arms, are capable of independent employment on the march and in action, he calls “combat units.” According to Boguslawski, army corps are “battle units,”[43] with which the commander reckons in battle, and which are strong enough to meet an energetic attack or to execute one themselves. [36] _Von der Kriegführung_, p. 49. [37] _Truppeneinheit._ [38] _Kampfgruppen._ [39] _Kampfeinheit._ [40] _Gefechtseinheit._ [41] _Schlachteneinheiten._ [42] _Entwickelung der Taktik_, III, p. 125. [43] _Grundeinheiten._ 3. ORGANIZATION. The basic unit of infantry is the company, from 200 to 250 men strong in the larger armies. It seems hardly practicable to exceed a strength of 150 men, as this is about the greatest number in which a relation based upon personal influence of the leader on his subordinates can still be obtained. In armies in which companies are composed of more than 200 men, the numbers in excess of this figure may be regarded as a margin of safety, intended to maintain the company at a strength of 200 rifles after the first casualties of a campaign, produced by marching, detached service and battle losses. In view of the losses, which frequently increase with extraordinary rapidity in modern battles, it appears undesirable to fix a lower figure than that above mentioned, as the companies would otherwise lose their independence and could no longer be considered basic units. ===========+=========+===================================++ | | || | | || | | || | | || | | (a) PEACE STRENGTH. || |Company. +-----+--+------+------+------+-----++ | | | | | |Offi- | || | | |N.| | |cers’ |Hosp.|| | |Offi-|C.|Musi- |Pri- |Ser- |Corps|| | |cers.|O.|cians.|vates.|vants.|Men. || -----------+---------+-----+--+-------+-----+------+-----++ ~=GERMANY=~|Minimum | 4 |15| 4 | 128 | ... | ... || |Maximum | 5 |17| 4 | 142 | ... | ... || -----------+---------+-----+--+-------+-----+------+-----++ ~=AUSTRIA=~|Minimum | 4 |11| 2 | 76 | 4 | ... || |Maximum | 4 |14| 2 | 109 | 4 | ... || -----------+---------+-----+--+-------+-----+------+-----++ ~=ITALY=~ |Infantry,| | | | | | || |Bersa- | | | | | | || |glieri | 3 |13| ... | 87 | ... | ... || | | | | |Musicians (trum- || | | | | |peters only) and || | | | | |sappers armed with|| | | | | |rifle. ||