corps (with which compare Marshal Davout's _ordre de bataille_ above)
consisted of the following combatant units: (a) staff; (b) two infantry
divisions (4 brigades. 8 regiments or 24 battalions), with, in each
division, a cavalry regiment, 4 batteries of artillery or 24 guns, and
engineers; (c) corps troops, artillery (6 field batteries), pioneer
battalion (engineers), train battalion (supply and transport). A rifle
battalion was attached to one of the divisions.
This _ordre de bataille_ was followed more or less generally by all
countries up to the most modern times, but between 1890 and 1902 came a
very considerable change in the point of view from which the corps was
regarded as a fighting unit. This change was expressed in the abolition
of the corps artillery. Formerly the corps commander controlled the
greater part of the field artillery, as well as troops of other arms; at
the present time he has a mere handful of troops. Unless battalions are
taken from the divisions to form a corps reserve, the direct influence
of the corps organization on the battle is due almost solely to the fact
that the commander has at his disposal the special natures of artillery
and also some horse artillery. Thus the (augmented) division is regarded
by many as the fighting unit of the 20th, as the corps was that of the
19th century. In Europe there is even a tendency to substitute the
ancient phrase "reserve artillery" for "corps artillery," showing that
the role to be played by the corps batteries is subordinated to the
operations of the masses of divisional artillery, the whole being
subject, of course, to the technical supervision of the artillery
general officer who accompanies the corps headquarters. Thus limited,
the army corps has now come to consist of the staff, two or more
divisions, the corps or reserve artillery (of special batteries), a
small force of "corps" cavalry, and various technical and departmental
troops. The cavalry is never very numerous, owing to the demands of the
independent cavalry divisions on the one hand and those of the
divisional cavalry on the other. The engineers of an army corps include
telegraph, balloon and pontoon units. Attached to the corps are reserves
of munitions and supplies in ammunition columns, field parks, supply
parks, &c. The term and the organization were discontinued in England in
1906, on the augmentation of the divisions and the assignment of certain
former "corps troops" to the direct control of the army commanders. It
should be noticed that the Japanese, who had no corps organization
during the war of 1904-5, afterwards increased the strength of their
divisions from 15,000 to 20,000; the augmented "division," with the
above _peace_ strength, becomes to all intents and purposes a corps, and
the generals commanding divisions were in 1906 given the title of
generals-in-chief.