The arms of the army

Media

Part of Philippine Armed Forces Journal

Title: The arms of the army
Language: English
Source: Philippine Armed Forces Journal Volume IX (No. 6) August 1956
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Fulltext: The Arms First of a Series is success in battle. play the biggest role and therefore when talking about this success the discussion is very often centered around the human element -.--...(:Onstituted by the Corps of officers and enlisted men. But men can never achieve a common, cooperative action without specialized training for certain specific combat duties. Largely for this reason the militar)' establishment has organized its manpower into various groups ot· special components, each of which is charged with a distinct mission either during an}' particular phase of a military operation or in peacetime. Organizational Concept The internal organization of the modern military establishment follow more or less a well defined, standard pattern. It is divided into two major functional subdivisi011S, namely: the combat echelon and the service echelon. These echelons are l'HIUPPI NES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL in turn broken down to several ele- chiefly with the procurement and mcnts, each of which is called an distribution of supplies "peculiar to arm or a service. The last two the arm." Generally speaking, howterms should not of course be con- ever, the service functions associatfused with the word arm when re- ed with these arms do not alter ferred to any ordinary weapon, nor their category. On the other hand when speaking of the military or- the Chemical Warfare Corps which, ganization as the military ser..-ice. In like the arms, is also charged with this particular instance the term arm the mission of defense and offense is construed to mean an element of by the employment of chemical the combat echelon. It follows then agents, has for the most part servthat all the elements of this echelon ice functions and is therefore apare arms of the Army which "direct- propriately classed under the service \y engage in combat and are known echelon. collectively as the line of the Army." The Air Corps Like all standard military estab- The Air Corps is one of the latest lishments the world over, the Philip- combat elements or arms of the roopine Army as it was organized in dern military establishment. This 1936, was composed of the arm~ and is so because the airplane which Military establishments all over the world, like the Armed Forces of the Philippines has organized its manpower into various groups or special components, each of which is charged with a distinct mission either during any particular phase of a military operation or in peace !;en·ices. The basis for this organ- is its main power for carrying out ization is Section 19 of the Nation- its mission, that of attack and deal Oefense Act, which }Jrovides the fense in the air, was not invented several elements to constitute the until the turn of the 20th century. Regular Force. Of these elements The airplane therefore has had a eight fall within the purview of the brief history. Its creation was the term arms, namely: the Air Corps. product of the genius of the two the Cavalry, the Coast Artillery Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur. Corps, the Corps of Engineers, the However, even as early as flole 15th Field Artillery, the Infantry, the century the Halian genius, Leonardo Off-Shore Patrol, and the Signal da Vinci, had drawn plans for a flyCorps ing contraption which, for all purOf these arms, the Ail· Corps, the poses, could have been the first Coast Artillery Corps, the Corps of model of the airplane. A rentury Engineers, and the Signal Corps are later, the French astrologer and physo constituted as to make inherent sician, Michael de Notredamc, who their service functions. This concern is better known today by his pseufhe All Co•p• il one of rhe /ott1t combot elemenr. or ormr ol !he mod"n militorr ellobliohmenr Photo obo~e thowo the firot botch of or~p/one• of rhe P~i/;ppine Conrro bu/e~rr fe~•tolion unotl which wo1 choq~ed wilh reconnoouonce ond intended to reek out ftom the oor the hideoutr of bonditf ond outlaw• donym Nostradamus, foretold of a ized the Air Corps as a distincl eleflying machine that would be used ment for combat. The Italians, for as a weapon of destruction. this matter, appear to have pioneered Although the airplane is of Amer- in the use of the airplane in war, ican origin, the United States Army when they employed a few planes authorities were slow in exploiting in their operations during the Turkits possibilities as an instrument of ish War of 1911. war. It was only on 29 July 1909 The Air Corps of the Philippine that the United States Army ac- Army was developed along similar quired its first airplane. At the lines as that of the United States time. however, its use was limited to Army itself, having been organized reconnaissance and the Army air- on 2 May 1935 as an aviation unit planes were grouped into an avia- of the Philip]line Constabulary which tion section of the Signal CorJlS. It was the only armed organization, was not until about eight years Ia- though semi-military in structure, ter. during the first World War, maintained by the Philippine Governthat the United States Army organ- ment prior to the Commonwealth rePHILlPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL g1me. This aviation unit was at another time they were brought charged with reconnaissance and together for cooperative action. primarily intended to seek out from The early Greeks. and Romans, the air the hideouts of bandits and great military powers just before the outlaws against whom the Constabu- Christian era, were limited in their lary ground troops campaigned. capabilities of developing a really Since 1947, as a result of the re- great cavalry arm, mainly because organization of the military estab- they were confined to relatively lishment of the Philippines, the small and semi-mountainous loculiAir Corps was greatly expanded. It ties not suitable to horse-breeding. is now designated as a major serv- Yet it was from them that the moice and, under a new nomenclature dern military establishment has inthe " Philip11ine Air Force," it has herited its concept of the tactical ora degree of independence not en- ganization of the cavalry. A Sparjoyed by the other arms. tan soldier and statesman named The Cavalry Lycurgus was the first to introduce The Cavalry is a combatant arm the cavalry formed into divisions "that marches and fights on horse- during the first Messenian War in back, or both on horseback and on 743 B.C., while the Romans had foot." in contradistinction to the in- within the legion special cavalry fantrymen who use horses only for units formed into squadrons, and mobility The latter may ride on regiments of 746 horses. horses, from the staging area to the Because of this limitation, the "jumping off" point in the imme- Roman legions had to rely largely (Jiate vicinity of the battleground on the power of its foot troops, and wherefrom they dismount and resume eventually it was the absence of a on foot. strong cavalry arm to coordinate History does not record just who with the action of the infantry that among the ancient peoples had first was to play a considerable part in made use of the cavalry although the ultimate downfall of Rome. At this arm has been definitely asso- the battle of Adrianople in 738 A.D., ciated with certain territorial areas the Roman legioneers were pitted suitable to horse-breeding including against the wild Gothic horsemen China and the countries of Asia from the East. The former were Minor and Eastern Europe. In fact, decisively beaten and the great Rofor many centuries the armies of the man Empire became a thing of the great Asiatic nations, Scythia, Assy- past. ria, Persia, Tartary, and China Until recent times, the cavalry's "consisted almost exclusi,·ely of Ca- principal tactical use was it~ shock ,-airy." The history of warfare has effect. It was the overwhelming a lso shown lhe concomitant develop- massed charge of thousands of ment of the Ca,·alry and the In- horsemen, a cavalry formation which fantry as combatant arms. At one had turned the tide of countlesS battime during their long existence one ties, which crushed the Roman learm had opposed the other; then gions. Battlefield formation became AUGUST 1956 11•• AFP ca~alry Carp•, oo it;, train• d and arganind today far allen•• and defenoe, originated from the Americon Ci•il Wor. Photo obove •ho\O"s an AFP ~avalrymon ret~rning to his mother unit alter one of the AFP campaigns again•t diuidenh more or less standardized. In the groups of opposing cavalry at the center of the battle line were found flanks would engage each other the opposing bodies of infantry while Sooner or later one cavalry group at both flanks were grouped the ca- yielded and, after being driven out valry. As the former proceeded in of the field, would allow the vica n!latively slow-paced engagement torious cavalry to assault the flanks in the center, locked against each and rear of the unprotected infanother in an indecisive battle, the try. Encirclement followed and from PIIILIPPINES ARMI>D FORCES JOURNAL there the battle reached a decisive early date that the cavalry and inpoint. fantry were essential components of In time cavalry weapons were de- a well-balanced army. Likewise, it signed so as to fully utilize the shock had been recognized that a nation ef£ect of the Ca\·alry. The early that relies exclusively on either arms ~~~~al::O~v: ~:~elo~;m(~~ta:~t: f~;:~~ ~;s a~:t~e~is::::n!~~~o;·:;n s~~f;u~~~ I '' ing. Then as soon as they had the two. And yet there are many spent all their arrows they charged instances in history relating to the with swords, spears, and lances with blunders of military commanders which they were also equipped. The who made use of either arms. The feudal knights were armed mainly charge of an English light cavalry with broad swords and lances, and brigade against an entrenched Rus- ~ to Jlrotect themselves they wore a sian infantry during the Crimean cumbersome armor. Naturally they War (1854-56), can best illustrate were restricted in their movements this point. Except for having been and in many instances they could immortalized by the pen of Lord not execute the desired shock ef- Alfred Tennyson, the charge of the feet. light brigade was foolhardy. In As the importance and dfectiv<>- passing, it is mentioned that all the ness of the firearm became unmis- world's great military leaders, such takably evident, the cavalry added as Alexander, Hannibal, Gustavus to its equipment the pistol and the Adolphus, Frederick the Great, and carbine, a short light rifle. There Napoleon gave careful attention to was added weight and to bear the training of the troops so as to this, :trmor was entirely dis- bring about a close cooperative teamca1·ded. On the whole, however, work between the cavalry and thl' the change was slow in coming. As infantry. a matter of fact, as late as the As a result of thr introduction of last quarter of the 18th century, the firearm which greatly affected the Russian cavalry relil'd solely on the type of equipment as well as the t;Word and lance, and was "forbidden employment of the cavalry, this arm to usE' firearms." And even as late as became organized into thr{'e classes. 1914 Austria, Germany, and Russia Thereafter, according to the size of maintained cavalry units armed with the horses and men and the weight lances, which fought in the initial of their arms and armor. cavalry phase of World War I, while Poland was classified as light, mediu1111. and up to 1939 had cn,·alry units equip- hea11y. Furth(:rmore, there were ped with lances. Today there terms introduced into the military are still vestiges of the armament parlance to dt"scribe those mounted and equipment of antiquity used in troops with reference to their unithe cavalry arm of some states form and equipment, such as cuiraswhich have clung fast to medieval siers. dragons, hussars, carbmeers traditions. and lanct'rs. These terms to which It had be{'n reco{::'nized at a very formerly were attached some RpePl>oto obon '~""'' tl>e cl>orge of on fngliolt ligl>f coYolty brigade ogoinJI on enttenched luuion infontry during the Cremion Wor 11854-561 whetein gttot l'l!iliroq /eodeu, ouch o• Ale~onder, Honnibol, GuotoYuo Adolpl>uJ, frederic• the Greot, ond Napoleon 9ove coteful oflenfion to the troining of th• troopo 10 01 to brin9 obout o cion cooperative teomwotk between the co•olr7 ond the infonrry <'ial significance are now large!)' action, shock action, and hand-tolost. Today, the cavalryman is gen- hand fighting. However, the ca\·alerally known as trooper, dHived ry's most important role is that of from troop which is the ca\·a\ry's independent action, to include tacticequivalent of the infantry's compa- al and strategic reconnaissance and ny. The squadron in the cavalry is counter-reconnaissance, security, and equivalent to the infantry's batta- delaring action. lion. Information regarding the enemy's As regards to its employment~ the actual battle conditions must be uncavalry has two main missions: one interrupted. In the early days the which is offensive and the other arm that could be employed best for which is defensive. To carry out this purpose was the cavalry which its offensive mission the cavalry had could maneuver fast and sneak into made use of nearly ever)' known enemy territory. To accomplish the small arms. It has been so trained gathering of information contact with so t hat whether mounted or dis- the enemy had to be unbroken, withmounted, it could be employed in out being detected. This type of C\'ery type of combat, including fire action would entail hard riding for PHILIPPINES ARMED FORCES JOURNAL days or weeks. On the other hand, equipment, was very excessive so the cavalry's defensive mission was that only those of the nobility and equally arduous. When an army the moneyed class could get into moved and wanted this movement this arm of the military service. disguised, it was not unusual to Moreo\'er, the social obligations conthrow out a screen of cavalry be- nected with a commission in a catween the moving army and the valry regiment were so extensive enemy. Again, the success of this and only those officers with private mission would depend largely on the incomes could afford to fulfill them ability of the cavalry to prevent the In democratic states, however, parenemy from breaking into its rank ticularly in the United States, the and thus be in a position to know cavalry was maintained for its vawhat was all behind the screen. tue as a military force. ConsequentFor more than one thousand years ly, the American cavalry made off the mounted soldier did not only do- with a good start, insuring its minate in the field of battle, but he healthy development. At the time was as well the most glamorous of the American Civil War, the caamong the warriors. This was par- valry was greatly expanded along ticutarly so after the invention of with the other combatant arms. New the stirups in 550 A.D. which in- doctrines in cavalry tactics and techsured the efficiency of the cavalry. niques were evolved. But more imDuring this period rapid mobility portant was the fact that in this was a salient feature of any cam- Civil War, it was established by the paign or battle. The horseman who American cavalry leaders that this could make wide-sweeping move- arm could attain its utmost usefulmeats and attack with deliberate ness if "organized, equipp~d and surprise at points he was least ex- trained for every type of combat or pected, was easily the most domi- service." This theory was novel to nating figure on the battlefields. Fi- the European military mind which nally, the mounted warrior was had heretofore maintained that the overcome by gunpowder which came cavalry could be effective only if into general military use in the 16th "trained and utilized for single type century. Henceforth, the cavalry of combat or service." The lessons lost its supreme rote and although brought about during the American it remained very important, it was Civil War eventually compelled a relegated into just another arm of change in the European mind. the military service, now separate In short. the modern cavalry as it and distinct. is trained and organized tod:iy for It was a prevailing sentiment in offense and defense, originated from the very early days and espeeia!ty the American Civil War. Hencein Feudal Europe which fostered the forth, the cavalry ceased to fight glamor and aristocracy attached to solely fi-om horseback. The rifle the cavalry. The main reason for and bayonet took precedence • over this was the fact that the upkeep oi the sword and lance. But the eaa horse, including the cost of it~ (Continued on page 53)