46. A _brigade_ is the command of a brigadier or major-general, or of a
colonel. It consists almost invariably of one arm only. In armies of the
old regime it was not usual to assign troops of all arms to the
subordinate generals. Hence the brigade is a much older form of
organization than the division of all arms, and in fact dates from the
16th century. The infantry brigade consists, in the British service, of
the brigadier and his staff, four battalions of infantry, and
administrative and medical units, the combatant strength being about
4000 men. In Germany and France the brigade is composed of the staff,
and two regiments (6 battalions) with a total of over 6000 combatants at
war strength. The cavalry brigade is sometimes formed of three,
sometimes of two regiments; the number of squadrons to a regiment on
service is usually four, exceptionally three, and rarely five and six.
The "brigade" of artillery in Great Britain is a lieutenant-colonel's
command, and the term here corresponds to the _Abtheilung_ of the
German, and the _groupe_ of the French armies (see ARTILLERY). In
Germany and France, however, an artillery brigade consists of two or
more regiments, or twelve batteries at least, under the command of an
artillery general officer.
47. A _division_ is an organization containing troops of all arms. Since
the virtual abolition of the "corps artillery" (see ARTILLERY), the
force of field artillery forming part of an infantry division is
sometimes as high as 72 guns (Germany); in Great Britain the augmented
division of 1906 has 54 field guns, 12 field howitzers, and 4 heavy
guns, a total of 70. The term "infantry" division is, in strictness, no
longer applicable, since such a unit is a miniature army corps of
infantry, artillery and cavalry, with the necessary services for the
supply of ammunition, food and forage, and for the care of the sick and
wounded. A more exact title would be "army" division. In general it is
composed, so far as combatants are concerned, of the divisional
commander and his staff, two or more infantry brigades, a number of
batteries of field artillery forming a regiment, brigade or group, a
small force, varying from a squadron to a regiment, of cavalry
(divisional cavalry), with some engineers. The force of the old British
division (1905) may be taken, on an average, as 10,000 men, increased in
the 1906 reorganization to about 15,000 combatants. In other armies the
fighting force of the division amounts to rather more than 14,000. The
_cavalry division_ (see CAVALRY) is composed of the staff, two or three
cavalry brigades, horse artillery, with perhaps mounted infantry,
cyclists, or even light infantry in addition. In many, if not most,
armies cavalry divisions are formed only in war. In the field the
cavalry division is usually an independent unit with its own commander
and staff. "Cavalry corps" of several divisions have very rarely been
formed in the past, a division having been regarded as the largest unit
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