Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/718

 664

[RUSSIA

ARMIES

Under the law of Jan. 13, 1874, modified by that of June 14, 1888, and Jan. 19, 1893, liability to service extends from the beginning of the 21st to the end of the 43rd year of age. The first 18 years are passed in the standing army, the rest in the militia. Service with the colours lasts for 5 (in practice 4) years, the remaining term being spent in the reserve, which entails two trainings of six weeks each for the entire period. The army mobilized for war is composed of (1) field troops, (2) reserve troops, (3) depot troops, (4) fortress troops, (5) local troops, (6) militia. (1) The field troops are composed of the standing army made up to war strength by calling out the reserves. (2) The reserve troops are formed by the expansion of reserve cadres maintained in peace. (3) Depot troops are formed upon cadres detached at the outbreak of war from the standing army. Their function is to keep the field units up to strength. (4 and 5) Fortress and local troops are brought up to war strength in the same way as reserve troops, but are intended to be employed only on garrison duties. (6) The militia comprises all men physically fit for military purposes between the ages of 21 and 43 inclusive, and is divided into 2 bans. The 1st ban contains the men who have served with the colours, and those who have not been included in the annual contingents, but are wholly fit for active service. It may be used to complete the field army, or to form militia units for home defence. The 2nd ban includes men exempted on special grounds from service with the colours, and those regarded as not wholly fit for operations in the field. Military service in Finland was regulated by the law of Jan. 13, 1881, which prescribed 3 years with the colours and 2 with the reserve, the rest of the military period up to the end of the 43rd year of age being passed in the militia. The conditions have, however, been assimilated to those of the empire. Cossacks serve under special regulations for 20 years, beginning with the completion of the 18th year of age. The first 4 years are spent with the colours, the next 4 on leave. During the last 5 years they are only liable for service in case of war. Infantry.—There are 209 regiments, each of 4 battalions, of 4 companies and a non-combatant company. These regiments comprise 12 of imperial guard, 16 grenadiers, 181 line infantry. Guard regiments have titles only, the rest (1 to 16 grenadiers and 1 to 180 line) have a geographical title as well as a number. The peace and war establishments of a regiment are as follows :— Peace. War. Officers ..... 70 79 N.C.O.’s and men (combatants). 1816 3874 Horses ..... 25 158 Carriages ..... ... 77

Peace. 4 squad- 6 squad- 4 squad- 6 squadrons. rons. rons. rons. Officers .... N.C.O.’s and men (combatants). Horses .... Carriages

32 706 585

38

30

36

1027 905

629 676 23

920 1016 29

Each squadron carries 20 light spades and 20 light axes on the saddle. Pioneer detachments with a demolition equipment are provided in the case of regiments on the western frontier. The Cossack cavalry supplies 317 squadrons in peace and 905 in war. Each regular regiment has a depot cadre, which on mobilization forms 2 squadrons. The Cossack establishments supply in war 43 depot squadrons, to train men and horses for the active units. On general mobilization it is contemplated to form 80 squadrons of militia cavalry. Artillery.—The field and mountain artillery consists of 52 brigades — 3 guard, 4 grenadier, 45 line—attached to infantry divisions, together with 53 batteries, of which 7 form the Turkestan brigade, and 12 form 2 East Siberian brigades, the remainder being classed as “independent.” An artillery “brigade” varies in strength from 9 batteries (guard, grenadier) to 4 batteries (2nd East Siberian). Batteries are classed according to their armament as heavy, light, mountain, and howitzer. Batteries of the first 3 classes have each 8 guns ; howitzer batteries have 6. The following are the particulars of the equipments :—

Calibre (in.). Shrapnel (lb). Muzzle velocity (f.s.) Projectiles carried. Load behind team (cwt.) Weight of gun, lb.

Heavy.

Light.

4-2 28 1450 108 424

3-42 15*4 1700 150 37£

Mountain. Howitzer. 2*5 8-9 1143 128 194*

6 59t 760 92 414

t High explosive shell.

A field battery carries 32 spades, 24 axes, and 4 pickaxes for entrenching purposes. New equipments are being tried and will be gradually introduced. The howitzer artillery consists of 7 regiments, of which 1 to 5 have 4 batteries each, and the remainder 2 batteries. There are also 2 batteries forming part of the 1st East Siberian brigade. The regular horse artillery numbers 28 batteries (5 guard) and 3 independent horse mountain batteries. The horse batteries are organized in divisions of 2 batteries and attached to cavalry divisions. The Cossack horse artillery batteries number 20 peace and 38 in war. The reserve field artillery in peace consists of 7 brigades, each of 2 divisions of 2 or 3 batteries, in all 41 batteries, expanding on mobilization to 164 batteries. The depot field artillery force is organized in peace cadres, forming 3 brigades of 3 batteries, 5 independent batteries, and 1 horse artillery battery, expanding in war to a total of 56 batteries. It is proposed, when the militia is called out, to form 80 militia batteries, organized in 40 regiments attached to the 40 divisions of infantry. The fortress artillery contains 56 battalions of 4 companies, 4 siege battalions of 4, 3, or 2 companies, 10 independent companies, and 5 sortie (field) batteries expanding Rifles are regarded as light troops, and are supplied with recruits into 16 batteries. The establishment of a fortress or siege of superior stamp. They consist in peace of 36 two-battalion battalion is :— regiments and 32 independent battalions, having on mobilization 4 four-battalion regiments, 32 two-battalion regiments, and 32 War. Peace. independent battalions. The magazine rifle, 1891 pattern, calibre O^Oi) in., weighs with bayonet 9 tb 12 oz., has a muzzle velocity Battalions of of 2000 f.s., and is sighted to 3000 paces. Every infantry regiment Company. carries in the field 1280 light and 256 heavy spades, 320 light and 2 Cos. 3 Cos. 4 Cos. 128 heavy axes. The Cossack infantry consists in war of 16 Kuban and 4 Transbaikal battalions. The reserve infantry cadres maintained in peace consist of 82 battalions in Europe, 26 bat3 11 16 21 Officers . . • • talions in the Caucasus, and 15 battalions in Asia, to be expanded N.C.O.’s and men (comon mobilization to 264, 74, and 51 battalions respectively. The 112 654 1310 983 batants) . fortress infantry is organized in peace in 1 regiment of 5 and 17 regiments of 2 battalions, each of 5 companies. On mobilization these expand into 31 regiments of 5 battalions. The regiment The siege ordnance consists of d^-in., 6-in., 8-in. guns, and of takes its title from its fortress. The militia is intended to be 3-4-in., 8-in., and 9-in. (screw) mortars. The garrison and coast organized in 640 battalions in war, and to be brigaded in 2 defence ordnance includes 14-in., 11-in., and 9-in. guns (1877), categories, each of 320 battalions. 11-in. (1886), 10-in (1895), and 6-in. Q.F. (Canet) guns. A militia Cavalry.—The regular cavalry consists of 68 regiments of 4 or 6 force of foot artillery, consisting of 10 battalions, each numbering squadrons, and 2 independent Asiatic divisions of 2 squadrons. 24 officers and 1308 N.C.O.’s and men, is to be formed in war. Engineers. — The sapper and pontoon battalions and the The establishment of regiments is as follows :—