them are employed together, it is not a good plan to assign single guns to cavalry regiments for the purpose of supporting the dismounted line in action. Only the commander of the entire force, and not each battalion commander, is able to judge where the employment of machine guns would be advantageous. The proposal to assign machine guns to the artillery was not followed, as it was justly feared that the machine guns would then be assigned tasks to which they were not adapted.
At the present time, each battalion has a machine gun platoon consisting of two guns. Both guns with their tripods, and a portion of the ammunition, are transported on one wagon drawn by two horses. They are in addition equipped with a two-horse ammunition cart. The complement consists of 1 non-commissioned officer, 15 privates, 1 saddle horse, and 4 draft horses.
Each battalion of mounted infantry has a machine gun platoon which is similarly organized. Each of the four vehicles of this platoon is, however, drawn by four horses. In addition, this platoon is equipped with six machine gun pack saddles for transporting the guns on pack animals. The complement consists of 1 officer, 1 first sergeant, 23 privates, 16 saddle horses, and 16 draft animals.
The machine gun platoon of a cavalry regiment consists of only one gun, which is carried on a four-horse wagon, and a four-horse ammunition wagon. The platoon is equipped with three pack saddles. The complement consists of 1 officer, 1 non-commissioned officer, 13 privates, 11 saddle horses, and 8 draft horses.
The following ammunition is carried by the British machine gun platoons:
=======================+==========+==========+==========+=========
| | In the | In the |
| With the |ammunition| Division | Total
| organ- | column |ammunition| No.
| ization. | of the | column. | rounds.
| |F. A. Bns.| |
-++++-
Infantry M. G. P. | 11,500 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 31,500
Mtd. Infantry M. G. P. | 19,500 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 39,500
Cavalry M. G. P | 19,500 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 39,500
-++++-
Japan and France seem to have decided to follow the British in assigning machine gun platoons to regiments. In Japan, soon after the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war, the Guard, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th Divisions, and the two independent cavalry brigades, had machine gun batteries consisting of 6 guns each. During the winter 1904-5, 320 machine guns were gradually placed in position, singly and by platoons, in the fortifications on the Shaho.
Russia. At the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war, a machine gun company was assigned to the 1st, 3rd and 5th East Siberian Rifle Brigades.
