15 ARGENTINE Area.2,797,II3 sq. km. Population (XII. I933).. 12,026,000 Density per sq. km.... 4.3 Length of land frontiers.9,810 km. Length of sea frontiers.. 4,064 km. Length of railway system (XII. 1931) (excluding some industrial lines)... 41,088 km. MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARMED FORCES. The armed forces of the Argentine include the army, the military air force and the navy, the first two of which are under the control of the Ministry of War, while the third is under that of the Ministry of Marine. The Argentine army consists of : (a) the regular army, (b) the national guard and (c) the territorial guard. The regular army consists of the standing army and its reserve. The technical organisation of the national guard and the territorial guard is similar to that of the regular army. Each provincial Government is responsible in its territory, and the Central Government is responsible in the capital and in the national territories, for the training and organisation of the national guard. The provinces merely collaborate with the National Government, since the national Constitution expressly provides that the Provincial Governments may not maintain or possess military forces of any kind. I. Army. ORGANS OF MILITARY COMMAND AND ADMINISTRATION. Under the terms of the Constitution, the President of the Republic is the supreme authority in matters concerning national defence. He exercises his authority over the army through the Minister of War. MINISTRY OF WAR. The Minister of War is the supreme head of the army. The Ministry of War consists of : The Minister's Secretariat; The Inspectorate-General of the Army;
16 ARGENTINE The Army General Staff; The Army Geographical Institute; The Directorate-General of Engineers; The Directorate-General of Aviation ; The Directorate-General of Communications; The Directorate-General of Personnel; The Directorate-General of Arsenals; The Directorate-General of Administration; The Directorate of Legal Proceedings and Military Justice; The Directorate-General of Musketry and Physical Training; The Directorate of Remounts; The Supreme Council of War and Marine; The Court-Martial for Officers and the Court-Martial for Other Ranks. Inspector- General of the Army. The Inspector-General of the Army is directly and immediately responsible to the Minister of War, assists him in directing, supervising and training the army, and advises him in all matters connected with the preparation of the army. The office of Inspector-General of the Army is filled by a general appointed by the executive authorities, who has the highest position in the army after the Minister of War. The duties of the Inspector-General of the Army in connection with preparation for war are exercised through the General Staff of the Army, which is directly under his orders. His duties in connection with training and inspection are exercised through the inspectors of arms. A Standing Committee of Arms was established in I93I consisting of the inspectors of arms, the Inspector-General being its president. The General Staff. The General Staff of the Army is the technical body appointed to organise the defence of the country. The General Directorate of Aviation. The General Directorate of Aviation is an advisory organ of the Ministry of War on all questions affecting the air force. Its principal duties are the organisation and employment of the arm, in accordance with instructions issued by the Inspector-General of the Army; the preparation of regulations; the recruitment and employment of personnel and its training and preparation for war; the acquisition, administration and upkeep of air material, workshops and special arms and equipment.
ARGENTINE 1I7 The Directorate-General of Aviation includes the actual Directorate-General; the Army Aviation Command; the Directorate of Technical Air Services and the Army Aeroplane Factory; the Technical Inspectorate-General; the Central Park and the Depots and the Aeronautical Company. TERRITORIAL MILITARY AREAS. ( BOLIVIA / BOLIVIA B R ts IL... \ ^ BR A Z I L P ARAGUAY/ " 5. 1 URUGUAY BUENOS -j. I 0 (3 I I, FALKLAND
1i8 ARGENTINE COMPOSITION OF THE ARMY.' Ths country is divided into five military areas, each corresponding to an army division. In addition to the units consisting of divisions or brigades, there are three mountain detachments and one special detachment (Comodoro Rivadavia), comprising in all: 2 light infantry regiments, 2 fusilier companies, i machine-gun company, 2 mountain artillery groups and i mountain gun battery. i. Higher Units. 5 divisions. 3 cavalry brigades. A division consists of i headquarters with staff; i infantry headquarters; 3 infantry regiments; i cavalry regiment; i artillery headquarters; I regiment of light field artillery; i engineer bridging battalion; i divisional park and train. NOTE.-Two of the divisions have only one cavalry squadron for drills and parades. A cavalry brigade consists of : headquarters, 3 cavalry regiments and i group of horse artillery. 2. Arms and Services. Infantry. 19 regiments (2 of which are mountain light infantry regiments). Each regiment consists of 2 battalions (of 2 companies each), i machinegun company and i signal section. Cavalry. ii regiments. Each divisional regiment consists of 4 squadrons, including i machine-gun squadron. ' On December 3ist, 1932.
Artillery. ARGENTINE 19 (a) Field Artillery. 5 regiments. Each regiment consists of 2 groups (of two 75-mm. batteries each) and i battery of Io5-mm. howitzers. (b) Horse Artillery. 3 groups of two 75-mm. batteries each. (c) Mountain Artillery. 2 groups of two 75-mm. batteries each. Engineers. 5 battalions of bridging engineers of 2 companies and i bridge train. Signal Troops. The signal troops consist of: i signal squadron, including a light signal column; i divisional signal battalion, consisting of 2 companies and i light signal column; 3 divisional signal companies; i railway battalion. Air Troops. There are 4 aviation groups (3 reconnaissance and i fighting) composed of 2 flights each. Each group also possesses a photographic section, a communication section, a technical section and an administrative section. Military Establishments. AIR MATERIAL. (December 3ist, 1932.) Number of aeroplanes I8 o8.. Total horse-power... 36,950 Staff College, Military College, N.C.O.s' School, Infantry School, Artillery School, Cavalry School, School of Military Aviation, Signalling School, Gymnastic and Fencing School. The Military College includes : i infantry battalion of 3 companies, i cavalry squadron, i artillery battery and i company of engineers. The N.C.O.s' School includes : i infantry battalion of 4 companies including i machine-gun company, i cavalry squadron, i artillery battery with a mountain section, and i company of engineers. The Infantry School includes : 2 infantry battalions of 2 fusilier companies and I machine-gun company. The Cavalry School includes : 3 cavalry Including 29 aeroplanes with a total horse-power of 3,525 incapable of use in war.
20 ARGENTINE squadrons, i machine-gun squadron and i signal section. The Artillery School includes : 2 batteries of 75-mm. guns, i battery of Io5-mm. howitzers, I battery of I55-mm. howitzers, i battery of I3o-mm. guns, 2 anti-aircraft batteries and I reconnaissance group. The Signalling School includes : I signal squadron with a light column and i divisional battalion. Services. The artillery, engineers, administration, medical and intendance services, etc., are supplied by the respective Directorates-General through their arsenals, store depots and intendance, medical and other units. SUMMARY TABLE OF UNITS. Arms Divisions Brigades Regiments Battalions quadronsquadrons Batteries Companies Flights Infantry.. 5-19 38' - - 972 - Cavalry.. - 3 ii - 48 - - - Artillery: - - - - - Mountain.. - - -. 5 - Horse... - - - 6 - - Light field.. Heavy field - 5 - -. - - 29 2 Anti-aircraft - - - - 2 - Bridging engineers... - - 5 I -- Io Signal troops -- - 2 -- 76 Air force.. - -- - - - 7 ' Including the 2 battalions of the Infantry School. 2 Including 20 machine-gun companies. 3 Including 4 Cavalry School squadrons. Eleven of the 48 are machine-gun squadrons. 4 Including 3 Artillery School batteries and i battery of the Comoloro Rivadavia detachment. Six of the 29 are howitzer batteries. 5 Including one railway battalion. 6 Including two railway companies. I. Gendarmerie. POLICE FORCES. There is a regiment of gendarmerie, directly under the Ministry of War, for use in the territories of Chaco and Formosa. There are also small detachments of gendarmes in the national territories under the Ministry of the Interior, which possess the arms required for carrying out their duties. 2. Police, Prison Guards, Customs Officers, Forest Guards, etc. The police force strictly so called consists of civilians subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior in the federal capital and to the Provincial Governments in their respective territories. Only a part of these forces is armed with rifles and receives individual training in the handling of arms, range firing and drill in close formation-for the sole purpose of enabling them to carry out their individual duties and internal services in barracks. Moreover, the personnel of those services is not regarded as available for mobilisation purposes.
ARGENTINE 21 RECRUITING SYSTEM AND PERIOD OF SERVICE. i. General. Recruiting is carried out on the principle of compulsory military service. For reasons of economy, only part of the contingent is called up, lots being drawn among citizens aged 20; the remainder of the class, apart from the naval contingent, is directly incorporated in the reserve of the standing army. In I932, the proportion called up was 25.5 per cent of the total, of which 4 per cent were for the navy. 2. Military Obligations. The total duration of military obligation is twenty-five years (between the ages of 20 and 45). Men aged 20 serve'one year in the permanent units of the regular army. In cases of urgent necessity, the Executive may postpone for not more than three months the discharge of the contingents incorporated. Citizens incorporated who have acquired the requisite standard of marksmanship at the practice ranges remain only three months in the ranks. For budgetary reasons, the period of service in the ranks is reduced to ten months in the case of the greater part of the contingent incorporated. On the termination of their service in the units of the standing army, conscripts and volunteers are transferred to the reserve of the regular army, where they remain up to the age of 30. Reservists between 21 and 29 years of age are called up for two periods of training, not exceeding one month each. Reserve officers and N.C.O.s may be called up for two periods of cadre training not exceeding fifteen days each. National Guard and Territorial Guard. The National Guard consists of officers, non-commissioned officers and citizens from 30 to 40 years of age. The Territorial Guard consists of officers, non-commissioned officers and citizens from 40 to 45 years of age. 3. Exemptions from Military Service. The following are exempted from military service: (a) Men who are unfit for service and who cannot be employed in non-combatant services; (b) Men exempted on account of family situation; (c) Members of the State and provincial public services, during the whole duration of their tenure of office or employment;
22 ARGENTINE (d) Members of the regular and secular clergy, seminarists, and ministers of all religions. Every exemption must be renewed in January each year; men granted exemption must also pay a military tax. 4. Special Privileges. Students may apply to undergo a special period of training in order to qualify for commissions as candidate-reserve officers. This period lasts three months. 5. Volunteers. The number of volunteers accepted for inclusion in the units of the standing army is extremely small. On the other hand, cadets of the Military College, candidates for the schools for N.C.O.s and specialist N.C.O.s, apprentices of the Mechanics' School and of the Gymnastic and Fencing School, men of the gendarmerie regiment and clerks are recruited solely by voluntary enlistment. The age for the initial engagement of volunteers is I6-20 years in the schools and 17-30 in the army. All volunteers are engaged for a period of from one to five years; the engagement may be renewed for successive periods of the same length until the volunteer has served twenty-five years or reached the age of 50. In the event of war, citizens who, according to the law, are no longer liable to military service may engage as volunteers for the duration of the war. 6. Distribution of the Annual Contingent of Recruits (I932). Military areas Military Enlisted areas Called up Enlisted for the navy Incorporated in the army Incorporated directly in the reserve ij i8;oi6 700 3,933 13,383 2 "34,579 1,400 6,155 27,024 3 27,504 I, I o o 0 5,245 2I,I59 4 19,939 800 5,198 13,941 5 12,182 500 3,629 8,053 112,220 4,500 24,160 83,560 Note.-A total of 2,882 conscripts incorporated in the army were discharged on June 20th, 1932. Recruiting of Officers and N.C.O.s. i. Officers on the Active List; Recruiting. Combatant officers are supplied from the Military College. The completion of their training in the various arms and services is carried out through the establishments already referred to.
Promotion. ARGENTINE 23 (a) Men wishing to be commissioned as sub-lieutenants must be at least I9 years of age and have passed the final examinations of the Military College or of similar colleges abroad which they have the permission of the National Government to attend. (b) To be promoted to lieutenant, an officer must have at least three years' active service in the next inferior rank ; for promotion to other ranks, the period of active service required is four years. To be promoted captain, an officer must also have attended the special course at the Staff College. 2. Reserve of Officers. The Reserve of Officers consists of officers on the retired list, all third-year cadets from the Military College removed from the strength of that establish- ment and candidates for the rank of reserve officers who have satisfactorily carried out the period of training required by law. 3. N.C.O.s: Recruiting and Promotion. Corporals are recruited from the N.C.O.s' School. No N.C.O. can be promoted to any rank until he has served six months in the next inferior rank. EFFECTIVES. I. AVERAGE DAILY EFFECTIVES REACHED DURING THE YEAR 1932. (a) Combatant personnel: Officers..... 1,878 N.C.O.s....... 3,618 Pupils of the military schools.....,522 Conscripts of the class serving with the colours... 23,278 Conscripts of previous classes remaining with the colours for various reasons.. I,Io6 Volunteers............. 1,422 Total... 32,824 (b) Non-combatant personnel: Officers............ 575 N.C.O.s... 978 Personnel attached to the military workshops, civil employees, workmen, etc.... 3,247 Total..... 4,800 2. LEGAL EFFECTIVES AND BUDGETARY EFFECTIVES. The figures in the following tables differ in character from the figures in the preceding table. These two kinds of returns are not comparable with each other.
24 ARGENTINE i. Legal Effectives. (1932.) (a) Combatant Personnel. Officers Gen- Colon- Lt.-Co- Majors Cap- First Lieute- Suberals els lonels Mo tains Lts. nants Lts. Total Military administration.. 13 52 iii 95 S5 29 4 409 Military schools.... 2 13 25 20 52 70 57 2 267 Special formations' - - 5 S 26 63 45 I 4 iri Cavalry brigades... 3 12 15 54 44 13 42 183 Army divisions... 5 23 125 92 247 223 125 143 83 20 9I 278 230 464 429 260 23I 2,003 N. Cadets and N.C.O.s candida Volunteers Conscripts Grand total candidates Military administration 329 350 314 1,224 2,626 Militarv schools... 462 999 217 3,013 4,958 Special formations'.. 240-296 2,188 2,885 Cavalry brigades... 564-92 3,817 4,656 Army divisions... 2,187-642 16,433 20,245 3,782 1,349 1i,6i 26,675 35,370 Arsenals, railways, air force, gendarmerie. (b) Non-combatant Personnel: 5,308. 2. Budgetary Effectives. (I934.) Officers 1 Generals commanding divisions. 9 Generals commanding brigades.. 12 Colonels........... 77 Lieutenant-Colonels...... 161 Majors... 242 Captains... 336. First Lieutenants........ 320 Second Lieutenants........ 404 Sub-Lieutenants........ 372 Total............ 1,933 N.C.O.s and men '... 29,950 Grand total... 31,883 3 Not including officials graded as officers (615 officials graded as officers, 1,879 officials graded as N.C.O.s and men, not including 600 conscripts called up for a period of six months). 2 The number of conscripts is 22,500, of whom 15,ooo are to be discharged on September i5th, I934. 3 Not including 12,000 conscripts called up for two months' service.
ARGENTINE 25 Summary Table of Budgetary Effectives. 1924 I 925 1926 1927 1928 1929 I9301 193I 1 I932 1934 ~ Officers...,497,497 1,497 1,497 1,501 1,501 1,501 2,848 I,937 1,933 N.C.O.s and men.. 25,283 25,283 25,283 25,283 26,043 26,043 26,043' 30,055 31,488 29,950 Total.... 26,780 26,780 26,780 26,780 27,544 27,544 27,544 31,903 33,425 31,883 II. Navy. MINISTRY OF MARINE. The Ministry of Marine consists of the Minister's 'Secretariat, the General Staff, the Hydrographical Service, the Naval Communications Service, the Naval Aviation Service, the General Personnel Department, the General Material Department, the General Administrative Department and the General Maritime Prefecture. RECRUITING SYSTEM. The subordinate personnel of the navy consists of the personnel of the active and reserve forces. The personnel of the active forces is constituted by volunteers and conscripts. The period of enlistment for the former is from two to three years, and may be renewed for a similar period. Conscripts remain in service for two years; at the end of their service with the colours, the men enter the reserve, where they remain until the age of twenty-eight. The reservists are called up for two periods of training at manceuvres. The duration of each period for which they are called up does not exceed sixty days. The recruitment of officers takes place chiefly through the Naval :School. NAVAL AIR MATERIAL. (October I931.) Total Category Number horse-power Aircraft in service... 24 I4,400 Aircraft in reserve.. - Instructional aircraft... 19 5,670 Total....... 43 20,070 Dirigibles... Data for 1933 are not available.
26 ARGENTINE EFFECTIVES. (I933.) Navy............ Naval reserve.22,500.... 11,900 Air force... Air force reserves.. 580 Coastguard service (civilians).... 2,000 The budgetary effectives for 1934 are 11,175, not including the administrative and auxiliary personnel. NAVAL PROGRAMME. The current naval programme, approved by Parliament in September 1926, involves the expenditure of 75,000,000 gold pesos over the ten years I927-I936. In addition to the extension of present dockyard facilities on the River Plate and at Puerto Belgrano, and the opening of a new yard at Mar del Plata, the construction of the following vessels to replace obsolete tonnage is provided for : 3 cruisers, I aircraft tender, 6 flotilla leaders, 2 surveying vessels. 6 submarines, These ships are to absorb over $5,000,000 of the sum voted. LIST OF UNITS. (I934-) ' 2 battleships, 4 coast-defence ships and 2 cruisers : Date: Dimensions (i) of launch- Standard (feet) S Armament Names of the ships ing; Length H.p. (number, and calibre (2) f Beam (kts. ininches) completion (tons) Draught Battleships. I. Rivadavia 2.. 1911-1914 27,720 585 xii 12, XII6, 1v3 2. Morenoiaaa 2 I. I-T9I5 270 95 45,000 23 (A.A.), IV 3 -pdr. II 2.Mrn,r9528 tubes (21). Coast-Defence Ships. 3 i. I}ndependencia 4 93 0 240p o89--i8 2. Libertad 4 93 2,5IO 43 3,000 x3 II 9.4, IV 4.7, IV 3-pdr... oiq 3. General- ' ( II io, VIII 6 (Bel- Belgrano 2.. 1898-1930 36,10 5 grano : none), VIII 4. Pueyrredon 5.. 1897-1898 23.5 13,04.7 (Pueyrredon 2 none), IV 6-pdr. Cruisers. i. Almirante Brown.. 1929-I93 533 VI 2. Veintecinco de 6,800oo 58. 85000 32 7- XII 3.9. VI Mayo.... 1929-193 i6 tubes (21). Guns and torpedo-tubes. 2 Large refits, 1924-1925. * Garibaldi and General-San-Martin have been scrapped in 1934. *Classed as gunboats. Large refits, 1928-1932.
ARGENTINE 27 5 flotilla leaders and 4 destroyers I Standard Sped Armament' No Type Date of displace- Draught (feet) H.p. (kts.) number, and calibre o.type launching ment (tons) in inches) Flotilla Leaders. Mendoza 3 Tucuman.. 1928-I929 1,466 i21 45,000 36-39.4 La Rioja V 4.7, I 3 (A.A.) VI tubes (21). i Cervantes ~ I925 1,522 o01 42,000 36 tu i Juan de Garay Destroyers. 2 Cordoba, La Plata..,0ooo00 71 28,ooo00 26.5 2 Catamarca,Ju- 911 III 4. IV tubes (21). juy.... 997 71 28,000 27.2 'Guns and torpedo-tubes. 3 submarines (193I) Displacement ' tons. H.p. 3,000 920 i7'5 kts. Guns : I 4-inch; 8 tubes of 2I-inch. 9 Miscellaneous : 34 units (gunboats, training-ship, river police craft, minesweepers, transports, etc.). SUMMARY TABLE OF NAVAL UNITS. Artillery v Guns Type Number Tonnage TubeGuns Number Calibre (of 21 inches) (inches) Battleships... 2 55,440 24 12 4 24 6 8 3 Coast-defence ships... 4 17,220 4 10 4 8 9.4 6 i6 4.7 Cruisers... 2 13,600 12 7.5 12. 24 3.9 Flotilla leaders and destroyers.... 9 11,436 25 4.7 46 12 4 5 3 Submarines..... 3 2,325 3 4 24 Total.... 20 100,021 169 86 'Not including guns under 3-inch.
28 ARGENTINE III. Budget Expenditure on National Defence. The financial year coincides with the calendar year. I930 I931 1932 1933 934 I935 Closed accounts Estimates Paper pesos (ooo,ooo's) Department of War.. 81.3 81.5 72.2 75-1 72.4 72.4 Constructions..... 6.2 3.7 5.2 3.6 6.7 Special laws on armaments 30.7 11.3 4.9 6.o 6.5 6.5 Total..... 99.0 8o.8 86.3 82.5 85.6 Department of the Navy.. 53.5 54.8 52.2 49.9 49.7 49.7 Constructions..... 0.4 0.2 0.5 1.8 1.8 Special laws on armaments...0 3.0 2.5 2.5 Total..... 56.4 53.4 540 54.0 Grand total..... 137.2 139.7 136.5 139.6 Index numbers of wholesale prices (1913 = ioo).. 122 118 119 1I4 130 129- Average, January and February 1935. NOTES.-I. Expenditure for lighthouses and harbour administration is included in the budget of the Department of the Navy. 2. Military Aviation expenditure is included in the budget of the Departments of War and the Navy. 3. The above figures do not include pensions, which are charged to a special section of the budget and have amounted to: 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 Closed accounts Estimates Paper pesos (ooo,ooo's) Military and Naval Pensions.30.6 353 30.8. 37.6 37.6