A COMPARISON

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 8 November 1912, Page 5

A COMPARISON

GERMAN V. -FRENCH METHODS.

An interesting point with : regaid_ to the forces now operating m the Julians is that to a certain extent the conflict may be regarded as a trial between; French and German methods armament and organisation. The Turkish army has. long been trained and equipped on German lines. A considerable number of German officers been serving with it as instructors, and nigny of them have lately resigned their German commissions in order to he free to fi«*ht on the Turkish side. Practically all 'tfe Turkish guns are of .German pattern and manufactured at Krupp s fa-, mous : works. Bulgaria,, Ser.via, and: Greece, on the other hand,, haye mo-. Idelled their .artillery wholly upon the French artillery, and, generally speakings" rcmy be sai<i to I*axe 1 * axe f oll <W. ed : JTrench examples in the training and organisation of their forces. Bulgaria; lias- employed as a rule Russian instructors, . but these instructors have l ;been careful for'the most part to apply as far ; as possible all the latest French .de-: velopments. Much -the same may be said ,of Servia, while Greece in her latest reorganisation schemes has frankly looked to France for light'.and guidance. The field artillery of all three: countries is armed with quidk-firing i Schneider-Canet guns, manufactured at .the Creusot works ,which supply theguns for the French army. There has, been much discussion as to the respective merits of Krupp and .Creusot guns,; and also as tc the relative efficiency of the French and German methods of organisation. It" is certain that the ex- • perts of both the German and -the. French War Offices will be carefully watching the course of in so far as they bear upon the qualities of the different guns and methods.