Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/668

606 recruiting districts), and lias charge of the clothing, arms, and equipment of all kinds of the furlough and reserve men, and the registers and muster-rolls, but lias nothing to do with the training of either recruits or young horses, who are sent direct to the field squadrons. In recruiting for the cavalry, young men of strong frame, accustomed to horses, and of a minimum height of 5 feet 3 inches, are selected. The remounts of horses are bought by commis sions, and are trained and broken at the headquarters of the field squadrons ; 1 2 per cent, of its establishment being the maximum number of remounts allowed yearly to a regiment. The Austrian cavalry has always borne a very high reputation, and its drill is considered by com petent judges to be the best in Europe. Much of the old pedantry of drill has recently been swept away, and re placed by a more serviceable system. The soldiers now rise in their stirrups, ride with both hands, and only draw swords when necessary. The instruction of recruits and training of the horses falls almost entirely on the subaltern officers of the field squadrons commencing on the 1st October, when the annual contingent of recruits is called in, and lasting till the end of June, when the tactical instruc tion of the squadron is supposed to be complete; from July to September is devoted to drilling in regiments and larger bodies. The hussars and dragoons are armed with breech-loading carbines and swords; of the lancers, 32 men per squadron carry carbines, the rest lances, &quot;pistol, and sword.

Artillery.—The artillery consists of 13 regiments of field artillery and 12 battalions of garrison artillery. A regiment of field artillery on peace establishment consists of 12 batteries, viz., four 4-pounder field batteries, three 4-pounder horse batteries, and five 8-pounder field bat teries; and the cadres for two more 8-pounder batteries, a depot battery, and five ammunition columns. The batteries have only 4 guns horsed in peace. The cadres of the depot and two 8-pounder batteries remain at the headquarter station of the recruiting district; the other batteries are stationed and detached according to circumstances. In war the batteries are raised to a strength of 170 or 200 men, with 8 guns, 8 ammunition and 6 other waggons, and 109 to 147 horses. Two additional 8-pounder field batteries and a depot battery are formed by each regiment from its cadres, and 5 (in some regiments 6) ammunition columns. A field artillery regiment on war establishment thus numbers 14 batteries or 112 guns; and as a rule a regiment is attached to each army corps of 3 infantry divisions Of the ammunition columns, 3 carry artillery and infantry ammunition in about equal proportions (12 infantry ammunition waggons and 14 artillery waggons), and are attached, one to each infantry division; the others carry principally artillery ammunition, and small-arm am munition for the cavalry, &c., and are attached to the army corps headquarters or the army ammunitioji park. The Austrian field guns are rifled muzzle-loaders, of bronze. The 4-pounders and their ammunition waggons have four horses in the field batteries, and six in the horse bat teries; the 8-pounders and their ammunition waggons are six-horsed. A 4-pounder battery carries 156 rounds per gun, an 8-pounder 128 rounds. The remounts of horses are obtained by purchase as in the cavalry, but a larger and heavier class of horse is selected for the artillery. A battalion of garrison artillery consists of 6 companies, of which in peace time 5 are maintained on a peace estab lishment of 113 of all ranks, and 1 on a cadre establish ment. In war they are all augmented to a strength of 234. The companies of garrison artillery are employed in the defence or attack of fortresses. A small number of mountain batteries, armed with 3-pounder rifled bronze mountain guns, are attached to the garrison battalions. The artillery further includes a certain number of &quot; artillery reserve establishments&quot; (siege parks, reserve ammunition parks, &c.), which are only organised in war, and the &quot; artillery material department,&quot; which is charged with the construction and supply of all warlike stores in peace, and in war has further to furnish companies of field artificers to the siege parks and artillery reserve establishments. The great factory and depot for all artillery materiel is the artillery arsenal at Vienna, an establishment of. great antiquity and celebrity. The principal powder factory is at Stein, near Laibach. Laboratories are established at Wiener-Neustadt, at Vienna, in immediate connection with the arsenal, and at most of the principal artillery stations.

Engineers.—The engineers include two regiments of engineers and one of pioneers. A regiment of engineers consists of 5 field battalions of 4 companies, 8 reserve companies, and a depot battalion. In peace tune the reserve companies and depot battalions are maintained in cadre only. In war time all the companies are raised to a strength of about 230 of all xanks ; the field battalions accompany the active army, a company being usually attached to each infantry division, and a battalion to the army reserve ; the reserve companies are employed on the lines of communication. The general duties of the engineers consist in carrying out all works connected with the investment, attack, and defence of fortresses, strength ening positions, opening communications, &c. The pioneers form 1 regiment of 5 battalions ; each battalion composed of 4 field companies, 1 reserve company (in cadre only in peace time), and a materiel reserve. In time of war each, battalion forms a depot company as well. The pioneers are charged with the pontoon equipment; the construc tion of all bridges ; and the construction, repair,, and working or destruction of railways and telegraphs. They form 15 &quot;field railway divisions&quot; in war, 5 of which are kept mobilised in time of peace, to afford instruction in this most important branch of modern military engineer ing. The officers of the pioneer corps are trained at the cadet school at Hainburg. Special care is taken in the selection of recruits for the engineer aud pioneer regiments. As a rule, they must be of a minimum height of 5 feet 6 inches, of considerable physical strength, and of some educa tion ; and most of them must be mechanics. The standard of height is, however, relaxed in the case of skilled workmen.

Military Train.—The transport of the Austrian army is provided for partly by the military train, partly by the regimental transport attached to the several arms. The military train consists of 36 field squadrons, 36 reserve squadrons (in cadre only in peace time), 6 depot squadrons, and 6 materiel depots. In peace time the train forms a mere nucleus, capable of expansion in war, and supplies the transport required by the military authorities in some of the chief garrison towns; its whole strength is only 2500 men, with 500 waggens and 1250 horses. In war time it is raised to a total of nearly 31,000 men, with 12,000 waggons and 36,000 horses. The 36 field squadrons are raised to a strength which varies from 173 men and 197 horses, to 547 men and 718 horses, according to the special duties they have to perform. The 36 reserve squadrons are raised to the same strength, and a similar number of &quot;Ersatz&quot; divisions are formed to carry out the duties which in peace time were performed by the field squadrons. On .mobilisation the field squadrons, as a rule, transfer the horses actually in their possession to the field artillery ; and are themselves completed in horses partly by purchase and partly by requisition, and in men. 