of 5 squadrons each—total, 465 squadrons. On the regiment
being ordered on active service, one of the squadrons remains
behind as supply-squadron for the rest. Its duty is to replace the
partially-trained or unserviceable horses by good ones, and also to
fill up the ranks of the other squadrons with good men when required.
By this means, the active part of the regiment is brought to a high
state of readiness for action, and gains greatly in efficiency. There
are:—
14 regiments of Cuirassiers, including:
The Garde-du-Corps regiment,
The Guard Cuirassier regiment,
8 Prussian Cuirassier regiments,
2 Bavarian Heavy Cavalry regiments,
1 Saxon Horse Guards regiment, and
1 Saxon regiment of Carbineers.
34 Regiments of Dragoons, namely:
2 Regiments of Dragoon Guards,
16 Prussian Dragoon regiments (Nos. 1–16),
2 Mecklenberg Dragoon regiments (Nos. 17 and 18),
1 Oldenburg Dragoon regiment (No. 19).
3 Baden Dragoon regiments (Nos. 20–22),
2 Hessian Dragoon regiments (Nos. 23 and 24),
2 Württemberg Dragoon regiments (Nos. 25 and 26), and
6 Bavarian Chevau-léger Regiments.
20 Regiments of Hussars, namely:
1 Body-Guard Hussar regiment,
16 Prussian ” regiments,
1 Brunswick ” regiment, and
2 Saxon ” regiments (Nos. 18 and 19).
25 Regiments of Uhlans, namely:
3 Guard-Uhlan regiments,
16 Prussian Uhlan regiments (Nos. 1–16),
2 Saxon Uhlan regiments (Nos. 17 and 18),
2 Württemberg Uhlan regiments (Nos. 19 and 20), and
2 Bavarian Uhlan regiments.
* * * * *
Of late years there has been a good deal of talk about reorganising
the present force into a so-called “General” Cavalry, and this would
be distinctly a move in the right direction. The term implies that all
branches of the Cavalry arm should be equally and thoroughly equipped,
armed, and trained for any service in which Cavalry could be called
on to take part. An important step has been made in this direction by
the recent arming of the _whole_ of the Cavalry with lances. There
is, however, no intention whatever on the part of the authorities to
carry out the idea to extremities. Such measures as taking away their
particular mode of action from the different branches of the Cavalry,
or giving them all exactly the same uniform, would never be entertained
for a moment. It is obvious that such measures would be the deathblow
of all _esprit de corps_ which, as we know, has led to such brilliant
results in the past. The shock of Cuirassiers on their big horses, the
charge of Uhlans with their fluttering lance-pennons, the sabre-work
of Hussars, and the mobility of Dragoons and Chevau-légers, each has
its particular effect on the enemy, and each distinctive attribute
must be taken into serious account. There can be no doubt that a
total amalgamation of the four branches, and the abolition of their
distinctive uniforms, would produce much more harm in the end than good.
Before closing the subject of Cavalry, mention ought to be made of
the lately-formed Empress’s Body-Guard, composed of one officer, two
sergeants, and 24 men. They were first put on duty in August, 1889,
during the visit of the Emperor of Austria. Their uniform is the usual
dark-blue tunic, with cerise collar and cuffs, besides a full-dress
white Cuirassier tunic. The skirts are lined with cerise cloth and
fastened back with hooks. Both collar and cuffs have white braid-lace
on them, like the rest of the Guard Corps. The breeches are of white
leather, and big knee-boots like those of the Cuirassiers complete the
costume.
[Sidenote: +Artillery.+]
Artillery has but one rôle to play on the battle-field, and that is to
come into action and do as much harm as possible to the enemy from a
long distance off.
The German arm is divided into Field Artillery and Garrison Artillery.
The Field Artillery is intended, as its name implies, for action on the
field of battle. One particular branch of it forms the Horse Artillery,
in which all the men are mounted. The whole of the Field Artillery is
armed with Krupp cast-steel guns (C. 73), the Horse Artillery guns
having a bore of 2·95, and the others a bore of 3·43 inches. They carry
“double-ring shells” (a form of segment shell which fly into about 180
pieces), Shrapnel shells (each containing 240 bullets), and case-shot.
The guns themselves are handy to work, and carry with great accuracy up
to about four miles.
A Battery is formed of six guns, though as a rule not more than four in
peace-time have teams (4 to 6 horses each) to draw them.
There are altogether 318 batteries of Field-and 46 batteries of Horse
Artillery, the whole forming 37 regiments.
To the Prussian group belong 29 regiments, forming 245 Field-and 38
Horse Artillery batteries—total 283 batteries.
Saxony has 2 regiments (Nos. 12 and 28) forming 21 Field-and 2 Horse
Artillery batteries.
Württemberg has 2 regiments (Nos. 13 and 29), forming 18 Field
batteries.
Bavaria has 4 regiments, forming 34 Field-and 6 Horse Artillery
batteries.
Grand Total, 364 batteries.
Of the 29 “Prussian” regiments, 2 are Guard Artillery, 24 (Nos. 1–11,
15–24, 26, 27, and 31) are Prussian, 2 belong to Baden (Nos. 14 and
30), and 1 (No. 25) is Hessian.
In the course of the next few years the Field Artillery will undergo
considerable changes in matériel as well as in organisation. It is
intended to give each Army Corps 3 F. A. regiments, each of 2 divisions
of 3 batteries each. Thus each of the two divisions of the Army Corps
would have one F. A. regiment of 6 batteries, and the 3rd regiment
would be available as Corps Artillery. It is also proposed to introduce
a common calibre of gun for the whole, both Field and Horse Artillery,
and also a common projectile which would combine the advantages of
common shell and shrapnel. The introduction of this latter would tend
greatly to simplify both the action and the supply of the gun.
The men of the Garrison Artillery are employed in the attack and
defence of fortresses. They have no guns of their own, but simply
work the big guns of the Siege-train or the fortresses, according to
circumstances. These gunners go by the name of “cannoniers.” They are
armed with the Mauser carbine of the 1871 pattern.
The Garrison Artillery consists of 14 regiments of 2 battalions each,
of 4 companies each, besides 3 independent battalions, altogether 31
battalions.
Of this force, Prussia has 11 regiments (1 Guard regiment and Nos. 1
to 8, 10 and 11) and 2 independent battalions (No. 9 and No. 14), the
latter belonging to Baden.
Saxony has 1 regiment (No. 12).
Württemberg has 1 battalion (No. 13), and
Bavaria has 2 regiments.
[Sidenote: +Engineers.+]
There remain yet the Engineers and the Train.
[Illustration: Bavarian Officer of Lancers.
(Aide-de-Camp.)]
The officers of the corps of Engineers are divided into the
Engineer Staff Corps (_i.e._, generals and field officers) and 4
“Engineer-Inspections” (captains and lieutenants).
This is in the Prussian group. The Saxon, Württemberg, and Bavarian
officers are not so divided. Engineer officers are employed either with
the “fortification branch,” _i.e._, that branch which superintends the
construction, repair, etc., of fortresses, or with the “Pioneers,”
_i.e._, Field Engineers.
There are in the German Army nineteen Pioneer battalions, distributed
thus:
1 Guard battalion and 14 others (Nos. 1–11, 14–16), including
1 Baden battalion (No. 13), to Prussia.
1 battalion to Saxony (No. 12),
1 battalion to Württemberg (No. 18), and
2 battalions to Bavaria.
Each battalion numbers 4 companies; of these the 1st is a Pontoon
company, the 2nd and 3rd are Sapper companies: _i.e._, for sap-work,
construction of siege-batteries, and field-works, etc.; and the 4th
is a Mining company, for laying mines and subterranean galleries in
siege-work.
Besides these, there is a Railway Regiment of 4 battalions (including
1 Saxon and 1 Württemberg company), and 1 Bavarian Railway
battalion of 2 companies, for the construction of military railways
and railway-bridges. Included in the Railway Regiment are the
Field-Telegraph and Balloon sections.
[Sidenote: +Train.+]
The “Train” (corresponding to our Army Service Corps) is for the
transport of supplies, ammunition, and war-material of all sorts. The
drivers and men of the corps are trained in peace-time in the Train
battalions, and the wagons are stored in Train depôts.
There are 19 Train battalions and 1 company, thus divided:
14 battalions, each of 2 to 3 companies, and a depôt (the Guard
battalion, and Nos. 1–11, 15 and 16), in Prussia; one (No. 14), in
Baden, and 1 Train company in Hesse; one (No. 12) in Saxony, one in
Württemberg (No. 13), and 2 in Bavaria.
To the depôt of each battalion belong: 5 provision sections, 3 medical
detachments with field hospitals and bearers, 1 remount-depôt, 1 field
bakery section, and 5 sections of transport.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: +Tactical Organisation.+]
The above account gives a general résumé of the fighting force of
Germany. It now remains to give the tactical organisation of the
different branches of the Army.
In the Infantry, the smallest independent body of troops, or “tactical
unit,” is a battalion (except in the case of the independent Rifle
battalions, where the unit is represented by the company). In the
Cavalry it is a squadron, and in the Artillery a battery. The war
strength of a battalion is, at the outside, 1,000 men; that of a
squadron is about 150 mounted men; and that of a battery is 6 guns,
with 12 wagons and men in proportion. The peace-strength of each unit
is dependent, on the one hand, on the numbers required for its full
strength in time of war; and, on the other hand, on the amount of
training requisite for its efficiency. In a less degree also, it is
dependent on the state of the Treasury.
The peace-strength of a Prussian Line battalion (4 companies) is:—
1 major (commanding the battalion),
4 captains,
12 lieutenants and 2nd lieutenants,
1 adjutant (usually a lieutenant),
559 N. C. O.’s and men, and
7 others (paymaster, assistant-paymaster, 4 privates trained
as medical assistants, and 1 armourer-sergeant).
[Illustration: German Empire. III.
_Printed by G. Löwensohn, Fuerth Bavaria_
_Published by William Clowes & Sons, L^{d}, London._]
N.B.—A Regiment of Infantry consists of three battalions, so that in
calculating the strength of a regiment, the regimental staff (colonel,
lieutenant-colonel, regimental-adjutant, surgeons, etc.), should be
taken into account.
That of a Prussian Cavalry Regiment of five squadrons is:—
25 officers,
2 or 3 surgeons,
686 N. C. O.’s and men,
14 others (paymasters, veterinary surgeons, medical assistants,
armourers, etc., etc.), and
667 horses.
The peace-strength of the corresponding troops in Bavaria, Württemberg,
and Saxony is much the same. The Guard regiments and those in
Alsace-Lorraine are somewhat stronger.
* * * * *
[Sidenote: +Formation of Brigades, Divisions, and Army Corps.+]
As a rule, two regiments of Infantry (6 battalions), or two of Cavalry
(8 to 10 squadrons), form a Brigade, under a Major-general as brigadier.
The first unit composed of all three arms is the Infantry division.
It consists of usually two brigades of Infantry and one regiment
of Cavalry; and, in the field, has in addition 6 batteries of
Artillery and 1 company of Engineers, the whole under the command of
a lieutenant-general. A Cavalry Division varies in strength, but has
always, if possible, one or two batteries of Horse Artillery attached.
[Illustration: Prussian Officer and Trumpeter of Artillery.]
Two, or three, Infantry Divisions, with a brigade (2 regiments) of
Field Artillery, Engineers and Train, constitute an Army Corps, under
the command of a full general. The Army Corps therefore comprises all
branches of the service, and is thoroughly independent.
The 12th (Saxon) and 13th (Württemberg) Corps have a slightly different
composition. They each number 4 Infantry, 2 Cavalry and 1 Field
Artillery Brigades (each brigade consisting of 2 regiments), besides
one battalion of Field Engineers and one of the Train. The Guard Corps
also is constituted rather differently from any other.
[Sidenote: +Size of Army.+]
On the 1st April, 1890, the entire German Army consisted of 20 Army
Corps, quartered as follows:—
The Guard Corps, in Berlin, Potsdam, Charlottenburg, and Spandau (with
the exception of the 4th Guard Grenadier Regiment, which is quartered
at Coblenz).
---------------+-------------------------+------------
Corps. | District. | Head
| | Quarters.
---------------+-------------------------+------------
I. | East Prussia | Königsberg
II. | Pomerania | Stettin
III. | Brandenburg | Berlin
IV. | Province of Saxony | Magdeburg
V. | Posen | Posen
VI. | Silesia | Breslau
VII. | Westphalia | Münster
VIII. | Rhine Provinces | Coblenz
IX. | Schleswig-Holstein | Altona
X. | Hanover | Hanover
XI. | Hesse-Nassau[16] | Cassel
XII. | Kingdom of Saxony | Dresden
XIII. | Kingdom of Württemberg | Stuttgart
XIV. | Grand Duchy of Baden | Carlsruhe
XV. | Alsace | Strasburg
XVI. | Lorraine | Metz
XVII. | West Prussia | Danzig
1st Bavarian } | |
Corps. } | Bavaria | Munich
2nd Bavarian } | |
Corps. } | ” | Würzburg
---------------+-------------------------+------------
The nineteen Territorial Districts of the Army correspond to the
nineteen Army Corps Districts. The recruits, however, of the XVth
and XVIth Corps districts are not allowed to serve there, but are
distributed amongst other corps. The Guard Corps draws its recruits
from the different districts of Prussia, and from Alsace-Lorraine.
The main idea which directed the above recent apportioning of troops
was to distribute them so as to be immediately available in case of war
in any quarter. Formerly, the tendency was to group the forces where
they could be most conveniently trained and worked, without reference
to the possibilities of war.