'Military Report on Russian Turkistan or Central Asia' [‎44r] (94/168)

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tained at a small establishment in time of peace,
but are capable of a large expansion on mobilization ;
thus each of the reserve infantry battalions becomes,
when expanded to war strength, an infantry regiment
of five battalions; similarly reserve Cossack cavalry
regiments are formed on mobilization which find no place
in ordinary times of peace; while two reserve batteries
of artillery become, on mobilization, two artillery brigades
each consisting of four batteries.
Fortress and local troops are allotted to certain
fortresses and stations.
With the exception of the Siberian and Semirechia
Cossacks, the troops are mainly recruited from European
Kussia, the recruits being sent to join their units during the
winter and spring. The number of reservists resident
in Turkistan is believed to be small; in case of mobiliza
tion, therefore, a large proportion of the men required to
fill the ranks would have to be brought from Europe.
A rifle battalion consists of four* companies,
each of -which has a normal strength of about 215
non-commissioned officers and men, of whom 15 are
non-combatants. A rifle brigade is composed of a staff and
four battalions. Each brigade has a section of mounted
scouts, composed of one officer and 38 non-commissioned
officers. and men drawn from the units forming the
brigade.
A cavalry regiment consists of either six or four
squadrons, each of which, on a war footing, would contain
from 143 to 150 men, of whom 23 to 25 are non-com
batants.
Batteries (field and mountain) have eight guns each,f
while howitzer, horse artillery, and horse mountain
batteries have six guns only.
The non-combatant section of each unit includes
clerks, hospital orderlies, armourers, farriers, artificers,
officers’ servants, and transport drivers.
The following troops are quartered within the limits
of the Turkistan Military District.
* Except in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Turkestan liifle brigades, in
which each battalion consists of five companies (A.O. No. 322
of 3-16 June 1904).
j All batteries have all their guns horsed in time of peace.