Comparative Studies of the Field Equipment of the Foot Soldier of the French and Foreign Armies (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ...taken from the storehouse to make use of it, for example, during the period of the call for the reserves, this knapsack, if it has been polished only two or three times, will continue to deteriorate when it is put back into the storehouse. The acid of the encaustic will slowly burn the leather, and in a short time the slings will break like glass under the first vigorous tension to which it may be subjected. It sometimes happens, also, that to go on duty more quickly or for want of time, the soldier puts shoe blacking on it to make it shine. Then rain, or even humidity, comes, and the unfortunate can not touch his equipment without covering his hands with the blacking, which he distributes all about him, the black water which flows from his knapsack reaches his clothes, which it spots, and all his equipment presents a lamentable appearance. Finally, how will our knapsack turn out in campaign? There will often be neither time nor means to polish it. What appearance will it present? Admitting that its tissue is sufficiently strong in resisting power, will it preserve its impermeability if some ingredient is not used to keep it in shape? We think not. In view of this fact the covering of skin seems to us much preferable to that of canvas, and we would be glad to see it employed again in the fabrication of the knapsack. Exterior arrangements.--All knapsacks bear on their sides straps, generally called overcoat straps, which serve to fix to the pack extra clothing or, if there be one, the shelter tent. In most of the armies--the German, Austrian, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Swiss, Belgian, and Italian--the flap of the knapsack has on the exterior and in the middle loops, beneath which slides a little strap to hold the mess kit. In France the...