Organization: How Armies are Formed for WarFoster, Hubert
History
Organization: How Armies are Formed for War
Foster, Hubert
Armies -- Organization
In large armies, however, organization by Army Corps is unavoidable.
We therefore naturally find the forces of the great military powers
of Europe--Germany, France, Russia, Austria, Italy--organized by
_Army Corps_, while the forces of Turkey, Japan, Great Britain, and
the smaller nations of Europe are organized by _Divisions_ only.
Switzerland is about to comply with this principle by transforming her
present Army Corps into Divisions.
COMPOSITION OF AN ARMY CORPS
An Army Corps is generally composed, after the German model, of two
Divisions, in spite of the ruling of Clausewitz that a division of any
Unit into two parts is the worst possible. This is admitted by von
der Golz in his “Nation in Arms,” and also by von Schellendorf in his
“Duties of the General Staff.” Both agree that an Army Corps should
have _three_ Divisions, but think that it would be difficult to alter
a system so deeply rooted in Germany. This criticism applies also to
the bipartite organization of both Cavalry and Infantry Divisions and
Brigades, which exists in most Continental armies. The Austrians have
therefore adopted a Corps of three Divisions, and the Germans and
French think of adding a Reserve Division to the two forming their Army
Corps. To have three Divisions would undoubtedly strengthen the Command
of the _Corps_, and, by reducing the number of Corps, facilitate that
of the _Army_.
Besides the Infantry Divisions, there are other troops in an Army
Corps--namely, Cavalry, Artillery, Engineers, and Administrative
Services.
_Corps Cavalry._--The French have a _Brigade_ of Corps Cavalry, the
Russians a _Division_. This is probably a better arrangement for
providing “protective Cavalry” than to rely only on the few squadrons
of _Divisional_ Cavalry, as in Germany and Austria.
_Corps Artillery._--German and Russian Army Corps have no Corps
Artillery; other armies have two or more Brigades, organized in
Regiments.
Heavy Artillery is likely to be allotted to Army Corps or perhaps to
Armies, in foreign armies, as it is in England to the Division.
_Corps Engineers._--A Company or two, with an Engineer Park of tools
and stores, a Bridging Train, and Telegraph Units, form the Corps
Engineers.
The _Corps Administrative Services_ comprise in most armies an
Ammunition Park, a Supply Park, a Field Bakery, Field Hospitals, and a
Remount and Veterinary Depôt.
3. CAVALRY CORPS
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