It is desirable, therefore, that a sketch of the organization of the Administrative Services should be prefaced by one of that of the Lines of Communication (L. of C.), on which they mainly act. The normal L. of C. for which these Services are calculated is a Railway 100 miles long reaching from a Sea Base to Railhead, and thence by two roads 30 miles long to two Advanced Bases.
The defence of the L. of C. is now entirely separated from its administration, and is entrusted to an Officer styled the Commander of L. of C. Defences, who is also responsible for its military government when in hostile territory. To this officer are allotted certain “L. of C. Defence Troops” (two battalions for the normal L. of C. laid down). The L. of C. is divided into sections for defence, each under a subordinate “L. of C. Defence Commander.”
The administration of the L. of C. is vested in an Officer styled the Inspector-General of Communications, who has command over all the Administrative Services on the L. of C., controls their working, and regulates the traffic on the L. of C. He has a Staff, to which are attached the Heads of the Administrative Services, or their representatives. The L. of C. consists essentially of one or more Advanced Bases close in rear of the Army, a Railhead (beyond which railway service is not organized), various intermediate Sections, or Posts, as required, and, most important of all, the Base, at the end farthest from the front, and nearest home. The sections may be conterminous with the sections of defence. For each of these portions of the L. of C. there is an Administrative Commandant in charge of its interior economy, and responsible for forwarding the traffic on the L. of C. through his section.
Each of the Administrative Services will now be discussed in detail; those which are in part with the Fighting Troops at the front being described in this chapter, those which are entirely on the L. of C. in the next.
1. Service of Inter-communication
It is only in the armies of England and the United States that a complete system of inter-communication between all parts of the Army has been organized. Such a system has not been fully developed in foreign armies, but its necessity is more than ever pressing, owing to the wide dispersion of forces in war, and the need for rapid transmission of Information as to the enemy’s movements from the Front to Head-Quarters, and of Orders from the several Head-Quarters to the Troops.
The means of communication in war are:
Electric: i.e. Telegraph, telephone, wireless.
Visual: i.e. Flag, lamp, or heliograph.
Manual: i.e. Orderlies (mounted, bicycle, or foot); a system of relay posts served by despatch riders; motor cars or motor cycles.
Balloons, aeroplanes, and kites.
Balloons were first used by the French at the Battle of Fleurus in 1794, and are being experimented on by many nations at present. There will be six balloons, of which three can be worked at one time, with the British Army of six Divisions, and probably two balloons to each German Army Corps.