army is equipped and supplied by the Ordnance Depart ments of Bengal, Madras, and Bombay ; and the arsenals come under the head of second class, being establishments for storage, issue, receipt, repair, and partial manufacture. Warlike stores are partly obtained from England, but to a great extent manufactured in the military factories of India. The chief arsenals are those of Fort William (Calcutta), Madras, Bombay, Allahabad (in the N.W. Provinces), and Ferozpore (in the Panjab). These arsenals are administered by commissaries of ordnance (artillery officers), assisted by warrant officers chosen from the army, and non commissioned officers. Natives are employed as artificers, writers, and labourers. The native establishment is usually divided into " permanent and " extra," the former class being permanent Government servants, and the latter merely
hired according to requirements.
The detail of a chief Indian arsenal may be taken to be some what as follows: 2 commissaries of ordnance, 10 or 12 warrant officers (conductors, &c. ); 2 armourer sergeants, 9 or 10 sergeants and laboratory men, 300 to 400 native foremen, artificers, and workmen, and about 300 labourers. Besides these main arsenals, each of which supplies on an average a force of 36,000 troops of all arms, there are many minor arsenals, ordnance magazines, and ordnance depots. In India an ordnance magazine is a place for the storage, issue, and receipt of warlike stores, and has small workshops. In by-gone days numerous ordnance establishments were necessary, but now, when means of communication by rail and road have in creased so largely, there is an obvious military disadvantage in scattering military stores broadcast over the country. In India, also, the principle is observed of making regiments and batteries inde pendent of outside aid. They possess the means of executing all repairs of regimental equipment, and as the greater portion of the army of India are in possession of their camp equipage and reserve ammunition, they are able to move at short notice, while the chief arsenals at the bases of operations would form the bases of the equipment of any large force of all arms entering on a campaign. The military factories comprise (1.) Foundry and shell factory at Cossipore, near Calcutta; (2.) Gun carriage factories at Fathighur (N.W. Provinces), Madras, and Bombay; (3.) Small arm ammuni tion factories at Dumdum (near Calcutta), and Kirkee (Bombay). (4.) Powder factories at Ishapore (near Calcutta), Madras, and Kirkee. (5.) Harness and saddlery factoiy at Cawnpore (N.W. Provinces). These factories are administered by artillery officers as superinten dents, assisted by warrant officers, civil and military mechanics, native artificers, workmen, and labourers.
The United States depend largely on private industry for war material, large trade factories existing for the supply of small arms and guns. There were also foundries at Reading, South Boston, and Providence during the war; and arsenals of construction at Boston, New York, Washington, Bridgeburg, St Louis, Alleghany, Fort Monro. These, however, have been largely reduced.
Like most of the details of the French military organisation, the system of the supply of war material is somewhat unsettled. Previous to the war of 1870-71, France possessed manufactories and arsenals for store and construction. These were not, however, placed in accordance with true strategical principles,[1] or with reference to the quick supply of the army. Thus the camp equipment was mainly stored at Paris and Versailles, and carriages at Vernon and Chateauroux. Artillery officers and men were employed in the military factories. It is understood that in future each territorial district of the army will have its own arsenal or, at least, its own depot of military stores; but while military factories are maintained, war materiel will also be drawn from private industry.
The chief German arsenals are at Spandau, Cologne, Dantzig. There are second class arsenals at Dresden, Lud- wigsburg, Carlsruhe, Augsburg, Munich, in the confede rated states, but the tendency is to reduce these ; and a con siderable concentration has taken place at Spandau, which now forms the great centre of the military manufactories. In every artillery garrison and fortress there are artillery depots for the storage of materiel. The system of the German army is to make regiments as independent as possible, and with their depot "work detachments" even re-equipment is performed. Spandau embraces a gun and projectile foundry, powder factory, laboratory, small arms factory, and a large arsenal of construction. There are also a powder factory at Neisse, small arm factories at Erfurt and Dantzig, in addition to Krupp s great factory at Essen, in Westphalia. It is said Krupp employs good workmen, and that, so far as guns and carriages are concerned, his factory can turn out three to five field batteries daily. Artillery officers are largely employed in Germany in all the work of the arsenals.
At Vienna are united in one enormous arsenal a gun-carriage factory, laboratory, foundry, small arms factory, &c. The arsenal can turn out 300,000 to 400,000 projectiles, 1400 guns, 960 field-carriages, and harness for 1800 car riages. There is also an artillery depot in each military district, besides laboratories, &c. Austria also draws from the trade. She has an organised service, called the Tech nical Artillery, for the performance of the work connected with her factories and arsenals.
Russia has made considerable strides in the improvement Russia, of her military manufactories within the last few years. She possesses small arms factories at Tonla near St Peters- burgh, Sestroetz near Moscow, and at Ijewsk. There are foundries at St Petersburg and Olonetz. The arsenal at St Petersburg includes the foundry and other military establishments. The arsenals of Briansk and Kiev also contain military factories. Foundry establishments for furnishing projectiles and guns also exist at St Peters burg, Alexandro-Olonetz (government of Olonetz), Lon- gane (government of Ekaterinoslav), Perm, Ekaterinburg, Kamensk, Nijni-Isetsk, Werkhue -Tournisk, Barentschin, Glatoustov, &c. There are imperial powder factories at Ochta (near St Petersburg), Schosta, and Kasan. There are also mobile artillery arsenals, the materiel of which is kept in time of peace at St Petersburg, Warsaw, Kiev.|1}}
Italy has small arms factories at Brescia, Torre-Annunziata near Naples, and Turin; powder factories at Fossano and Scafati. Turin is the centre of the military factories.
Spain possesses an arsenal of construction at Seville, a factory at Toledo, a foundry at Trubia, and a small arms factory at Oviedo. There are also the powder factories of Murcia and Grenada ; the laboratory of Seville ; and the factory of Orbaicete.
The military factories of Belgium consist of a gun foundry and small arms foundry at Liége. Powder is supplied from a private factory at Ghent. Guns are also obtained from Krupp. At Antwerp there is an arsenal of construc tion and a laboratory.
Holland possesses a gun foundry at The Hague, and Holland workshops, small arms factory, laboratory, and powder factory at Delft.
In Sweden and Norway the materiel of war is mainly Sweden furnished from the trade.
Denmark has a state gun foundry and a powder factory at Frederikswoerk. Warlike materiel is also drawn from the trade, but supervised by artillery officers. There are arsenals for store and repair at Copenhagen, Halleboeck, and Frederikswoerk.
Switzerland has a federal foundry at Aarau, and arsenals of construction at Berne and Thun, at which latter place there is also a small arms factory.
(e. h. h. c.)
- ↑ 1 E.g., Metz and Strasbourg, containing military factories and extensive arsenals, were situated on the front line of danger.
