Growth in strength and variety of services between March 1917 and Nov. 1918 {in round numbers.)
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Service.
Old Army March 1917.
New Army Nov. 1918.
Infantry
85,000
974,000
Engineer
3,000
394,000
Field Artillery and Ammunition
Train
9,000
389,000
Medical
7,000
300,000
euartermaster
8,000
228,000
oast Artillery . . . . .<
21,000
137,000
Ordnance
1,000
64,000
Signal
3,000
52,000
Cavalry
22,000
29,000
Air
none
202,000
Motor Transport ....
103,000
Militia Bureau
27,000
Chemical Warfare ....
18,000
Tank
14,000
In Training
549,000
All Other
31,000
185,000
190,000
3,665,000
Demobilization. The problem of demobilizing was simpler for the United States than for other countries. Pivotal or key men had not been withdrawn from industry nor had the man-power been drafted to the same extent. Moreover, since all units contained a fair proportion of men from all trades and commercial activities, it had already been decided to demobilize by complete units as they could be spared. A few priority exceptions were made in the case of coal-miners, railroad men, certain post-office employees, etc. Demobilization of emergency units still in the United States began immediately. The chief difficulties were met in the regular army, where only a few thousand men were still serving under enlistment contracts entered into prior to 1917, and in the National Guard, where recruits and replacements had infiltrated every organization with drafted men. As under these conditions rapid demobilization would have meant the disbanding of practically all organized military forces in the United States, authority was granted by Congress, in Feb. 1919, to reopen voluntary enlistments for the regular army and National Guard. To insure the return of all men as speedily as possible to their former places in the economic life of the nation, the general plan provided for the transportation of each man, previous to discharge, to the demobilization camp in or nearest to the state from which he had entered the service. For this purpose 31 former train- ing-camps were utilized. On arrival in the United States, unless sick or wounded, the men were immediately distributed to their proper discharge camps. There each soldier, after a final physical examina- tion and other routine processes, was discharged, paid and en- trained for his home or place of entry. Men sick or still suffering from wounds or infectious diseases were not discharged until cured or otherwise provided for. The initial lack of American tonnage delayed for a time the return and discharge of the overseas troops, but between Nov. II 1918 and June 30 1919 there were returned from France 1,610,07^ men and officers, of which number 84 % were trans- ported in American ships. The record for the month of June was 434,786 men, the greatest number shipped across in any one month. In Nov. 1919 there had been discharged, in all, 179,800 officers and 3,236,266 men. The discharge of men in the ranks was practically completed on April I 1920. (A. L. C.)*
VII. BALKAN ARMIES
_ (l) Serbia. In 1911 the Serbian army consisted of 5 infantry di- visions each of 4 regiments, one cavalry division, and special forma- tions of mountain and siege artillery. The army thus comprised 20 infantry regiments of 3 battalions each, 4 cavalry regiments of 4 squadrons, 7 f.a. regiments (45 batteries f.a., 2 batteries horse artillery, 9 mountain and 6 how.), 2 battalions of siege artillery, 2j battalions engineers, a cavalry telegraph section. The peace strength of the army was 2,033 officers, 4,338 under-officers, 22,559 men. From 1901 the Serbian army was raised on the compulsory system, by which all able-bodied Serbs became liable for military service on attaining 21 years, and remained so till the completion of their 4&th year. The first two years were supposed to be spent with the colours, though in practice this was reduced to one and a half, after which the soldier passed to the 1st line reserve for nine years. He then passed to the 2nd line reserve for six years, and to the 3rd line for the remainder of his period of liability. The yearly quota of recruits was during the years immediately preceding 1910 about 25,000.
The infantry was equipped with a 7-mm. Mauser with a range of 2,000 metres. Each man carried 150 rounds on his person. The artillery before the outbreak of the Balkan War was in process of being equipped with the modern French field gun (75-mm. field and 7O-mm. mountain guns). The older weapons which were being replaced were the 85-mm. de Bange. There were no field howitzers, but there was a siege train with 12- and is-cm. howitzers.
The war strength of the mobilized field army thus comprised 5 active infantry divisions, 5 divisions 2nd line reserve, 5 divisions 3rd line reserve, one Ersatz division of 1st line reservists approx- imating in composition to an active division. In addition the com- mander-in-chief had for his own disposal one cavalry division, one guard detachment (2 squadrons), one heavy field-artillery regiment, one siege-artillery regiment, some railway and balloon troops. The total mobilized strength, representing the maximum effort of the country, was about 260,000 men.
As a result of the Balkan War the 5 divisions of the standing army were increased by another 5 (the Kosovo, Vardar, Monastir, Shtip, and Ibar divisions), all formed from the new territory ac- quired. The artillery was also increased by 10 batteries. Owing, however, to the very short time of peace which elapsed between the close of the 2nd Balkan War (July 1913) and the outbreak of the World War, the reorganization which had been contemplated could only be carried out in part.
On being mobilized at the end of July 1914, when Austria-Hun- gary declared war, the Serbian army totalled about 350,000 men, and it was organized, now for the first time, in four armies of three divisions each.
(2) Bulgaria. In 1911 the Bulgarian army was organized in 9 infantry divisions of 4 regiments (formed into 3 army inspectorates which on mobilization formed 3 armies), and n cavalry regiments. The army thus comprised, on a peace footing, 36 infantry regiments (each consisting of 2 battalions, one non-combatant company, and one machine-gun section), II cavalry regiments (each of 3 squad- rons), 9 field-artillery regiments (each of 6 batteries), 3 mountain- artillery regiments (each of 4 batteries), 3 field-howitzer batteries, 3 siege-artillery groups, 3 pioneer battalions, a telegraph, pontoon, and railway battalion, one mechanical transport company, one cyclist company, one balloon company, 3 army service corps detach- ments, 16 frontier companies. The total strength of the army was 3,891 officers and 55,709 men. The army was raised on the compul- sory service system. Every Bulgarian was liable to military service from his 2Oth to his 46th year. The classes were called up annually and a man normally served two years in the active army (or three in the case of the special arms), and then passed to the reserve until the completion of his 46th year.
The infantry were armed with the 8-mm. Mannlicher with a range of 2,100 metres. A few Russian Berdan rifles were to be found. Each man carried 150 rounds on his person. The cavalry ha^ Mannlicher carbines ; only the guard cavalry had lances. The artillery was mostly of French pattern: the 75-mm. Schneider-Creuzot field gun, 10-5- cm. field howitzer (Schneider-Creuzot), and 75-mm. Schneider mountain gun, with a few 12-cm. and 15-cm. Krupp and Creuzot howitzers.
On mobilization each of the 9 peace infantry divisions split into 2. Each of the 4 companies of the 72 infantry battalions expanded, into a battalion. The II cavalry regiments, reenforced by mounted police, formed one cavalry division of 6 regiments, and the (infantry) divisional cavalry. An infantry division on a war footing thus consisted of 4 regiments of 4 battalions each ; 24 machine-gun companies; 10 batteries of 4 or 6 guns; 2 squadrons cavalry ; one howitzer battery ; 2 engineer companies. The mobilized strength of the field army was about 350,000 men. In addition 72 battalions of older men (500 strong) were formed for garrison and L. of C. duties. There were thus about 400,000 men under arms.
After the Balkan War the permanent strength of the Bulgarian army was slightly increased, proportionately to the increment of population. A loth division the Aegean or White Sea Div. 1 was raised, and the army on a peace footing numbered 85,000 men.
In Sept. 1915, 10 divisions of 24,000 men each were mobilized according to plan, but as the World War progressed other formations were added. In 1916 an nth Macedonian division was raised, mainly of Macedonians in the conquered territory of Serbia. Later a 1 2th division was raised, and towards the end of the war there were 14 divisions in the field. The system of splitting peace divisions into two, which had been followed in the Balkan War, had been dropped, but a division formed 6 regiments, instead of 4. A Bul- garian division of full strength was thus 24 battalions 24,000 rifles and 2 regiments of artillery. An order of battle published by the Bulgarian general staff on Sept. 15 1918 two weeks before the Armistice shows a grand total of 877,000 men of all ranks under arms.
(3) Greece. In 1911 an Act was passed which provided for the reorganization of the Greek army. This reorganization contemplated 3 large divisions of infantry (27 battalions each), corresponding much more to army corps than divisions, a cavalry division, a heavy artillery regiment, and technical troops. At the outbreak of the Balkan War in 1912 the total number of units which took the field was: 44 battalions of infantry, 16 cavalry squadrons, 47 batteries of field and mountain artillery. These were organized into 4 (ac- tive) divisions, each consisting of: 3 regiments (of 3 battalions, and 3 machine-gun companies each), 2 battalions of evzones (rifles), one cavalry squadron, 9 batteries field artillery or mountain artillery, 2 companies pioneers. The remaining cavalry was formed into a cavalry division. In addition to these 4 active divisions there were also
or 4 reserve divisions, similarly constituted. The army thus mo- ilized had a combatant strength of about 120,000 and a ration
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