The firing line advances from position to position by means of rushes.
At long range the entire line may rush forward at the same time, but as the range decreases one part of the line rushes forward while the remainder keeps up a hot fire on the enemy. The number taking part in each rush decreases as the fire of the enemy becomes warmer, until perhaps only one squad, or even less, rushes or crawls forward at a time, protected by the fire of the rest of the company. The distance covered by each rush also becomes less and less. After any rush no part of the line again advances until the rest of the line is up. =In making a rush, the leader of the unit gives the signal and leads the way. The rest follow. No attempt is made to keep a line, but each man rushes forward at a run, seeking only to reach the new halting position as quickly and with as little exposure as possible.= When halted, the skirmishers need not be in a perfect line, but every advantage should be taken of the ground for concealment and protection. It is necessary only that no man or group of men should interfere with the fire of other parts of the firing line.
The noise on the firing line will be great. Leaders will be disabled and new men will take their places. Reinforcements coming up will cause units to become mixed. To the green man everything may appear to be in confusion, but this is not so. This is war as it really is. =If you have lost your section or your section leader, join the leader nearest to you.= This is the way the game is played.
As long as the fight lasts every available rifleman must be kept in the firing line. The first and last consideration is to win the battle. =Therefore, under no circ.u.mstances will any soldier be permitted to go to the rear, either for ammunition or to a.s.sist the wounded.=
If the attacking force can no longer advance, it is much safer to throw up hasty intrenchments and await the arrival of reinforcements or darkness than it is to retreat. Retreating troops are the ones that suffer the greatest. This lesson is taught by every great war.
=Therefore, always remember that the safest thing to do is to stick to the firing line.=
Troops on the firing line, when not actually engaged in firing at the enemy, busy themselves throwing up shelter trenches. It only requires a few minutes to construct a trench that gives great protection.
=Therefore, never get separated from your intrenching tool.=
Concealment is no less important than protection. Therefore, when conditions permit, as is generally the case when on the defensive, every effort should be made to hide intrenchments by the use of sod, gra.s.s, weeds, bushes, etc.
In making an attack the infantry is always supported when possible by its own artillery, which continues to fire over its head until the infantry arrives very close to the enemy"s trenches. This fire is helping you a great deal by keeping down the fire of the enemy"s infantry and artillery. Therefore, don"t think you are being fired into by your own artillery because you hear their sh.e.l.ls and shrapnel singing through the air or bursting a short distance in your front, but rather be thankful you are receiving their help up to the very last minute.
In the last rush which carries the enemy"s position there is always much mixing of units. The firing line does not continue rushing madly as individuals after the enemy, but halts and fires on him until he gets out of good range. The pursuit is taken up by formed troops held in reserve or by the firing line only after its units are again gotten together.
As the fighting often lasts all day, and great suffering is caused from thirst, =don"t throw away your canteen when the fight commences=.
It may also be impossible to get rations up to the line during the night. =Therefore, it is advisable to hold onto at least one ration.=
As the recent war has shown the possibility of hand-to-hand fighting, especially at night, each soldier should be schooled in the use of the bayonet.
The following has particular reference to the duties of platoon and section leaders and to the teamwork of the platoon in combat:
Attacking troops must first gain =fire superiority= in order to reach the hostile position. By gaining fire superiority is meant making one"s fire superior to that of the enemy in volume and accuracy, and it depends upon the number of rifles employed, the rate of fire, the character of the target, training and discipline, and fire direction and control. When the fire of the attackers becomes effective and superior to that of the defenders the latter are no longer able to effectively and coolly aim and fire at the former, and, as a consequence, the attackers are able to inaugurate a successful rush or advance which carries them nearer to the enemy"s position.
When a trained organization has been committed to the attack, the gaining of fire superiority depends upon the way in which =fire direction= and =fire control= are exercised.
The captain =directs= the fire of the troop. He indicates to the platoon commanders the target (enemy) which the troop is to fire and advance upon, and tells each upon which part of this target he is to direct the fire of his platoon. When he desires the fire to be opened, he gives the necessary commands or signals, including the range at which the sights are to be set.
When the fire fight has once started, it becomes to a great extent a fight of a number of platoons. The platoon is the largest organization which can be controlled by a single leader in action. The platoon commander (lieutenant or sergeant) =controls= its fire in order to gain the maximum fire effect and to avoid wasting ammunition. He must try his best to make the fire of his platoon effective, to get it forward, and to support neighboring platoons in their effort to advance. At the same time he must hold himself subject to his captain"s directions. He should take advantage of every chance to carry his platoon forward unless otherwise ordered. In all this he is a.s.sisted by his section chiefs (sergeants) and by his corporals.
At the commencement of an engagement the platoon commander will give the objective (part of the enemy"s line or aiming target) at which his platoon is to direct its fire. Noncommissioned officers must be sure that they see and understand the objective, and that all the men in their squads do likewise. Fire is then directed at this objective without further command until the platoon commander gives a new objective.
Men should be instructed to aim at that part of the target a.s.signed to their platoon which corresponds with their own position in their own platoon, so that there will be no portion of the target which is not covered by fire. A portion of the enemy"s line not covered by fire means that that portion is able to coolly aim and fire at their opponents.
In an engagement the voice can seldom be heard over a few feet, and the platoon commander will generally have to convey his orders by signals. A sergeant may be able to shout orders to his section, and orders may be repeated along a skirmish line by shouting. Care should be taken that orders intended for one platoon only are not thus conveyed to another platoon.
A short blast on the whistle, given by the platoon commander, means "Attention to Orders." All noncommissioned officers at once suspend firing and glance toward the platoon commander to see if the latter has any signals or orders for them. If not, they resume firing. A long blast on the whistle means "Suspend Firing." When a noncommissioned officer hears this signal from his platoon commander, he should at once shout "Suspend Firing." Upon receiving a signal, the noncommissioned officer for whom it is intended should at once repeat it back, to be sure that it is correctly understood.
As a rule, rushes should be started by a unit on one flank and should be followed in succession by the other units to the opposite flank.
Each succeeding unit should halt on the line established by the unit which first rushed. When a unit is about to rush, leaders in charge of adjacent units should caution their men to be careful not to fire into the rushing unit as it bounds forward.
When one unit suspends fire for the purpose of rushing, adjacent leaders should arrange to have a portion of their men turn their fire on the target of the rushing unit, to the end that there may be no portion of the enemy"s line not under fire and able to fire coolly on the rushing unit.
Rushes should be made for as long a distance as possible, due regard being had for the wind of the men and not to get beyond supporting distance of the other units. Long rushes facilitate an advance, and quickly place a skirmish line close to the enemy"s position, where its fire will have more effect. An attacking line suffers less from casualties at short ranges than it does at mid range.
Every advantage should be taken to utilize the cover available. The best kind of cover is that which, while it masks the skirmishers from the sight and fire of the enemy, affords favorable conditions for firing and for readily advancing. In order to allow men to regain their wind, or should the fire of the enemy be so effective as to prevent a further advance without reinforcement, advantage may be taken to lie close in cover, or hasty fire trenches may be thrown up in order to allow the line to maintain its position. "=To go back under fire is to die.="
When a platoon is firing, all noncommissioned officers watch every opportunity to make the fire more effective. The section chiefs and corporals should constantly watch the men to see that they do not become excited, fire too hastily or without aim, that their sights are set at the correct range, that they are obviously firing at the designated target, and that they a.s.sume steady firing positions and take advantage of cover. In performing these duties it may be necessary for the section chiefs to be constantly crawling along the line. A subst.i.tute chief a.s.sists the chief of his section by supervising the fire of the men near him, firing when not actively engaged in that duty.
Bayonets are fixed preparatory to a charge when armed with that weapon. This command is usually given by the bugle. Only two or three men in each section should fix their bayonets at the same time, in order that there may be no marked pause or diminution in the fire at this critical stage of the engagement.
In order to be effective in combat, the platoon must be thoroughly trained to work as a team. Each noncommissioned officer must be conversant with the signals and commands and the proper methods for instantly putting into effect the orders of his platoon commander.
Each private must be trained until he instinctively does the right thing in each phase of the action.
=Section 3. Patrolling.=
The designation of a patrol indicates the nature of the duty for which it is detailed, as, for example, visiting, reconnoitering, exploring, flanking, combat, hara.s.sing, pursuing, etc. An Infantry patrol consists, as a rule, of from 3 to 16 men, a Cavalry patrol generally of from 4 to 10 men.
Reconnoitering patrols are habitually small and seek safety in concealment or flight, fighting only when their mission demands it.
The most skillful reconnoissance is where patrols accomplish their mission and return without being discovered by the enemy. When resistance is expected stronger detachments are required. These cover themselves with small patrols of two to four men, the remainder acting as support.
The commander determines the number and strength of patrols and when they are to be sent out. It is a cardinal principle to send out patrols of such strength only as will accomplish the object.
The officer sending out the patrol verifies the details, designates a second in command, and gives the necessary instruction. The orders or instructions for a patrol, or for any detachment going on reconnoissance, must state clearly where the enemy is or is supposed to be, what information is desired, what features are of special importance, the general direction to be followed, whether friendly patrols are liable to be encountered, and where messages are to be sent or the patrol is to report. Important and comprehensive instructions should be in writing, but precautions against capture of papers must be taken. An officer sending out a patrol must be certain that his orders are understood. Detailed instructions are, as a rule, avoided. When necessary the time of return is stated.
The patrol leader should be selected with care. He should be an excellent horseman, have good judgment, courage, be able to read maps, make sketches, and send clear and concise messages. In addition to his ordinary equipment, he should have a map of the country, a watch, field gla.s.s, compa.s.s, whistle, message blanks, and pencils.
The leader of a patrol should carefully inspect the men and horses before starting out. He should see that the horses are well shod and in good working condition. Nervous horses or those that neigh when left alone should not be taken. The equipment of each man should be complete and so arranged as to prevent rattling. Articles that are liable to glitter in the sunlight should be covered. Nothing should be taken along that would be of information to the enemy if any members of the patrol were captured, for example, copies of orders, maps with positions of troops marked thereon, letters, newspapers, or collar ornaments.
The leader then gives his patrol information and instructions. These embrace instructions from higher authority; his detailed plans; information of the country and enemy; the countersign, if any; the point where the patrol will a.s.semble if scattered. He will see that the men understand the prescribed signals.
=It must always be remembered that it makes no difference, how valuable may be the information that the patrol gets, it is worthless if not sent back in time to be of service.= Herein is where most patrols fail. This applies particularly to the information obtained by patrols acting as a point or flankers of advance, rear, and flank guards. Whenever the patrol gets any information, the leader must think whether the commanding officer would change his plans or issue new orders if he had the information. If he would, the information should be sent back at once. If the distance is great or the inhabitants are hostile, it is well to send two men with the message.
These men should not travel side by side, but as a patrol of two men.
If the information is very important, and the danger of capture is considerable, the message should be sent by two parties, each traveling by a different route. The gaits should be specified.
A message from a patrol should always show (_a_) the place from which it is sent; (_b_) the time it is sent (date, hour, and minute); (_c_) to whom it is sent; (_d_) the message itself; (_e_) what the patrol intends doing after sending the message; (_f_) the name of the sender.
Under (_d_) care must be taken to separate what has actually been seen by the patrol from information received from other sources. Care must also be taken not to exaggerate what is seen, but to report only the exact facts.
Whether moving or halted, patrols exercise the greatest vigilance to prevent discovery. No formal formation is or should be prescribed.
Under the leader"s guidance it moves so as to guard against surprise, usually with point and flankers. To extend the sphere of its observation, still smaller patrols (one or two men) may be sent out for short distances, communication with the leader being maintained by signals. Whatever the formation adopted, it should favor the escape of at least one man in case of surprise.
In patrols of two to five men the commander generally leads. In this formation few signals are necessary, the men simply regulating their movements by his.
In questioning civilians caution is observed not to disclose information that may be of value to the enemy. Strangers are not allowed to precede the patrol. Patrol leaders are authorized to seize telegrams and mail matter, and to arrest individuals, reporting the facts as soon as possible.
Patrols should observe everything for signs of the enemy. Even apparent trifles may be of great value. The finding of a collar ornament showing a man"s regiment may enable the chief of staff to determine that the enemy has been reenforced.
Patrols should not travel on the main roads if they can observe them and at the same time make the necessary progress by moving some distance to the side of the roads.
Except in case of attack or of great personal danger, no member of the patrol should fire on hostile troops without orders from the patrol leader. When sent out to gain information, patrols should avoid fighting unless it is absolutely necessary in order to carry out their orders. If the leader determines to fight, he should quickly decide whether he will attack mounted with the saber and thus dispose pf the enemy without the noise of fire action. Cases will arise where a quick mounted pistol attack will obtain the best results. If discovered, the patrol would dismount only as a last resort. The leader should always have in mind, as he rides long, what he will do if he meets the enemy.
Villages and inclosures involving danger of surprise are entered with precaution, and for brief periods only. Halts are made at points affording good view, and the country is studied in all directions, landmarks to the rear being impressed on the minds of the men so that the way back can be readily found; the leader consults his map and locates himself thereon.
When a patrol is scattered it rea.s.sembles at some place previously selected; if checked in one direction, it takes another; if cut off it returns by a detour or forces its way through. As a last resort it scatters so that at least one man may return with information. Patrols nearing their own lines should march at a walk unless pressed by the enemy.