New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 4, July, 1915: April-September, 1915Various
History
New York Times Current History; The European War, Vol 2, No. 4, July, 1915: April-September, 1915
Various
World War, 1914-1918
Active army (with colors) 289,910
Reserve (including men of first
and second categories) 638,979
Mobile militia 299,596
Territorial militia 1,889,659
_________
Total war strength 3,159,836
According to a calculation, which need not be given in detail here,
the above number of total men available includes upward of 1,200,000
fully trained soldiers, who have been through the ranks, with perhaps
another 800,000 partially trained men of the second category, the
remaining million being completely untrained men, who have passed all
their nineteen years of obligatory service in the third category.
The organization for putting the above numbers of men into the field
is as follows: The fully trained men are organized in four armies,
each army consisting of three corps, one cavalry division, and a
number of troops for the lines of communication. The twelve corps are
recruited and organized on a territorial basis, each corps having its
allotted area, as shown in the sketch, which also indicates the
locality of corps headquarters. The Italian army corps, which is
larger than that in other European armies, is composed of two active
army divisions, with thirty guns each, one mobile militia division,
brought up to strength from the territorial militia, one regiment of
Bersaglieri, or light infantry, one cavalry regiment, one field
artillery regiment of six batteries, (corps artillery,) and other
technical and administrative units. The strength of the corps amounts
to 50,000 men, with 8,400 horses and 126 guns, and this gives each of
the four armies a strength of 150,000 men, 25,200 horses, and 378
guns, with the addition of a cavalry division of 4,200 sabres. The
first line Italian army, therefore, which can be put into the field
seven days after mobilization is ordered amounts to 600,000 men,
100,800 horses, 1,512 guns, and 16,200 sabres. But these cadres only
absorb half the fully trained men called out on mobilization;
duplicate corps will consequently be formed to take the place of the
twelve first-line corps as soon as they have been dispatched to their
concentration rendezvous. It is believed that sufficient guns have now
been provided for these twelve duplicate corps, but it is unlikely
that more than two cavalry divisions could be formed in addition to
the four divisions with the first-line armies. These duplicate corps
would be ready to take the field three or four weeks after the
concentration of the first twelve corps. The above calculations show
that within a few weeks after the declaration of war Italy can place
in the field a force of 1,200,000 men, (24 corps,) and would still
have 1,800,000 men of fighting age left at the depots after the field
armies had been dispatched to the front.
[Illustration: Map showing the Military Districts of Italy.]
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