file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #eicag-;h4htm or #eicag-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#eicag_/pg#eicag-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#ei cag_/eicag-;h4zip7 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see https3_/_/archive4org_/details_/tacticsd utiesfor#jj;bertrich ,transcriber's note3 ,text enclosed by underscores is in italics 7italics74 ,text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face 7bold74 ,,tactics ,,and ,,duties ,,for ,,trench ,,fighting by ,,georges ,,bertrand ,capitaine1 ,chasseurs ,alpins1 de l',arme de ,france and ,,oscar ,n4 ,,solbert ,major1 ,corps of ,engineers1 ,u4,s4,a4 ,with ,diagrams ,g4 ,p4 ,putnam',s ,sons ,new ,york and ,london ,the ,knickerbocker ,press #aiah ,copyright1 #aiah by ,oscar ,n4 ,solbert ,the ,knickerbocker ,press1 ,new ,york ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,foreword ,it must be borne in mind that this book deals with principles and examples of methods of warfare1 and not fixed rules4 ,there are no fixed methods in warfare4 ,development in warfare means change of methods or the invention of new ones to overcome military difficulties4 ,however1 one must have knowledge of past and present methods to be ready for the next logical step of development4 ,,headquarters1 ,,fort ,,sheridan ,,training ,,camp1 ,,ill41 ,october #bf1 #aiag4 ,from3 ,,major ,o4 ,n4 ,,solbert1 ,c4 of ,e4 ,to the ,adjutant ,general1 ,u4 ,s4 ,army1 through official channels4 ,subject3 ,publication of ,lectures4 ,i4 ,request authority to publish in pamphlet form lectures given at this camp on ,trench ,fighting4 ,illustration3 ,major1 ,c4 of ,e4 #ast ,indorsement ,,office ,,of ,,the ,,senior ,,instructor1 ,,fort ,,sheridan ,,training ,,camp1 ,,illinois1 ,,october #bf1 #aiag4 ,,to ,,the ,,commanding ,,officer3 ,earnestly recommending that the lectures referred to above be published in pamphlet form4 ,i consider it most desirable that every graduate of this camp take these lectures with him1 upon being commissioned4 ,i do not believe that the best interests of the service will suffer1 in any way by publishing these lectures4 ,illustration3 ,lt4 ,colonel1 ,infantry1 ,senior ,instructor4 #bnd ,indorsement ,,hq41 ,,the ,,fort ,,sheridan ,,training ,,camp1 ,,october #bf1 #aiag4 ,,to ,,the ,,adjutant ,,general ,,of ,,the ,,army1 ,,washington1 ,d4 ,c4 ,i4 ,approved4 ,illustration3 ,colonel of ,cavalry1 ,commanding4 ,,war ,,department1 ,a4 ,g4 ,o41 ,,october #ca1 #aiag4 ,,to ,,headquarters1 ,,the ,,fort ,,sheridan ,,training ,,camp1 ,,fort ,,sheridan1 ,,ill4 ,returned4 ,i4 ,approved4 ,by order of the ,secretary of ,war3 ,illustration3 ,adjutant ,general4 ,,contents ,chapter ,i ,organization of the ,company for ,battle ,formations ,,page ,specialists--,organization of a ,typical ,company--,use of ,specialists--,in the ,defensive--,in the ,offensive--,formations-- ,initial ,formation--,close ,order and ,march ,formation--,approach ,march--,skirmisher ,line--,assaulting ,formations--,composition of ,lines--,drill ,regulations #a ,chapter ,,ii ,development of a ,position from an ,open ,warfare ,battle ,general ,use of ,fortifications--,change from ,battle ,lines to ,trenches of a ,position--,division of a ,position--,different ,lines of a ,sector--,principles of ,organization--,flanking ,fire--,field of ,fire--,location of ,trenches--,compartments--,concealment-- ,elements of ,organization--,plan--,outline of ,first ,line--,cover ,trench--,advance ,posts--,loopholes--,traverses--,transve rsals--,support ,trenches and ,redoubts--,boyaux and ,communication ,ditches--,accessory ,defenses-- ,command ,posts #cd ,chapter ,,iii ,sector and ,trench ,duties ,plan of ,defense--,definition--,principles--,for m of--,details of ,trench ,duty--,guard ,duties--,sentinels--,reconnoitering ,patrols--,observers-- ,attrition--,fighting ,patrols and ,raids--,arms1 ,equipment1 and ,ammunition--,activities of the ,troops--,reports--,use of ,infantry and ,artillery ,weapons1 and ,liaison--,machine ,guns--,trench ,mortars-- ,artillery ,support--,use--,barrage--,liaison--,ins tructions for ,sentinels--,watchers--,observers #fb ,chapter ,,iv ,the ,relief ,definitions and ,principles--,kinds--,preliminary ,dispositions for the ,relief--,time to ,prepare--,preparation--,reconnaissance- -,relief ,orders--,general--,battalion--,movement of the ,relief--,departure-- ,march to ,rendezvous of ,guides--,guides--,march in the ,boyaux-- ,occupation of the ,position--,duties after #ajd ,chapter ,v ,defense of a ,position ,hostile ,attacks--,kinds--,surprise--,precaution s against--,maintenance of ,barbed ,wire ,entanglements--,service of ,guard and ,observation-- 8,stand ,to0 ,exercises--,attack in ,force--,revealing ,symptoms-- ,preventive ,measures before--,perfecting ,organization of ,position-- ,increase of ,control and ,discipline of ,defense--,moral ,preparation of the ,troops--,maintenance of the ,garrison during the ,bombardment--,reply with ,artillery ,fire--,defense of ,first ,line during ,assault--,duties of ,watchers--,defenders of the ,first ,line-- ,fighting in the ,interior of the ,position--,defense of an ,area-- ,the ,counterattack--,troops ,detailed for--,routes or ,directions-- ,form of--,repair of ,position #abc ,chapter ,,vi ,attack of a ,position ,phases--,preparation--,assault against ,first ,hostile ,line-- ,exploitation of ,success--,preparation--,front of ,attack-- ,conditions of ,assault--,distance of--,trace of ,lines of ,departure-- ,ground ,preparation--,organization of ,assault--,execution of the ,works--,artillery ,preparation--,counter-,battery ,fire--,fire on ,communication ,routes1 etc4--,destructive ,fire--,plan of ,action-- ,observation--,control--,plan of ,battle--,strength of ,enemy-- ,preparation of ,men for ,attack--,mission of ,attack--,the ,assault-- ,disposition in ,depth--,waves--,assaulting ,companies--,supporting ,companies--,disposition of ,assaulting ,battalion in the ,departure ,trenches--,order of ,attack--,departure of ,assault--,support ,artillery-- ,departure of ,first ,echelon--,departure of ,second ,echelon--,advance of ,reserves--,fighting in the ,interior of a ,position--,principle of--,details of--,assaulting ,companies--,reinforcing ,companies--,rle of the ,artillery during the ,attack--,principle of ,accompaniment ,fire--,means of ,controlling ,barrage--,liaisons during ,attack-- ,aviation #aeb ,chapter ,,vii ,model of ,trench ,orders ,plan of ,defense--,order for ,relief--,plan of ,attack--,order for ,attack--,order for a ,raid #aif ,chapter ,,viii ,special ,operations ,raids--,preparation--,purpose of--,troops ,employed--,objective of-- ,execution of--,infantry ,support--,artillery ,support--,gas ,warfare-- ,kinds--,protections against--,special ,precautionary ,measures--,liquid ,fire--,mines #baf ,tactics and ,duties for ,trench ,fighting ,,chapter ,i ,,organization ,,of ,,the ,,company ,,for ,,battle ,,formations ,i4 ,specialists ,the exigencies of modern warfare1 especially of trench warfare1 have developed new infantry weapons4 ,as there are several kinds of these weapons to each infantry company1 the men detailed to handle them must be trained as specialists4 ,the weapons are3 ,hand grenades ,rifle grenades ,automatic-machine rifles ,rifles ,the men who use these weapons are respectively known as3 ,hand grenadiers ,rifle grenadiers ,a4 ,m4 ,r4 crews ,riflemen ,as a consequence of the new weapons1 a company is now organized on a basis of these specialists4 ,a typical company is patterned like that of the ,french1 the only difference being in the number of specialists4 ,each of the four platoons of a company contains the same number of specialists and each platoon is divided into four sections of specialists4 ,organization of a ,typical ,company ,one lieutenant 7#ast and #dth platoons under #ast lieutenants2 #bnd and #crd platoons under #bnd lieutenants74 ,one sergeant 7second in command1 assistant to platoon commander74 #ast ,section1 #bb men #bnd ,section1 #ab men #crd ,section1 #ab men #dth ,section1 #aa men ---- ,total #eg men #d #bbh men #bbd rifles #fd pistols #af automatic rifles ,platoon--#ast ,section--,hand and ,rifle ,grenadiers #a ,sergeant1 pistol and rifle4 #c ,corporals1 pistol and rifle4 #f ,privates1 #ast class1 all with rifles1 two of them with pistols4 #ab ,privates4 ---- #bb men4 #bnd and #crd ,sections--,riflemen #b ,corporals1 rifle and pistol4 #c ,privates1 #ast class1 rifle4 #g ,privates1 rifle4 ---- #ab #dth ,section--,automatic ,riflemen #a ,sergeant1 pistol and rifle4 #a ,corporal1 pistol and rifle4 #c ,privates1 #ast class 7automatic rifle gunners1 including #a extra74 #f ,privates1 rifle4 ---- #aa ,officers #a ,captain4 #c ,first ,lieutenants4 #b ,second ,lieutenants4 -- #f ,the platoon is the self-contained unit with the proper proportion of all the different kinds of specialists for the assault4 ,the reason for this is that the platoon is the largest unit that one leader can control in combat4 ,the four platoons are alike and therefore interchangeable4 ,although it is true that the specialists are particularly trained with their own weapons1 all men of the company are first trained as riflemen4 ,all specialists carry rifles1 and if for any reason they cannot use their special weapon they immediately become riflemen4 ,also every man is trained in hand grenade throwing4 ,this makes it possible to fill gaps in the specialists' ranks from the riflemen4 ,some men also1 usually to the number of the ,a4 ,m4 ,r4 crews1 must be trained to operate the automatic-machine rifles4 ,the remaining supernumeraries of the company1 such as mess and supply sergeants1 mechanics1 cooks1 buglers1 etc41 do not march with the company in maneuver or combat formations4 ,some of the above supernumeraries will be found in the captain's headquarters1 or tactical group1 such as the liaison agents from the platoons1 orderlies1 buglers1 and observers4 ,mess and supply sergeants1 cooks1 etc41 remain with the regimental train in rear1 with the kitchen behind the artillery positions4 ,the tactical group of the captain lives in an adjoining dugout to that of their chief in the sector4 ,in the fight these latter are used as messengers or observers4 ,,ii4 ,use of ,specialists ,the following table shows the evolution of infantry armament since the beginning of the war3 ,at ,beginning of ,war ,rifle and bayonet ,nearly total personnel ,hand grenades ,nil ,rifle grenade guns ,nil ,automatic rifles ,nil ,present ,time ,hand grenadiers per ,co4 #dh ,rifle grenadiers per ,co4 #bd ,automatic rifles per ,co4 #af ,outside the company is the #cg mm4 gun in the battalion and trench mortars and engines1 permanent equipment of the trenches4 ,in the ,defensive ,hand ,grenades4 ,hand grenades are used to produce a short-range defensive barrage at a distance of about #cj yards in front of the trenches4 ,for this purpose one grenade thrower is required for from #aj to #af yards of frontage4 ,they are also used to establish centers of resistance2 to protect important features of the lines1 such as salients1 machine gun or automatic rifle posts1 command posts1 listening posts1 etc4 ,they are used to defend a barricade in a communicating trench4 ,in this latter case the grenades may be thrown from a special bombing post established for that purpose or from an adjoining trench4 ,rifle ,grenades4 ,rifle grenades are employed to establish a barrage at a greater range than that of the hand grenade1 being used up to as great a distance as #cjj yards4 ,the great advantage of the rifle grenade barrage is that it is under the control of the platoon leader and can be called into service immediately1 which is not always true of the artillery barrage4 ,several grenade rifles concentrated on a trench will stop hand grenade throwing from the same4 ,rifle grenades are usually shot from the cover trench immediately in rear of the fire trench4 ,automatic-,machine ,rifles4 ,in the defensive the ,a4,m4,r's are usually employed to obtain flanking fire from the firing line1 but may be used in the cover trench and sometimes in shallow holes out in front4 ,in interior fighting they are used to cover stretches of communicating trenches against an enemy that has penetrated the first line4 ,riflemen4 ,the riflemen are placed in the intervals between the specialists in the firing line4 ,they are also used as snipers and as sentinels4 ,these sentinels are not to be confused with watchers1 who may or may not carry rifles4 ,in the ,offensive ,hand ,grenades4 ,in the offensive1 hand grenades are used to reach the enemy under cover in trenches1 etc41 by high-angle throwing4 ,it is an excellent weapon to clear out the trenches that the assaulting columns are advancing against4 ,the ,h4 ,g4 and the ,r4 ,g4 break the resistance1 so to speak1 of the line that the attack is to capture and the assaulting troops are to occupy and hold4 ,the places of the hand grenadiers in the assaulting column are seen in the diagram4 ,the hand grenade is the principal weapon in trench combat--that is1 to obtain progress laterally and in depth in the trenches after a breach has been made at one point1 as every foot of trench has to be fought for4 ,each section of trench1 between traverses1 is cleared of the enemy by throwing ,h4 ,g's into it4 ,it is then occupied and the next section cleared and occupied in a similar manner4 ,in a raid on the enemy's trenches hand grenades are used to clear up the particular stretch of trenches before the raiding party jumps into them4 ,this will be taken up in detail later4 ,rifle ,grenades4 ,the rifle grenade in the offensive is employed similarly to the hand grenade1 to reach an enemy under cover1 but at a greater distance4 ,it is used to help reduce all nests of resistance that the assaulting infantry runs up against1 and when the artillery barrage is not obtainable for that purpose4 ,they may be used as a barrage to cut off the retreat of a small group of the enemy that is being attacked in front4 ,rifle grenades are very useful against counterattacks1 especially before machine guns can be brought up and the defensive artillery barrage obtained4 ,the ,a4 ,m4 ,r4 ,the ,a4 ,m4 ,r41 with its great mobility and ease of control1 makes it possible to carry this weapon in the assault and to be used immediately the wave is halted for any reason4 ,in this connection1 it can be instantly employed against a nest of resistance4 ,it is used in the assault to protect the flanks of the assaulting waves1 especially when stopped4 ,as the ,a4 ,m4 ,r's are brought up in the first wave1 they are immediately available against counterattacks upon the captured position4 ,in a similar manner they are employed to hold ground gained until an artillery barrage can be obtained to support it and before the machine guns come up4 ,the ,riflemen4 ,the riflemen1 with bayonets fixed1 do the necessary fighting in the interior of the enemy's position4 ,as was stated before1 the ,h4 ,g4 and the ,r4 ,g4 break the enemy's resistance and the rifleman does the hand-to-hand fighting required to occupy the objective lines of trenches4 ,to make a little rsum1 we may say that the best results will be obtained by the proper combination of all of these weapons4 ,the low trajectory weapons 7rifle1 ,a4 ,m4 ,r41 ,h4 ,g41 and the #cg mm4 gun7 concentrate on everything that shows itself above the trenches2 while the high-angle missiles 7,h4 ,g4 and ,r4 ,g47 seek out the enemy under cover4 ,the riflemen complete the success of the specialists by rushing forward and occupying the enemy's position and fighting hand to hand for it if necessary4 ,,iii4 ,formations for ,maneuvering this ,resultant ,company of ,specialists 7,formation of the ,platoon7 ,initial ,formation4 ,the initial formation of the platoon in sections of specialists as per diagram is almost self-explanatory4 ,each group of specialists is in this formation under the control of its leader ready for any maneuver4 ,the platoon is the attacking unit because it contains all the specialists required for the assault4 ,the frontage of an offensive is composed of a series of platoons1 each with a definite objective1 and each with reinforcing platoons in depth following4 ,illustration3 ,,initial ,,formation ,,of ,,the ,,platoon ,,line ,,of ,,section ,,columns ,all other formations1 whether for combat or ordinary march maneuvers1 are based upon this initial formation4 ,close ,order and ,march ,formations4 ,from the initial formation1 we pass to the close order formations1 used for parade1 roll call1 or the march4 7a7 ,first we have the company in line1 which is the habitual formation for assembly4 7b7 ,from the company in line is formed a column of fours1 for marching4 ,the squads that are complete execute 8squads right or left10 while the remaining odd number of specialists in any section execute the easiest movement to bring them into column of fours1 sometimes with blank files behind the rest of their section4 ,approach ,march4 ,the approach march is a name given to the formations that the platoon in section columns takes up to minimize casualties while crossing the zone of artillery fire4 ,these formations are taken up under the conditions of open warfare1 or1 in the case of reinforcements1 following up an attack4 ,the formations may be in 8,line of ,section ,columns0 or 8,double ,line of ,section ,columns40 ,in the first case1 each section may be in single file or in double column2 or again the first and fourth platoon section may be in double column and the second and third sections in single file3 ,in the 8,double ,line of ,section ,columns0 any of the formations in the diagrams may be taken up1 depending upon circumstances4 ,illustration3 ,,formations ,,for ,,assembly1 ,,march1 ,,and ,,parade ,the interval between sections is variable1 but usually the interval is such as to give room for the proper development into line of skirmishers4 ,skirmishers4 ,this formation of skirmishers is not taken up for the assault1 but under similar conditions as that of the approach march--that is1 for open warfare and for the advance of the reinforcing platoons behind an attack4 ,to form the skirmish line1 each section column simply deploys into line1 each man going either right or left front into line from the regular formation of double line of section column4 ,if you inspect the figure1 you will see that this deployment into skirmish line gives practically the type formation of the first reinforcing platoon in the assaulting column4 ,assaulting ,formations4 ,in the attack the platoon forms and goes forward in waves4 ,a wave is not one line of men1 but is composed usually of two or three lines4 ,illustration3 ,,platoon ,,in ,,double ,,line ,,of ,,section ,,columns ,,company ,,formations ,,for ,,manoeuvre ,the composition of the lines of the wave depends upon the duties and functions of the different specialists during the attack4 ,let us recapitulate the functions of the specialists in order to show the reasons for their positions in the assaulting wave4 ,the ,first ,line of the ,assaulting ,wave4 ,in this line are the grenadiers1 whose duty it is to clear the enemy out of the objective trenches4 ,here also are the ,a4 ,m4 ,r's1 employed to protect the flanks of the wave4 ,when the wave is halted1 the ,a4 ,m4 ,r's must be available for instant use against any nest of resistance and must therefore be in the first line4 ,they are also used in the captured trench to withstand an enemy's counterattack1 which may develop within five minutes after its capture4 ,the ,second ,line of the ,first ,wave4 ,we have here the rifle grenadiers who help the hand grenadiers break up the enemy's resistance and clear the trenches of the enemy4 ,this is done by fire of rifle grenades from the second line4 ,here1 also1 we have all the riflemen of the platoon1 whose function it is to follow up the success of the specialists and drive the surviving hostile men out of the trenches with the bayonet4 ,illustration3 ,,formation ,,for ,,combat ,third ,line of the ,first ,wave4 ,in this line we have the 8trench cleaners0 or 8moppers-up40 ,these are hand grenadiers furnished by the reinforcing platoon and their function is to clear the enemy out of the trenches1 both laterally and in depth of the position4 ,the assaulting column remains above ground and continues across the position to the objective line of trenches1 which is usually the limiting objective of the attack4 ,the 8trench cleaners0 picket all entrances and exits of dugouts to allow none of the enemy to come out after the waves have passed and fire into the backs of the assaulting troops4 ,these three lines compose the first wave1 and we see that the specialists are placed in the lines in the order of their duties4 ,company ,drill ,regulations ,adopted at ,fort ,sheridan1 ,illinois1 ,r4,o4,t4,c41 in ,lieu of ,no ,existing ,official ,regulations ,company ,organization #a4 ,for the purposes of drill and maneuver1 the regiment will be organized as follows3 7a7 ,one training company1 as at present constituted1 will form two platoons4 7b7 ,the new organization contemplates four platoons to the company4 ,when1 for training purposes1 a complete company is necessary or desirable1 companies will be combined4 ,illustration3 ,,platoon ,,passing ,,from ,,maneuver ,,to ,,combat ,,formation #b4 ,for a training company of two platoons1 the #bnd in command 7sergeant7 of the first platoon is the right guide2 the #bnd in command of the #bnd platoon is the left guide4 #c4 ,the platoons1 in line or column1 are arranged as at present4 #d4 ,the usual arrangement of a company for attack is to place two platoons in the #ast wave and two in the #bnd wave4 ,the two platoons in the #ast wave are known as the assaulting platoons2 the two in the #bnd wave1 as the reinforcing platoons4 ,the normal distance between the assaulting and reinforcing platoon is about #fe yards4 ,sometimes three platoons are placed in the #ast wave and one in the #bnd wave4 #e4 ,the first wave is followed1 at a distance of #ae yards1 by the hand grenadiers of the reinforcing platoon1 who are sent forward by the commander of the reinforcing platoon to act as trench cleaners or moppers-up for the first wave4 ,fifty yards behind these is the remainder of the reinforcing platoon4 ,there are no 8moppers-up0 for the reinforcing platoon4 #f4 ,the captain of a company has four liaison agents constantly with him1 one being furnished from and for each platoon4 ,they march immediately in rear of the captain4 #g4 ,the post of the captain is between the #ast and #bnd waves4 ,platoon ,organization #a4 ,the composition of a platoon is as follows3 #a ,lieutenant 7#ast and #dth platoons under #ast ,lieutenants74 7#bnd and #crd platoons under #bnd ,lieutenants74 #a ,sergeant 7#bnd in command1 assistant to platoon leader74 ,first ,section--7,grenadiers74 #a ,sergeant--,section ,sergeant4 #b ,corporals and #ab ,privates--,hand ,grenadiers4 #a ,corporal and #f ,privates--,rifle ,grenadiers4 ,second ,section--7,riflemen74 #b ,corporals and #aj ,privates--,riflemen4 ,third ,section--7,riflemen74 #b ,corporals and #aj ,privates--,riflemen4 ,fourth ,section--7,automatic ,rifle74 #a ,sergeant--,charge of #a gun crew4 #a ,corporal--,charge of #a gun crew4 #c ,privates1 #ast ,class--,gunners--#a in charge of each gun and #a in reserve4 #f ,privates--,ammunition ,carriers4 #b4 ,all platoons are alike in numbers1 organization1 and armament4 #c4 ,when the platoon is in column of squads or in line1 the post of the platoon leader is as at present4 ,when in line of section columns he is normally in front of the right center section1 although he may be in front of some other section if he sees fit4 ,in attack formation he is in the center of his platoon between his first and second lines4 #d4 ,when the platoon is in line1 the post of the #bnd in command is in rear of the center of his platoon4 ,in line of section columns he is in front of the #crd section4 ,in attack formation he is in rear of the fight center of the second line4 ,platoon ,movements #a4 #a4 ,the #ast ,section 7,grenadier ,section7 contains #ae rifle grenadiers 7including the section sergeant7 and #g hand grenadiers4 ,when in column of squads1 the rifle grenadiers march as a squad1 in rear of the hand grenadiers4 ,the #ast ,section constitutes #c squads1 each having the ,no4 #c in the rear rank as a blank file4 ,the ,section ,sergeant marches abreast of the rear rank of the #bnd squad of his section4 ,line is formed by executing squads right or left4 #b4 ,the #bnd ,section 7,riflemen ,section7 contains #aj privates and #b corporals4 ,one corporal has charge of #g men1 the other of #c men4 ,when in column of squads1 the section forms one complete squad and the front rank of another4 ,corporals are number four4 ,to form line at the command 8,squads left 7right710 the complete squad executes 8,squad left02 of the half squad the ,nos4 #c and #d execute 8,twos left02 the ,nos4 #a and #b likewise execute 8,twos left10 thus placing themselves in rear of ,nos4 #c and #d4 ,to form column from line at the command 8,squads right10 the ,nos4 #c and #d of the incomplete squad move forward two paces1 execute 8,twos right10 and place themselves in rear of ,nos4 #c and #d of the preceding squad2 ,nos4 #a and #b move forward two paces1 execute 8,twos right10 and place themselves in rear of ,nos4 #a and #b of the preceding squad4 #c4 ,the personnel1 numbers and movements of the #crd ,section are identical with those of the #bnd4 #d4 ,the #dth ,section 7,automatic ,rifle ,section7 contains #a sergeant1 #a corporal1 and #i privates 7total of #aa74 ,one complete squad is formed and #b privates are left over who march in rear of ,nos4 #a and #d of the squad4 ,the corporal is ,no4 #d of the front rank4 ,no4 #c1 front and rear rank1 are the gunners4 ,the sergeant marches abreast of the rear rank of the squad in the line of file-closers2 when line is formed1 the two men left over form one additional file on the left 7right7 of their sections4 ,in forming for attack formation1 the ,no4 #d of the two men left over attaches himself to the front rank gun crew and goes with them2 the ,no4 #a1 to the rear rank gun crew4 ,the sergeant remains with his gun crew if the guns are separated1 or assumes charge of both when together4 #e4 ,if the training company contains more men than are necessary to fill the platoons as indicated above1 such additional men will be carried as riflemen and attached to the second and third sections of the platoons4 ,,ii #a4 ,to form line of section columns from line4 ,the left file of each section moves straight to the front1 followed by the file next on its right1 and this in turn by the other files of the section4 ,the section sergeants of the #ast and #dth sections place themselves at the head of their respective sections4 #b4 ,to form line of section columns in columns of twos or fours4 8,half-squads 7squads7 right front into line40 #c4 ,to form line from line of section columns4 8,sections1 right front into line40 #d4 ,to form column of squads from line of section columns4 ,first form line of section columns in column of squads--then 8,column of squads--#ast 7#dth7 section forward 7column right or left740 #e4 ,to form line of section columns from column of squads4 ,the left file of the leading section moves straight to the front1 followed by the remaining files of the squad1 then by the left file of the second squad1 etc4 ,the #bnd1 #crd1 and #dth sections oblique to the right 7left7 in column of squads to section interval and1 when in rear of their place1 form column of files4 ,the section may thus be marched in echelon1 or line may be formed by halting the leading section1 or the sections in rear may be double-timed to the line established by the leading section4 #f4 ,to form line of section columns to the flank1 command3 8,sections1 column left 7right740 8,line of section columns40 #g4 ,frequently1 for convenience in maneuvering1 the platoon leader may1 when in line of section columns1 wish to form only two columns from his four columns4 ,in such event he will command3 8,double sections1 #ast and #dth sections forward40 ,one rifle section will follow the first section4 ,the other rifle section1 the #dth section4 ,the rifle sections in such formation are always in rear of the specialist sections4 #h4 ,intervals between sections or double sections are opened and closed by the command3 8,to ---- spaces extend 7close740 ,,iii #a4 ,attack formation is taken up from line of section columns only4 #b4 ,the attack formation is always in two lines4 ,the two lines constitute a wave4 #c4 ,hand grenadiers and automatic riflemen are always in the first line4 ,the riflemen and rifle grenadiers are always in the second line in the assaulting platoon4 ,rifle grenadiers may be posted in the center of the second line1 or on either flank1 as the platoon leader directs4 ,similarly the automatic riflemen may be in the center1 on either flank1 or divided between center and flank of the first line1 as the platoon leader may direct4 #d4 ,the #ast and #bnd lines are separated by a distance of #bj paces4 #e4 ,to pass from line of section columns to attack formation1 the platoon leader commands3 8,form for attack at 7place74 ,automatic rifles to center 7left flank7 7right flank7 7both flanks7 7left and center74 ,rifle grenadiers to center 7left7 7right740 ,only the automatic riflemen and grenadiers need be designated4 ,the remaining men accommodate themselves to their movements4 ,at the above command the #bnd and #crd sections stand fast until the #ast and #dth sections have cleared their front4 ,they then move to their places led by the corporal at the head of their respective sections4 ,this movement will be executed at first in quick time2 as men become more proficient1 in double time and at a run4 ,,iv #a4 ,the arrangement of specialists in the reinforcing platoon differs somewhat from the assaulting platoon4 ,the hand grenadiers of the reinforcing platoon are sent forward in two squads to follow in rear of the #bnd line of the first wave at a distance of about #ae yards4 ,the two squads are abreast of each other1 the section sergeant between them4 #b4 ,the rifle grenadiers of the reinforcing platoon are then moved up into the #ast line4 #c4 ,the riflemen of the reinforcing platoon remain in the #bnd line4 #d4 ,the position of the platoon leader of the reinforcing platoon is in front of the center of the #ast line4 ,the position of the #bnd in command is the same as in the assaulting platoon4 ,illustration3 ,,provisional ,,organization ,,of ,a ,,platoon--,,rifle ,,company ,illustration3 ,,provisional ,,organization ,,of ,a ,,platoon ,,in ,,close ,,order ,,and ,,for ,,administration ,illustration3 ,,diagram ,,of ,,platoon ,,in ,,line 7,,close ,,order7 ,,formation ,,for ,,attack ,,platoon ,,as ,,first ,,wave ,,right ,,flank ,,the ,,outer ,,flank ,illustration ,illustration ,,chapter ,,ii ,,development ,,of ,a ,,position ,,from ,,an ,,open ,,warfare ,,battle ,general ,use of ,fortifications4 ,the first use of fortifications1 whether hasty or permanent1 is to give shelter against hostile fire4 ,the more deliberate use of fortifications is to increase the holding or fighting power of troops by the proper employment of the natural defensive features of the ground and by artificial devices4 ,successive ,phases of the ,organization ,change from ,battle ,lines to ,trenches of a ,position4 ,during a battle1 as we understand it in open warfare1 as soon as the fighting lines are halted for any reason1 every man immediately begins to dig in for shelter against the enemy's fire4 ,if the halting of these fighting lines is more or less permanent these 8skirmish holes0 are connected1 and we have the beginning of a rude trench4 ,we must remember that in a battle troops are disposed in depth in a series of lines4 ,all these lines dig for protection in a similar manner1 giving the beginning of several lines of trenches4 ,if the troops remain for any time in this position1 it is necessary to have routes from the rear to the front to carry up ammunition and supplies to the different lines4 ,these communication routes are also dug in1 and we have the beginning of communicating trenches4 ,soon the men will begin to seek better protection against rain1 cold1 and overhead fire1 and build themselves some kind of shelters4 ,in a similar manner command posts and supply depots are established4 ,in time there is a complete skeleton of a series of lines of trenches outlining a position4 ,if the mission of the troops is to remain and hold the ground1 the necessary plan of organization for the final position will have to be based upon this skeleton4 ,the purpose of this new organization1 as we have noted1 is to establish the position so that the ground can be held by fewer troops4 ,active and ,passive ,elements of a ,position1 ,especially ,support ,points4 ,the first fire trench of a position is continuous1 but it is not good practice to man the whole of this line1 because this would take too many men and defeat the purpose of the fortifications4 ,secondly1 a better defense can be established by garrisoning a series of strong points1 or salients1 from which can be obtained flanking fire4 ,in the first line these are called support points4 ,the trenches connecting these support points are retained as such1 but are not usually manned4 ,this curtain trench1 so to speak1 is retained for communicating purposes1 and to deceive the enemy as to the real points of defense4 ,a few watchers are left in it4 ,the first line1 then1 is a series of support points1 well defended by men and special weapons1 and at such distances apart as to support each other4 ,division of ,position4 ,the garrison of such a support point in the first line is a company1 and the captain is responsible for the holding of this ground4 7,the platoon1 we must remember1 is a tactical unit47 ,in dividing the first line into these active elements the size of each support point depends upon the importance of the ground or of the tactical situation4 ,illustration ,similar natural strong points are also located in the second line4 ,they will be fewer and farther apart in this line than in the first line1 which is exposed to hostile attacks4 ,these points in the second line are connected with the support points and together the group is called a center of resistance4 ,the command of such a center of resistance1 including one or two support points in the front line1 falls to a battalion commander with his unit4 ,for example1 the area of a center of resistance under the command of a ,bn4 ,c4 ,o4 will include1 say1 two support points in the first line with a company in each1 and the strong point in the second line with two companies4 ,in the third line1 also1 natural strong points are located and organized for defense4 ,the command of this strong point1 including1 let us say1 two centers of resistance1 falls to a colonel with his regiment4 ,such an area is called a sector1 or a sub-sector4 ,if it is a sub-sector two such constitute a sector in command of a brigadier-general4 ,different ,lines of a ,sector4 ,we have now arrived automatically at the fact that each sector is composed of a series of lines in depth1 each defended in strong points4 ,the first line is termed the line of resistance1 as the first defense is made against the enemy's attacks in the support points of this line4 ,illustration ,the second1 or main line of resistance1 is called the support line4 ,in the strong points of the centers of resistance are the reserves and the headquarters of the battalion commanders4 ,the third line is called the covering line of the artillery1 because it defends the batteries distributed behind it4 ,it also contains the reserve troops of the sector1 a battalion usually holding each strong point4 ,here are established the headquarters of the colonel and the different central depots of the sector4 ,the above three lines constitute one position4 ,there may be several positions in depth at distances of three miles or more apart4 ,usually there are two positions and sometimes three4 ,it is said that the ,germans have as many as six positions in depth in places4 ,the first position only1 of course1 is permanently occupied4 ,principles of the ,organization ,advantages of the ,continuous ,trench4 ,the continuous or curtain trench between support points must not be eliminated for several reasons4 ,the trench will deceive the enemy as to the location of the elements of support points4 ,if this trench were absent the enemy could easily locate these1 and subject them to concentrated artillery fire4 ,the position cannot be hidden from airplane observation but the essential elements1 such as emplacements1 dugouts1 etc41 must be concealed4 ,illustration3 ,traces of ,trenches ,used to obtain ,flanking ,fire ,types of ,communicating ,trenches4 ,the curtain trench serves for communicating purposes for lateral movements of troops and for liaison between neighboring units4 ,the absence of the curtain trench would leave breaches in the line where in a general attack units could concentrate and break through4 ,in such a general attack the curtain trench is occupied and defended by the reserves4 ,barbed wire1 of course1 protects the entire front4 ,these trenches also serve1 if necessary1 as cover for reserves acting as reinforcements to the adjacent support points1 as there is only sufficient shelter in a support point for its own permanent garrison4 ,lastly they may serve as trenches of departure in the offensive4 ,importance of ,flanking ,fire4 ,it is possible to have the support points at intervals because flanking fire from these will command all ground in front4 ,the importance of flanking fire cannot be overestimated4 ,everything must be done to obtain it4 ,illustration3 ,type of a ,good ,entanglement in front of a ,firing ,line ,without ,salients ,to ,obtain ,flanking ,fire ,sometimes it is impossible to obtain flanking fire because of lack of salients4 ,if this is true the trace of the first line trench must be rectified to give flanking fire along the line as per diagram4 ,when neither of these two methods is possible small combat posts with machine guns are located in advance of the line to obtain flanking fire4 ,the machine gun is the best weapon for flanking fire4 ,several emplacements are constructed for each machine gun1 but during the bombardment it is kept under cover in a dugout4 ,when the attack develops the machine gun is quickly set up in the proper emplacement4 ,if kept in a permanent emplacement the enemy will soon locate it and put it out of business by artillery fire4 ,if no emplacements are possible or if they are destroyed machine guns are operated on open ground or in shell holes4 ,field of ,fire4 ,with proper flanking fire a line can be defended with a shorter field of fire than otherwise4 ,a hundred yards of field of fire is sufficient with good flanking fire and accessory defenses1 such as barbed wire1 etc4 ,illustration3 ,,division ,,of ,,position ,,into ,,compartments ,,for ,,interior ,,defense ,location of ,trenches4 ,lines of trenches which are the result of a battle are not always located in the most logical positions4 ,they are the results of the exigencies of the battle4 ,however1 it is well to know the best locations for the trenches of a position under different conditions in order to place them there when possible4 ,in flat country1 of course1 it makes no difference where the trenches are located4 ,on the profile of a hill1 however1 the question is where to locate the first and where to locate the second line4 ,let us consider ,figure #ae4 ,point ,a is out of the question as you have no view of the enemy4 ,at ,b you can observe the enemy's line and he can observe yours4 ,however1 the enemy can shell you at this point and observe the results4 ,at ,c the same conditions obtain as at ,b1 except there is a dead angle directly in front4 ,at ,d you cannot observe the enemy nor can the enemy observe your line4 ,from these considerations we see that the proper location for the first line will be at ,b as you must be able to observe the enemy and all the ground in front4 ,your second line should be located at ,d where the enemy cannot observe and bombard your position4 ,at ,d the line can be made as elaborate as you have time1 men1 and material1 because you are more or less unmolested by the enemy's fire and observation4 ,the reverse slope is of the very greatest importance in organizing a position4 ,movements of troops and supplies can be easily accomplished here under cover4 ,deep dugouts can be constructed with the least work4 ,but the greatest advantage lies during the bombardment4 ,the enemy is not able to observe the accuracy of his fire on the reverse slope so that the elements in this line are left more or less intact4 ,for this reason the line on the reverse slope becomes the most important line of resistance against the enemy's attacks4 ,the ,germans habitually organize their reverse slopes very strongly4 ,division of the ,position into ,defensive ,compartments4 ,we have already spoken of the sector in depth by successive lines4 ,in the same way it is necessary to organize the positions for lateral defense4 ,a support point may be captured by the enemy and from this ground he can launch a flanking attack on the adjacent part of the position4 ,it is necessary that there should be an established defense against such an attack1 and for this purpose each sector is divided into compartments1 so to speak1 with all-around defense4 ,boyaux or communicating trenches on the flanks of these compartments are organized as firing lines with barbed wire belts running parallel and with machine guns disposed for flanking fire4 ,we have then each sector cut up into compartments capable of independent resistance in all directions1 if the surrounding compartments are captured by the enemy4 ,such a compartment also has the advantage of serving as a base for a counterattack against an adjoining one that has fallen into the hands of the enemy4 ,in a sector the responsibility of such lateral defenses falls especially upon the colonel4 ,concealment4 ,all of the essential elements of a position1 emplacements1 dugouts1 etc41 are more or less without value if they can be seen by the enemy and subjected to heavy artillery fire4 ,everything that is possible must be constructed without the observation of the enemy4 ,it is important to hide your works by making them fit in with the color scheme and shape of the surrounding ground4 ,false or dummy trenches1 emplacements1 shelters1 etc41 are constructed to cause the enemy to waste his ammunition4 ,the art of camouflage is also extensively employed for this purpose against both ground and arial observation4 ,elements of the ,organization ,plan of ,organization4 ,we have seen that the first outline of the trenches left as a consequence of the battle must be modified in detail to obtain better protection and organization4 ,the complete plan of reorganization is laid down by the commander of the sector and is called the ,plan of ,organization4 ,this plan is drawn up as soon as the position has a permanent garrison4 ,the ,plan of ,organization must be faithfully followed by all the successive garrisons of the sector4 ,after its adoption1 even the commander of the sector himself cannot modify the plan without the consent of the general in charge4 ,the real value of the position depends upon the amount of continuous work that has been done in carrying out the original plan4 ,outline of the ,first ,line4 ,as was seen before1 the original trace of the first line was established as a consequence of the needs of the battle4 ,in the organization plan1 it is necessary to introduce several modifications in this trace4 ,the commander responsible for this change should place himself in the situation of the enemy and consider an attack upon his own lines4 ,from this consideration he will introduce such modifications as will make this task as difficult as possible4 ,the responsibility of making this modification in the trace of the first line does not devolve upon the captain in the first line4 ,as a rule if it were left to him few changes would be made because of lack of initiative on his part1 or because of fear that if the line were captured he would be blamed for having changed it4 ,this task falls upon the battalion commander who is responsible for the center of resistance1 with the consent of the sector commander4 ,the reason for this is that the sector commander is the only one of these officers who knows the subsequent use of this particular sector1 whether for defensive or offensive purposes4 ,if for defensive purposes the line may be carried as close to the enemy's line as possible4 ,if the sector is being organized for an offensive there must be enough distance between to keep his own line out of the zone of artillery dispersion when the target is the enemy's line4 ,cover ,trench4 ,in general all fire trenches have a second trench behind1 called the doubling or cover trench4 ,the use of the cover trench is not primarily for defensive purposes4 ,it has special uses4 ,illustration ,the majority of the troops in the first line are kept in the cover trench in shelters located there4 ,the first line is habitually manned by only a sufficient number of men to assure observation and security4 ,the rest of the garrison remains in the shelters of the cover trench to get as much rest as possible4 ,it is very important that comfortable shelters be located in the doubling trench4 ,if troops are exposed to the elements and bombardment their value decreases very rapidly4 ,if the shelling becomes too severe the men in the first line retire to the shelters of the cover trench until the attack develops4 ,another use of the cover trench in the defensive is to keep here a necessary number of troops for reinforcing the first line when necessary and for counterattack against the same if it is taken4 ,this latter use establishes the distance between the two lines1 which is from thirty to forty yards1 so that hand grenades can be thrown from the cover trench into the first line4 ,behind each support point there is usually a lateral communicating ditch called the circulating ditch which should not be confused with the cover trench4 ,advance ,posts4 ,in front of the firing line certain advance posts are established4 ,there are three kinds of these3 listening1 observation1 and combat posts4 ,the listening post is not under the control of the commander of the support point but is in the service of the ,intelligence ,officer4 ,it is furnished with a microphone for the purpose of picking up enemy's telephone messages in the hostile line4 ,the observation post belongs to the sector and is used for purposes of observation and security4 ,illustration3 ,,observation ,,post ,the combat post is established to obtain flanking fire along the barbed wire entanglements or it is used as a bombing post when in close proximity to the enemy's trenches4 ,sometimes a series of combat posts are connected and a new trench established in front of the firing line4 ,this is called the observation line4 ,it is best to avoid this practice as there is always the question whether to hold or abandon this line when the enemy's attack develops4 ,in either case there are grave disadvantages4 ,if it is held you have a weak line4 ,if you abandon it the enemy can use it for shelter4 ,advance posts give excellent service if not too numerous4 ,if there are many of them they are a temptation for hostile raids4 ,dimensions of ,trenches4 ,these can be found in text-books on the subject4 ,the general idea is that they are to be narrow and deep to prevent observation and to present a small target for high-angle fire4 ,loopholes4 ,loopholes are used in the ordinary life of the trenches for observation and sniping purposes2 but against the real attack of the enemy the firing is done over the parapet4 ,if it is necessary to meet the enemy in hand to hand combat the men climb up on the parapet4 ,traverses4 ,traverses are used to localize the effect of shell or grenade explosions1 and to prevent enfilade fire4 ,they are sometimes used in long stretches of boyaux or communicating ditches as emplacements for ,a4 ,m4 ,r4 to enfilade the same if the enemy penetrates the position4 ,transversal ,lines4 ,transversal lines are usually constructed between the first and the second lines and between the second and the third lines4 ,they are short stretches of trenches parallel to the front for special purposes3 such as disposing of machine guns and trench mortars in depth2 bombing posts for rifle and hand grenadiers2 depots and observation posts4 ,command posts are usually located in such small transversal trenches1 a little in rear of the lines they are in command of4 ,for instance1 the captain in charge of a support point might be located in a transversal just in rear of the cover trench4 ,support ,trenches4 ,the second or support line is established at such a distance that the first line is covered by its fire if the latter is captured4 ,also the second line should be placed so that it will be out of the zone of dispersion if the first line is the artillery target either of your own or of hostile fire4 ,this places the distance between the two lines at from #aej to #djj yards4 ,at this distance also rifle grenade fire can be used in conjunction with an artillery preparation for a counterattack against the first line4 ,the organization of the second line is the same as that of the first2 in other words1 the same principles and elements of defense are used3 making employment of barbed wire1 flanking fire1 cover trenches1 etc4 ,the second line is the main line of resistance and must be made as nearly impregnable as possible4 ,for this purpose it must be thoroughly and completely organized4 ,in the support line are the reserves of the ,c4 of ,r4 and for their proper shelter they should have very deep dugouts1 and all the requisites for the comfort and rest of the troops4 ,redoubts4 ,behind the support line is a redoubt containing the command post of the battalion commander4 ,it is the last strong point of the center of resistance and is organized for an all-around defense4 ,the line of redoubts is the last line of serious resistance4 ,if the enemy penetrates this line a breach has been made in the position at this point4 ,boyaux and ,communicating ,ditches4 ,as we have said before trenches for communicating purposes must be dug both in depth and laterally4 ,we shall call those from front to rear boyaux1 and those running laterally communicating ditches4 ,the number of boyaux is not fixed as that of the different lines4 ,there must be at least one between each support point and its center of resistance4 ,usually boyaux are used for movements in both directions4 ,often certain boyaux are designated for entrance only and others for evacuation4 ,the numbers of the latter are usually less than the former4 ,in an attack all boyaux are used for movements from rear to front4 ,all movements to the rear while reinforcements are being brought up must be executed in the open ground1 exceptions being made in the case of wounded4 ,boyaux are important for the movement of supplies and ammunition1 but above all they are essential for reinforcements during battle4 ,the greater part of the troops in a sector is held in reserve in the second and third lines4 ,this disposition is only possible if you have good boyaux to the front lines4 ,all boyaux and communicating ditches are narrow and deep4 ,boyaux are wider between the second and third line than they are between the first and second4 ,evacuation boyaux are usually wider than others4 ,the trace of a boyau must be such as to prevent enfilade fire4 ,at intervals of about ten yards turnouts large enough for a stretcher are constructed in the side of the boyaux for passage of troops in different directions4 ,boyaux are named and signs are put up similar to those for streets in a city4 ,the same name of a boyau must be kept from the third lines to the first4 ,at branches of the main boyaux they are dug a little deeper to avoid mistakes of identification4 ,as was said before certain boyaux are organized for defense4 ,it may be said here that supplies carried up at night are usually brought along on top of the ground close to the boyaux4 ,this gives freer movement and the carriers are close to the cover of the trench if needed4 ,accessory ,defense4 ,of all the accessory defenses such as barricades1 abatis1 trous-de-loup1 etc41 the most important by far is barbed wire1 which is almost exclusively used for obstacles4 ,barbed wire should be placed from twenty to fifty yards in front of the first line4 ,at this distance shelling of the barbed wire belts will do very little damage to the first line4 ,the wire entanglements must be under fire of the first line4 ,illustration3 ,command ,post for ,center of ,resistance ,the trace of the wire belt is not necessarily parallel to that of the firing line1 but should be so placed as to obtain flanking fire along the wire belts4 ,good entanglements are constructed in double belts1 the distance between the two belts being from ten to twenty yards1 the farthest belt1 of course1 being constructed first4 ,breaches must be left through the wire entanglements for the passage of patrols1 friendly raiding parties1 etc4 ,portable sections of barbed wire are used to close these passages when necessary4 ,all accessory defenses must be concealed so they cannot be easily observed and destroyed by the enemy4 ,command ,post4 ,a command post1 in the full sense of the word1 contains the headquarters of the leader of a division of a sector4 ,the command post must first of all be a good observation post1 after which the other requisites are installed4 ,when the observation post has been constructed the following are built3 a room for the headquarters staff to work and to sleep in1 a telephone central1 dugout for liaison group1 and a depot4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the preceding discussion is a development of a position from battle conditions4 ,on the other hand if you are unmolested by the enemy the order of organizing a position would be as follows3 7#a7 ,construct the emplacement to obtain flanking fire4 7#b7 ,construct barbed wire entanglements4 7#c7 ,observatory and dugouts4 7#d7 ,trenches4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,sector ,,and ,,trench ,,duties ,i4 ,plan of ,defense ,definition4 ,the ,plan of ,defense contains all the different duties necessary to make a proper defense of the position4 ,the execution of these duties is the execution of the ,plan of ,defense1 which follows logically and depends directly upon the ,plan of ,organization4 ,principles of the ,plan of ,defense4 7a7 ,the most important principle of organization of a position is the disposition of troops in depth4 ,it is necessary to have plenty of support and reserve units disposed one behind the other4 ,only one-sixth to one-third of a garrison in the support point of the first line remains in the trenches for the purpose of observation and security4 ,the rest remain in the rear as a reserve for reinforcements or counterattacks4 7b7 ,each trench1 each nest of resistance1 each area of the ground1 must have a responsible leader4 ,the garrison of any such area must never leave the ground allotted to its defense under any conditions of battle4 ,the defense must be carried out by this garrison on the lines originally laid out4 ,a leader is not allowed to fall back on troops in his rear or to take up a better position4 ,the troops in depth are placed there for the purpose of reinforcements for the lines in front4 7c7 ,each part of a position that is lost to the enemy must be immediately retaken by a counterattack carried out by troops held in reserve4 ,the first line is retaken by reserve troops in the support line1 and similarly1 if the support line is lost1 it must be retaken by reserve troops held in the third line4 ,if all three lines are captured1 an attempt must be made to retake the third line by the reserve troops of the sector4 ,form of ,plan of ,defense4 ,in each division of the position from front to rear there must be a ,plan of ,defense4 ,this plan always contains the five following elements3 #a4 ,directions of the probable attacks4 #b4 ,defense of the first line1 or line of resistance4 ,the outline of the first line4 ,location and mission of the troops in the first line4 ,employment of machine guns4 #c4 ,counterattacks4 ,units which are used for the purpose4 ,directions or trenches to be used in the counterattack4 ,depots of grenades and sandbags for the counterattack4 #d4 ,artillery support4 ,composition of this artillery4 ,establishing of the front of barrage4 ,infantry-artillery liaison4 #e4 ,liaisons and supply during the hostile attack4 ,details of ,trench ,duty ,guard ,duties 7,security74 ,security is obtained by the use of sentinels and patrols4 ,sentinels must not be confused with observers1 watchers1 or snipers4 ,observers belong to the information service of the sector and are not on duty at night4 ,snipers operate only in the daytime4 ,the watchers of the different lines give the alarm in case of an attack1 and are on duty both day and night4 ,sentinels are posted in the first line or in advanced posts4 ,their work and number will depend upon the proximity of the enemy1 the tactical situation1 and above all upon the conditions of the wire entanglements out in front4 ,at night1 one sentinel is posted1 say1 for example1 every #aj yards in the fire trench of the first line4 ,during the day1 only enough sentinels are posted so that all parts of 8,no ,man's ,land0 can be observed4 ,this will allow a maximum number of men to rest4 ,in the firing line1 the sentinels work in three reliefs4 ,when not on guard duty1 they sleep4 ,the remainder of the garrison in the cover trench1 however1 are available for work1 for patrols1 and to furnish supply parties4 ,sentinels should have their rifles resting on the parapet close at hand1 ready to fire at a moment's notice4 ,by day1 the sentinels use a periscope or observe through a loophole4 ,this practice is1 however1 strictly prohibited at night1 when a1 sentinel must observe over the parapet4 ,as little challenging as possible is done1 and then only in a very low tone4 ,reconnoitering ,patrols are the best means for security against attack4 ,every night the commanders of the support points or the centers of resistance send out patrols in front of the firing line4 ,the strength of a patrol must be sufficient to carry back a wounded man1 i4 e41 the number should be five1 six1 or more4 ,the success of a patrol depends entirely upon the leader4 ,he must be clever1 daring1 and observant1 and the rest of the patrol is simply his bodyguard4 ,he himself must observe the objective of the mission of the patrol4 ,patrols should never be sent out without definite orders as to their mission4 ,such may be1 for example1 a reconnaissance of the enemy's lines1 to discover if the enemy has cut passages in his wire belt preparatory to an attack1 to examine their own wire entanglements1 etc4 ,the route of the patrol must be exactly determined2 also the hour of departure and return designated4 ,word is passed along the line of sentinels that a patrol is out in front with the necessary information about the same4 ,the preparation for a night patrol must be made during daylight4 ,officer of the ,watch4 ,in the firing line the company commander arranges a roster of his officers for duty as officer of the watch4 ,also in each platoon the platoon commander will detail a ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 of the watch4 ,the officer of the watch is responsible for the duties of observation and security1 and is especially responsible for the giving of the alarm in case of an attack and consequently for the calling of the artillery barrage by use of rockets1 signals1 etc4 ,standing to ,arms4 ,it is of the greatest importance that the troops in the first line are thoroughly trained in taking their positions when the alarm is given as quickly as possible1 without confusion4 ,the alarm is often given for practice in order to ascertain the amount of time it will take the men to reach their places in the firing line4 ,the command 8,stand to0 is usually given one hour before daylight and one hour before dark4 ,at this time the company commanders arrange for inspection of arms1 ammunition1 and equipment by the platoon commanders4 ,observers' ,duties4 ,every effort should be made to obtain information of the enemy1 his trenches1 and his wire entanglements4 ,any alteration in the enemy's lines must immediately be reported4 ,the importance of forwarding such information must be impressed upon all ranks4 ,this duty is carried out by observers4 ,all men of the company are used as sentinels in the first line or as watchers in other lines1 but not all are observers4 ,men who are to act as observers receive special training4 ,a man to become an observer must have a special capacity for this task4 ,each platoon should have at least six such observers1 enough for proper reliefs4 ,the observers are placed3 #a4 ,in each company the observers are distributed in a number of observation posts properly camouflaged so as not to be discovered by the enemy4 ,these posts may be in advance of the firing line1 in the firing line1 or at any point within the position that has a wide view of the front4 ,the observers employ periscopes or field glasses4 ,everything of note that is observed is recorded and from these data the captain makes out his daily observation report4 #b4 ,also in the sector there are #b or #c observatories from which the information is turned in directly to the colonel4 ,these posts must be properly concealed and protected4 ,in each one of these we find the following3 7a7 ,regulations posted that give the personnel1 tour of duty1 sector of observation1 direction to special points of interest1 and certain precautionary measures4 7b7 ,specially prepared blank forms upon which to record information gained by observation4 7c7 ,field glasses1 maps and sketches1 and panoramic views of the ground in front1 both visible and invisible from the observation posts4 7d7 ,a telephone connecting the post with the nearest command post 7center of resistance or sector74 ,the observers in these posts are directly under command of the intelligence officers of the regiment and are of a special personnel4 ,they must be thoroughly familiar with the regulations of the posts1 maps1 panorama1 etc4 ,the intelligence officer collects and coordinates all information gathered in the sector4 ,every morning he turns in a consolidated report made up from the information in the captains' daily reports and from the records of the sector observatories4 7,in order to avoid confusion of the different daily reports these information records are kept on two different colored blanks1 red and blue alternating each day47 ,the report of the intelligence officer is signed by the colonel and sent on to the brigade headquarters4 ,from the data of his complete report the intelligence officer very often must verify certain information by the use of patrols4 ,for this purpose he makes a request upon the colonel for special patrols4 ,information is gathered from both airplanes and ground observatories4 ,from ground observatories it is attempted to obtain the following data2 #a4 ,to ascertain the intentions of the enemy4 #b4 ,to properly prosecute attrition of the enemy's works4 ,attrition4 ,by the word attrition in fighting is meant the gradual destruction of the enemy's morale and strength1 and demolition1 little by little1 of the enemy's position4 ,trench warfare is not a rest or simply a time for guard duty4 ,it is a phase of the battle in which you must do as much damage to the enemy as possible4 ,this work will also keep up the offensive spirit4 ,for this purpose different means are used3 7a7 ,sniping3 ,each company in the first line uses its best shots as snipers4 ,a sniper must be a good observer and he must depend upon his keen eye for evidences of the enemy1 such as smoke of cigarette or the glint of a bayonet1 giving proof of the presence of an enemy4 ,especially during hostile shelling will a too curious enemy come to his loopholes to observe the effect of the same4 ,this is the sniper's chance4 ,in each center of resistance the snipers are placed under the command of a sniping officer4 ,he makes the rounds of the snipers' posts once or twice a day1 and submits a daily report containing known casualties of the enemy1 location of the number of snipers' posts1 telescope rifles1 fixed rifles1 and rifle batteries4 7b7 ,infantry ,weapons3 ,besides sniping1 all the other infantry weapons are used to assist attrition of the enemy4 ,hand and rifle grenades are thrown on special points of the hostile line4 ,a battery of hand or rifle grenadiers properly disposed can very often carry out a concentrated surprise fire on an enemy's salient or advanced post4 ,automatic and machine guns are always used for this purpose and especially at night4 ,they are trained on supply routes1 road junctions1 etc41 and by use of sudden bursts of fire at irregular intervals they will compel the enemy's supply parties to continue their transportation in the boyaux instead of on the open ground4 ,the use of indirect machine gun fire is very depressing to the enemy4 ,such judicious employment of machine guns is sometimes more effective than severe artillery shelling4 ,the #cg mm4 gun1 which is also an infantry weapon1 is used principally against hostile machine gun emplacements4 ,the location of this gun must be constantly changed4 7c7 ,use of ,artillery ,weapons3 ,besides furnishing barrage fire against hostile attacks1 the artillery can be called upon for surprise fire on working parties1 harassing fire during the night against supply parties and their routes1 and also for reply fire against hostile shelling4 ,trench mortars and other engines keep the enemy as uncomfortable as possible at all times4 7d7 ,fighting ,patrols and ,raids3 ,fighting patrols and raids are used with the express purpose of causing loss and damage to the enemy4 ,this is accomplished by engaging the enemy's patrol and working parties or by raiding his saps1 listening posts1 or trenches4 ,such operations must not1 however1 degenerate into frivolous local fighting1 causing loss of men and waste of artillery ammunition4 ,work4 ,daily trench work consists of 7#a7 maintenance and 7#b7 new construction4 7a7 ,maintenance3 ,the daily work of maintaining the elements of the position is considerable1 and its importance often escapes those responsible for the same4 ,they are3 ,repair of parapets1 boyaux1 and shelters damaged by bombardment1 water1 or frost4 ,replacing or completing accessory defenses1 revetments1 ammunition recesses1 emplacement of machine guns1 observation posts1 depots1 etc4 ,cleaning and ,draining of ,trenches and ,boyaux3 ,the garrison of each area is responsible for their own maintenance work1 which is done usually during daylight hours4 ,sometimes during severe bombardments this repair and maintenance work becomes too great for the garrison and workmen have to be called in to help4 7b7 ,new ,construction3 ,new elements of the position are constructed in carrying out the ,plan of ,organization4 ,these are usually carried out at night4 ,this work is carried out by troops in the doubling trench1 the support line1 or detachments of workmen from the reserve of the sector4 ,there may also be special parties from the headquarters detachment of pioneers or of the engineer battalion of the brigade4 ,for all these special works the personnel for whom they are built must be present during the construction to furnish necessary information and for inspection4 ,a machine gun crew helps in building its emplacement2 the intelligence officer directs the construction of his observatories4 ,the medical officer present during the work on the medical aid station2 the telephone officer superintends the establishment of his telephone exchange1 etc4 ,the battalion commander is responsible for all the work done in his center of resistance1 and in conjunction with the sector leader draws up a time-table for the work4 ,all this work must be continued by each succeeding relief4 ,when a new unit takes its turn in the trenches the orders and plans of new works are turned over to its commander4 ,arms1 ,equipment1 and ,ammunition4 ,full equipment will always be worn in the firing trench1 except the haversack1 water bottle1 and entrenching tool4 ,in the support and reserve trenches the equipment to be worn is subject to the will of the sector commander4 ,every man will always carry a gas mask in any part of the position and even as far to the rear as ten miles4 ,the men in the firing line and in the doubling trenches will at all times be in possession of their rifles and bayonets4 ,the rifles of men in the support and reserve trenches may be kept in protected racks in the same shelter as the men4 ,all rifles must be kept scrupulously clean at all times4 ,ammunition is protected from bad weather by being placed in boxes located in the sides of the trenches4 ,ten to twenty hand grenades are placed in a sandbag4 ,these are usually kept at the depot and carried in these quantities for the supply of the fire trench in combat4 ,one or two of such sandbags are kept at a bombing post4 ,special care must be taken to keep rockets in good condition4 ,supplies are kept in the fire line 7platoon leaders' posts1 observations7 and at points in the rear 7in the observatories or different command posts or in the observation posts of the information service74 ,depots and ,supply4 7a7 ,depots3--,there should be one general depot in each area located near the command post of the chief of area4 ,however1 in order to facilitate work in the first line the platoon leaders may establish near their post a small depot of tools and material being used for the time being4 ,the importance of the depot depends upon the area it is to supply4 ,for example1 the depot of the garrison of a support point in the first line would contain3 #bj1jjj cartridges #a1jjj hand grenades #djj rifle grenades #ajj each--signal and illuminating rockets #fj to #gj gas masks #ajj shovels #ajj picks ,sandbags1 planks1 barbed wire1 etc4 ,the depot at the center of resistance contains the same articles but in greater number1 also telephone wire1 blankets1 and three days' rations of food4 ,the main depot of the position1 however1 is the one near the command post of the leader of the sector4 ,it is divided into three parts3 #a4 ,ammunition and rocket signals 7,ordnance ,service74 #b4 ,material of every sort 7,engineer ,service74 #c4 ,food and clothing 7,quartermaster ,service74 ,the different services in the rear of the position maintain the supplies of the sector depot4 ,the amount of ammunition to be carried is fixed by orders from the general and this amount must be strictly maintained4 ,illustration3 ,organization of ,supply ,system4 7b7 ,requests for ,supplies3 ,each morning the chiefs of areas send in a request for material required for the next night's work4 ,all these requests in a sector are grouped by a staff officer under the heads of the three different services4 ,along with each request must go the information showing necessity for same4 ,emergency requests are made by telephone4 ,the officer making request for material must be on hand to receive and check the same upon delivery4 7c7 ,supply ,parties3 ,the supply of the depot is usually made with special detachments taken from the support or reserve companies4 ,if it is necessary to take men from the front trenches for this purpose1 no more than #aj can be taken away from these trenches at the same time4 ,complete units will be used as supply parties with their leader if possible4 ,upon each battalion in a ,c4 of ,r4 and upon each regimental reserve falls part of the responsibility of distributing supplies in the rear of the sector4 ,the unloading or rendezvous points are disposed along what is called the supply line1 usually on a road1 path1 ravine1 behind a hill1 etc4 ,supply parties sent out at night to these points make as little noise as possible4 ,they return along a well-picketed path1 usually running along one of the central boyaux4 ,transportation is thus carried in the open ground as far as possible1 usually to the support line4 ,when proper protection is possible1 pack trains are used to carry supplies right through the distributing point and up to the depots of the sector4 7d7 ,cooking3 ,the battalion kitchens are located behind the sector in a protected emplacement4 ,steps must be taken to ensure as little smoke as possible being seen from them4 ,at night each platoon sends a ration party to the kitchen4 ,when the regiment has rolling kitchens1 these are brought up part of the way towards the sector where they meet the ration party4 ,arrangements should be made to always have1 if possible1 some hot soup or drink available for the men between midnight and #d a4 m4 7a7 ,activities of the ,troops3 ,sector duties include a considerable amount of work1 and are not only useful from a tactical point of view1 but are also indispensable for the moral and physical welfare of the troops4 ,men without occupation in the trenches stagnate1 grow slack1 and think only of the time when their relief will arrive4 ,such troops lose their aggressiveness1 so that when the time for the offensive arrives they have no confidence and cannot deliver the proper blow4 ,good practice to obtain fruitful results is the employment of time as follows3 ,in each company the captain prepares a daily schedule of duties in which he allots the different services of the strong point3 hours of 8standing to0 and inspection1 of sending ration and supply parties1 time of rest1 of cleaning arms1 equipment1 and clothing1 time of trench work1 etc4 ,this schedule is communicated daily to each platoon at a regular hour4 7b7 ,discipline in the ,trenches3--,life in the trenches is not especially dangerous when all precautions are observed4 ,in the presence of an alert enemy1 every faulty move of disposition receives its punishment1 such as the improper concealment of a movement1 poorly hidden trench work1 or useless noise in the firing line4 ,silence is one of the essential rules of the trench4 ,silence in a sector in which troops are properly disciplined enables the chief to rapidly transmit his orders and the men to accomplish same without delay4 ,daily ,reports3--,in each sector1 from the captain up1 the different commanders must furnish a daily report4 ,these are co-ordinated in the headquarters of the sector commander1 and afterwards sent to the division headquarters4 7a7 ,telephone ,reports3-- ,night report4 #e a4 m4 to #g a4 m4 ,day report4 #c p4 m4 to #e p4 m4 ,these reports contain the main events of the time covered4 ,similar messages are sent at any time important events occur1 such as heavy shelling1 important information of the enemy1 activities in the air1 etc4 7b7 ,written ,reports3--,the daily morning written reports contain the following paragraphs4 #a4 ,general aspect of the sector4 #b4 ,important events of the day4 7,the events must be reported in detail1 for example3 ,a report of shelling must contain the details as to the area bombarded1 the caliber of the gun used1 and the time and direction of same1 etc47 #c4 ,casualties 7wounded1 killed1 and missing74 #d4 ,consumption of ammunition4 #e4 ,requests for miscellaneous equipment and material4 ,this report is signed by the chiefs of the area responsible for the information in the report4 ,along with this official report is added a second written report with the following paragraphs3 #a4 ,request for materials for the night4 #b4 ,observation and information reports 7to the ,intelligence ,officer74 #c4 ,report of all the work done in the sector1 including time schedule of the center of resistance4 ,use of ,infantry and ,artillery ,weapons1 and ,liaison ,machine ,guns4 ,the tactical use and location of machine guns in the sector depends upon the following two points3 7a7 ,machine gun emplacements must be thoroughly concealed and during the bombardment the ,m4 ,g4 itself is kept under cover in a dugout4 ,previous to an attack of the enemy1 his artillery searches the position for the destruction of the machine guns and their emplacements1 because they are the most powerful weapons of the defense4 ,if invisible casemates can be constructed this practice is good4 ,the best method is1 however1 to prepare several emplacements1 properly camouflaged1 with a deep dugout near at hand for the protection of the ,m4 ,g4 and its crew4 ,this shelter must be located at such a point that the ,m4 ,g4 can be quickly brought out to any one of its emplacements when the attack develops4 ,these emplacements usually are simple pits located in front of the trench and connected with the dugout by a gallery4 ,when emplacements are destroyed by hostile artillery fire1 or when they are not possible1 machine guns are pushed into shell holes or operated on the open ground4 ,shell holes out in front give the best service as emplacements for a daring ,m4 ,g4 crew4 ,the ,french success at ,verdun depended to a great extent upon the judicious use of shell holes for ,m4 ,g4 flanking fire4 7b7 ,machine guns are not only located in the first line1 but are disposed throughout the interior of the position4 ,the hostile artillery may entirely destroy the first line of defenses1 but the proper disposition of machine guns for flanking fire in the interior lines will prevent the enemy's progress after penetrating the position4 ,machine guns are so located in the position as to cover all the space between the different lines with flanking fire4 ,usually three pickets define the sector to be covered by any one ,m4 ,g41 one at the ,m4 ,g4 and two limiting its sector of fire4 ,in a sector1 of the machine guns are located in1 or near the first line1 is disposed of in the support line or in the redoubt4 ,the last is assigned to the third line4 ,in each line machine guns are under the command of the chief of the area4 ,as a general rule1 in the first line1 automatic-machine rifles1 because of their mobility1 are used instead of machine guns4 ,standing orders are1 that ,m4 ,g4 crews will never surrender1 but fight to the last man4 ,often the tenacity of a ,m4 ,g4 crew has permitted the retaking of an area otherwise lost4 ,trench ,mortars4 ,in each sector there are located a certain number of trench mortars4 ,these are efficient weapons1 but must be used with care1 because they will nearly always draw concentrated artillery fire4 ,they are used for the destruction of special points in the enemy's lines that the artillery cannot reach4 ,they are employed in the preparation for an offensive against the enemy's first line1 either for an attack or for a raid4 ,they are used for reply fire against enemy's trench mortars4 ,they participate in establishing barrages4 ,the efficiency of trench mortars cannot be overestimated1 but at the same time1 great precaution must be taken in their use and concealment4 ,the personnel required to serve the light trench mortars are taken from the garrison of the sector and belong to a special headquarters unit1 a platoon of bombardiers4 ,the large trench mortars are commanded by an artillery officer who keeps himself constantly in liaison with the commander of the center of resistance4 ,he consults the latter on the location of his mortars and especially upon their use4 ,he also reports to the commander of the center of resistance all orders he receives from his artillery chief4 ,this artillery officer always works in co-operation with the chief of his area1 who in turn gives him all necessary information and help4 ,especially does the mortar commander require help for the supply of ammunition4 ,artillery ,support in a ,sector ,composition of the ,artillery ,support4 ,the light artillery of this sector is not directly under the command of the ,division ,commander4 ,the ,commanding ,officer of the light artillery1 usually a ,colonel1 in cooperation with the chief of the sector1 divides it into different parts1 assigning one to each of the centers of resistance4 ,this artillery is called support artillery4 ,as we shall see later this practice is usually the same in the offensive4 ,the amount of artillery allotted as support depends upon the tactical situation1 in other words1 the activity of the enemy4 ,in the ,verdun and ,champagne offensives the disposition of light artillery was the same in principle as that for the defensive1 that is to say1 one troop of artillery consisting of #c batteries was assigned to each infantry battalion4 ,the general use of this artillery1 is3 7a7 ,to protect the infantry with barrage fire4 7b7 ,prosecution of destruction of the enemy's personnel and works4 ,tactical ,liaison between ,infantry and ,orderly4 ,to carry out its functions1 the artillery support must be in perfect liaison with the infantry1 and only when this is done is co-operation of the two arms possible4 ,this liaison is obtained by the following five means3 7a7 ,organization of ,leadership3--,for the full co-operation of the infantry and artillery1 the latter is not kept entirely independent1 but is divided and assigned to infantry unit4 ,each chief of sector and each chief of center of resistance knows what artillery must support him if he needs it4 ,the commander of the artillery support is not exactly under the command of the infantry chief of area1 but he is at the latter's disposal for certain calls for support fire4 ,the proper co-operation of these two officers will give efficient results4 7b7 ,relation between ,artillery and ,infantry ,commanders3--,the best of relations must be established between the artillery and infantry commanders4 ,usually1 it is not possible to locate the commanding posts of the two officers close together4 ,each has his area or unit to command and for that purpose must be located for the proper control of the same4 ,the support artillery commander1 however1 should make frequent visits to the infantry leader and his area4 ,he should also send his subordinate artillery officers into the infantry area to become acquainted with the first line1 the conditions in 8,no ,man's ,land10 the enemy's lines1 and to gather all the information possible from the infantry officers in the trenches4 ,everything should be done to foster good relations between the infantry and their support artillery and this is best done by frequent visits of the artillery officers to the infantry trenches to gather information for artillery data4 7c7 ,communication of ,orders3--,it is necessary that the orders received by the infantry commander be communicated in whole or in part to the artillery commander1 and vice versa4 ,for instance1 if the chief of area receives orders to send out a fighting patrol or a raid1 this information is sent to the artillery commander1 who1 in turn1 sends back his plan of action4 ,similarly1 when the artillery commander expects to carry out special fires not called for by the infantry1 such as destructive shelling1 harassing fires1 etc41 he should first notify his infantry chief of area4 ,similarly1 any useful information picked up1 either by the infantry or artillery1 must be communicated to the other4 ,the daily report of the chief of sector and the observation report of the ,intelligence ,officer are sent direct to the commander of the artillery support4 ,valuable information obtained at the artillery observation posts is sent to the infantry4 7d7 ,means of ,communication3--,the principal of the organization of the different means of communication is such as to assure the best liaison between the two arms4 ,telephone lines1 searchlight signals1 runners1 etc41 are established directly between a unit of infantry and its artillery support4 ,this is to avoid loss of time and useless interruption between leaders4 ,illustration 7e7 ,detachments for ,liaison and ,observation3--,for more efficient liaison between the artillery and the infantry1 usually a certain number of artillerymen are sent from the group of the artillery ,support to the infantry in their area4 ,usually a special detachment of artillerymen is sent4 ,this detachment is made up of one officer1 chief of the detachment1 who is sent to the chief of sector1 one ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 to each chief of a center of resistance1 the rest as telephone operators and artillery orderlies4 ,this disposition of artillerymen in the infantry area is obligatory for an attack1 but it is so practical that it is now employed in the sector organization4 ,the task of these artillery officers or ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 is3-- 7#a7 ,to control all means of communication with the batteries of the artillery support4 7#b7 ,to transmit to the artillery the different calls for fire1 and in technical terms to give the proper data for the laying of the pieces on the target1 and the kind of fire required4 ,use of ,artillery ,support4 ,different kinds of fire are executed by the artillery support4 ,the most important is the barrage4 ,barrage4 ,purpose3--,the purpose of a barrage is to stop a hostile attack before it can get started1 or to hinder enemies' reinforcements or reserve troops from coming forward4 ,form3--,the barrage is a curtain of fire let down in 8,no ,man's ,land0 as close in front of your first line as possible without loss to your own garrison4 ,this will be about #aej or #bjj yards to the front1 between the two lines of trenches4 ,illustration3 ,,location ,,of ,,artillery ,,for ,,barrage ,front of the ,barrage3--,the barrage has real value only if it is impassible4 ,this will be if the density of the fire is so great that the danger zones of the explosions of the individual shells overlap each other4 ,the allotting of one troop of artillery1 #ab guns1 for an infantry battalion is quite sufficient for this purpose if the front of the battalion does not exceed the average length of from #djj to #fjj yards4 ,duration3--,the barrage is a burst of fire which lasts from six to ten minutes4 ,at the beginning the fire is very rapid and towards the end becomes slower4 ,for instance1 for the first six minutes the fire may be six rounds per gun and in the last four minutes1 say1 four rounds per gun4 ,successive barrages can be carried out depending upon the needs of the infantry4 ,calling for the ,barrage3--,barrage fire1 for the best results1 must open up at the moment the hostile attack begins4 ,to accomplish this the call for the barrage must be made by an observer in the first line4 ,for this reason every officer in the first line has the authority to call for the barrage4 ,the barrage is the only fire that can be called for automatically by signal4 ,the kind and color of the rocket signifies the type of barrage required and the front it is to cover4 ,in order to avoid mistakes this rocket signal is repeated from some point farther to the rear1 usually at the observatories of the command post of the center of resistance1 or of the sector4 ,rocket signals are repeated until the barrage fire opens4 ,confirmation of the barrage is given by telephone1 if possible4 ,however1 at the first signal rocket the artillery is required to open up the barrage fire as quickly as possible without waiting for confirmation4 ,barrage fire is at the disposal of the infantry and cannot be refused by the commander of the artillery1 whether it is justified or not4 ,other ,kinds of ,artillery ,fires4 ,the commanders of the center of resistance or of the sector may call on the artillery support for other fires besides the barrage1 such as3 ,reprisal fire on the enemy's lines4 ,reply fire to hostile shelling4 ,surprise fire on supply attachments or working parties4 ,destruction fire on special points4 ,all these fires are called for by telephone1 but do not follow automatically like the barrage fire4 ,the artillery commander1 in such case1 can use a certain amount of discretion whether these fires should be carried out or not4 ,last of all there is the counter-preparation fire1 which is a strong shelling of the enemy's position4 ,it is carried out as a reply to a methodical bombardment of the enemy preliminary to his offensive4 ,it is the best means to prevent a hostile attack4 ,if this fire is well executed the enemy's assault is 8killed in the egg0 as the ,french expression has it4 ,liaison in the ,sector4 7a7 ,telephone3 ,there are two different systems of telephones4 ,first1 there is the system connecting the infantry command posts1 support points1 centers of resistance1 sector1 and division headquarters1 with the command posts of the artillery protecting the different infantry areas4 ,these are direct lines between the command posts and the groups of support artillery4 ,also1 this system connects the command post with observatories1 depots1 medical aid stations1 kitchens1 etc4 ,secondly1 there is the system connecting the chief of artillery with his subordinate commanders1 the artillery observation posts1 and the artillery dumps4 ,in this same system the artillery command posts are again connected with the infantry units which they are to support4 ,special lines are run by the artillery to the officer and ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 of the artillery attachment of liaison in the infantry areas4 ,illustration3 ,telephone ,liaison4 ,consequently1 the liaison between the artillery and the infantry is doubly provided for in these two systems4 ,the lines of connection between the infantry and the artillery must be separate from those within the infantry area and those between the artillery commander and his subordinate units4 ,confidential information should never be telephoned except in cipher4 ,conventional designations are employed to call the different posts4 ,strict regulations are maintained as to who should use the telephone and for what purposes4 ,the weak point of a telephone system is that it is often broken by bombardment or earth-slides4 ,this can be partially remedied by constructing as few direct lines as possible1 by burying the wires in the bottom of the boyaux1 and by executing repairs as quickly as possible4 7b7 ,wireless and ,ground ,telegraphy3 ,the battalions in the first line have ground telegraph apparatus connecting them with the regimental headquarters1 and these1 in turn1 can communicate with the general headquarters by wireless4 ,this means of communication is only employed when the telephone cannot be used4 7c7 ,signalling3 ,it is difficult to establish signal communication within the sector without being seen by the enemy4 ,however1 at night with flashlights it is possible1 especially in hilly country1 to communicate from front to rear within the position4 ,the receiving post should be able to certify received messages4 ,when practicable1 communications should be established between the command post of the center of resistance and the sector command posts1 and from the latter post to the artillery4 ,this method of liaison is organized as a duplicating means or as a temporary substitute for the telephone4 7d7 ,rockets3 ,signal rockets are used to communicate with the rear4 ,different forms and colors of rockets are used to signify different things4 ,as we have seen1 the most important use of the rocket is to signal for barrage fire4 ,it is often necessary to relay a rocket signal from a second position in the rear to make absolutely sure that it reaches the artillery support4 ,signal rockets are also used to communicate with aroplanes1 but this means is usually only employed during an attack4 7e7 ,runners3 ,the liaison established with runners is best of all1 from the point of view that it usually never fails4 ,during heavy shelling it is the only sure means of communication4 ,illustration3 ,example of a ,chain of ,runners4 ,the ordinary messengers or orderlies are not used as runners4 ,a chain of trained runners is used1 located in a little post1 shelters1 or shell holes2 ,each post contains three runners1 their distance being from #aej to #cjj yards apart4 ,each runner is selected from the unit located near the next post in the chain1 that is1 the one to which he is to run4 ,often the divisional cavalry furnish these runners4 ,the chain of runners is under the command of a ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 who is responsible for its efficiency4 ,he has an important task on his hands4 ,he must assure himself that every runner knows1 not only his two neighboring posts1 but also the general direction of the chain4 ,he must change disabled runners and fill gaps in his chain4 ,it becomes his duty to instill into the runners the importance of their duty4 7f7 ,carrier ,pigeons3 ,carrier pigeons are the last means of communication4 ,they have been found to give excellent service during heavy shelling or gas attacks4 ,they do not fly very easily at night4 ,each command post of a center of resistance in the first line has a pigeon post4 ,these consist of two reliefs of men1 four pigeons1 and the necessary equipment and food4 ,the pigeons themselves have to be relieved every few days4 ,the care given to the birds at the command posts must not be as good as that at the dovecot in the rear1 so that when they are released they will return immediately to the latter place1 from where the message is delivered to its proper destination4 ,instructions for ,sentinel1 ,watcher1 and ,observer ,sentinel4 ,a sentinel is a soldier placed in the first line or in an advanced post for the purpose of security4 ,the duty of the sentinel is to watch and guard against hostile attack and to warn the chief of the platoon of every action of the enemy in 8,no ,man's ,land40 ,at night1 one sentinel is posted about every ten yards in the firing trench4 ,during the day1 only a sufficient number are posted to assure that all parts of the enemy's line and 8,no ,man's ,land0 are observed4 ,sentinels are relieved every two hours except under bad weather conditions when the length of the tour of duty is reduced4 ,every sentinel is regularly posted by a non-commissioned officer who explains to him his duties and ascertains that both the sentinel and his relief are aware of the position of the platoon commanders and of the sentinels1 on either side4 ,at night1 the sentinels must observe over the parapet4 ,as little challenging as possible is done and then only in a very low voice4 ,if the sentinel receives no answer to his challenge1 he shoots1 thus giving the alarm4 ,during the day1 the sentinel uses a periscope or observes through a loophole4 ,the sentinel always has the bayonet fixed on his rifle1 which is loaded and ready for use4 ,he must be on the alert for every noise1 and for this reason he is not allowed to wear any ear covering4 ,sentinels must be informed of the sending out of patrols1 the approximate hour of departure and return1 and the general direction that the patrol is to follow4 ,watcher4 ,each platoon in the trenches1 from the first line to the rear1 must have some watchers1 whose duty it is to give the alarm both day and night against attack4 ,these watchers do not observe the enemy as do the sentinels4 ,they walk in the trench in which the platoon is placed1 especially at the entrance of the dugouts or shelters occupied by this platoon4 ,when they hear a signal of alarm given by a sentinel or by a messenger1 they wake the platoon as quickly as possible4 ,in general1 they give to the chief of the platoon all the information that they have obtained during the time of their duty4 ,when an officer or private from another sector enters the trench1 it is the duty of the watchers to ascertain the purpose of his visit4 ,watchers receive special orders to give the alarm against a gas attack1 and must sound the alarm gongs and bells for this purpose4 ,the watcher may have his rifle1 without bayonet1 resting on the side of the trench at the entrance of a dugout4 ,observer4 ,the observers are specially trained men whose duty is to observe the hostile position and to gain all the information that they can obtain of the enemy's activities4 ,each man in the company can be used as a sentinel or as a watcher1 but not all as observers4 ,to become an observer1 a man must have a special capacity for this task4 ,each platoon should have at least six such observers of proper qualification2 good eyesight and hearing1 patient1 and a good shot4 ,they are relieved every two hours4 ,observation duty is carried out in daylight4 ,the observers are of two kinds3 7#a7 ,in each company the platoon observers are distributed in a number of observation posts especially chosen for this purpose4 ,these posts are located in the support point of the company which may be in advance of the firing line1 in the firing line1 or in any point within the position that has a wide view of the front4 ,these observers employ periscopes or field glasses4 ,everything of note that is observed is recorded and from this data the captain makes out his daily observation report4 7#b7 ,also1 in the sector1 there are special observatories belonging to the headquarters of the regiment1 under the command of the intelligence officer of the sector4 ,there are usually two or three observatories1 from which the information is transmitted directly to the colonel4 ,these observatories are furnished with field glasses1 maps1 and telephones4 ,in general1 all observers are required to obtain all possible information of the enemy1 to record all modifications of the hostile position in its works and wire entanglements1 all the movements that they can observe1 all working parties that they can discover4 ,also1 they receive special orders for the cases they must report to the commander1 as for instance3 shelling of the position by artillery or trench mortars1 gas attacks1 signal rockets fired in the front line1 activities of the aviation services1 whether of friend or enemy4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,relief ,i4 ,definitions and ,principles ,there are two kinds of reliefs1 ,general and ,interior reliefs4 ,a ,general ,relief is one where a large unit1 such as a division or an army corps1 is relieved from its position on the front4 ,an ,interior ,relief is one where a small unit1 such as a company1 battalion1 or regiment1 is relieved from its area by another unit of the same division within the position4 ,a general relief takes place for the following reasons3 ,in order to send a unit far to the rear to good billets for complete rest and perhaps for recruiting4 ,to withdraw and gather together the units of a corps1 for the purpose of training for an offensive4 ,to permit the strategical movement of large units along the entire front4 ,illustration3 ,interior ,relief in the ,division ,general reliefs should not be made any oftener than necessary as they hinder methodical and continuous organization of the defense1 observation of the enemy1 and the preparation of contemplated offensives4 ,it is for the express purpose of decreasing the number of general reliefs that troops are disposed in depth in a position so that continuous defense of the sector will be assured by means of successive interior reliefs4 ,as an example of interior reliefs1 we will consider a division holding a part of the front with two regiments disposed in the first position1 one regiment near the second position in billets1 and the fourth still farther to the rear in complete rest4 ,these regiments1 by a system of interior reliefs1 will rotate to equalize the tours of duty in the first position4 ,similarly the battalions of the regiments in the first position will rotate to give equal divisions of time to each in the first lines4 ,assuming that a period of six to eight days spent in the front line is a fair average1 and considering the fact that troops are disposed in depth throughout the three lines1 different combinations of reliefs are possible4 ,the work of making out the schedule of reliefs falls upon a division of the general headquarters4 ,the sector period is variable with the activity of the enemy and conditions of life in the trenches4 ,during the ,german offensive at ,verdun the sector period was four days1 while in ,lorraine during that time the same size unit could remain in the trenches for three months without necessity of relief4 ,,ii4 ,preliminary ,dispositions for the ,relief ,time to ,prepare the ,relief4 ,usually the order for the relief is issued from the general headquarters to the regiment forty-eight hours previous to its execution4 ,sometimes1 however1 for tactical reasons1 such time cannot be allowed and the regiment may have to go immediately into the trenches4 ,in such case1 the different operations of the relief1 which are taken up in this chapter1 are shortened but must not be carelessly executed4 ,in the present condition of trench warfare the proper execution of a relief is of the greatest importance4 ,preparation4 ,a relief is executed at night4 ,thirty-six hours before the relief is made the men of the relieving units proceed to clean and get in shape their arms1 equipment1 and clothing4 ,when the relief is not for a special offensive operation1 the troops go into the trenches with full equipment4 ,all non-regulation articles are left behind with the regimental train1 in care of the non-commissioned officer left with it4 ,also1 the files1 books1 and official papers of the unit are left here4 ,the regimental train establishes itself in rear of the sector of its regiment4 ,besides this material preparation1 the officers of the relieving companies are responsible for the morale of their troops4 ,before going into the trenches there may be some apprehension on the part of the troops1 which must be dispelled by the officers4 ,the great factor of depression is the mystery of what is not known of the sector about to be entered4 ,platoon leaders and company officers try to clear up this difficulty by telling their men what is known of the sector they are going to hold1 and otherwise speaking words of encouragement4 ,reconnaissance4 ,prior to taking over a sector1 a preliminary reconnaissance is made by a certain number of officers and orderlies4 ,they are3 ,for the ,regiment--,the colonel and part of his headquarters staff 7adjutant1 intelligence officer1 telephone officer1 engineer officer1 medical officer1 supply officer74 ,for the ,battalion--,the battalion commander and his adjutant4 ,for the ,companies--,the company commander and one officer for each company4 ,machine gun company commander and one machine gun officer4 ,the commander of the #cg mm4 gun platoon4 ,messengers and telephone men at the discretion of the adjutant and the company commanders4 ,the above reconnaissance parties will go into the trenches on the morning of the day preceding the night relief4 ,they must start early enough to permit a certain number of officers of these parties to return to the billets with all details and information necessary for the movement of the relief into the sector4 ,the adjutant and the lieutenants of each company remain in the trenches until the relief arrives4 ,during the intervening time they must acquaint themselves with all details of the sector necessary for the execution of its defense4 ,this preliminary reconnaissance affords an opportunity to the different leaders and chiefs of services to note the particular things of interest to each4 ,for the ,colonel or ,battalion ,commander--,the general organization and defense of their area4 ,for the ,adjutants--,the works under construction1 precautions against gas attacks1 etc4 ,for ,officers of the ,regimental ,headquarters ,co4--,information as follows3 ,information ,service--,activity of the enemy1 microphones1 observation posts and observatories1 carrier pigeon posts1 signal rockets4 ,telegraph ,service--,telephone systems1 flashlight posts1 wireless or ground telegraphy installations4 ,engineer and ,ordnance ,service--,depots and supply 7material and ammunition71 special engineer works1 trench mortar emplacements4 ,medical ,service--,dressing stations1 evacuation of the wounded1 hygiene 7latrines1 etc474 ,supply ,officer--,emplacements of the kitchens1 food supply4 ,for the ,company ,commander--,location of the platoons 7number of men holding the first line and distribution of same2 platoons in the cover trench and support line74 ,shelter accommodations1 alarm signals1 artillery support 7limits of barrage fronts and barrage calls74 ,counter attacks 7troops and directions for counter attacks74 ,information of the enemy 7observation posts of the support point74 ,supply 7engineer dumps1 kitchens1 ration supply parties1 water74 ,for the ,machine ,gun ,company ,commander--,distribution of machine guns and emplacements1 limits of machine gun fire sectors1 emergency and special uses of ,m4 ,g4 ,when such a complete reconnaissance cannot be made1 only commanders of units precede their troops and make a short reconnaissance of one or two hours4 ,relief ,orders 7#a7 ,regimental ,orders4 ,usually the general order for the relief of a sector is settled on in conference by the colonels of the relieving and relieved regiments4 ,this order is sent to the battalion commanders1 if possible1 before the reconnaissance4 ,the order of relief contains the following paragraphs3 ,day and hour of the relief1 designating the relieving and relieved units4 ,the name1 limits1 and division of the sector with designations of the neighboring units4 ,information of the artillery support1 its composition and emplacements4 ,orders for the reconnaissance1 its composition1 and the hour when it must be finished4 ,orders for the movement of the relief2 march of the regiment from the initial point to the point of dispersion where the battalions branch off to their particular areas4 ,if the regiment is transported in motor trucks1 points and orders for entraining and detraining4 ,hours of departure of each battalion from the dispersion point and special itineraries for each4 ,movement of the relieved troops4 ,assembly points of these battalions4 ,movement of the regimental trains1 relief of the kitchens1 supply measures for furnishing of provisions1 orders for the sanitary personnel4 ,hour at which the new colonel takes command of the sector4 7#b7 ,battalion ,orders4 ,all details for the relief are fixed in the battalion relief order issued by the battalion commander4 ,this order is sent out immediately upon his return from the preliminary reconnaissance and in accordance with the regimental order4 ,the battalion relief order contains the following points3 ,hour of leaving the dispersion point4 ,illustration3 ,march of a ,regiment to the ,relief ,order of march of the units 7the companies march in the order in which they are to relieve the units in the sector1 from right to left in the first line1 and similarly in the support line74 ,itinerary to the entrance of the trenches4 ,meeting of the guides1 hour and point of rendezvous1 function of the guides of the relieved battalions4 ,movement of headquarters1 and rendezvous of the messengers that each company sends to headquarters to establish liaison4 ,order of supply4 ,additional details 7result of the reconnaissance74 ,departure4 ,before departure1 each company is inspected by its company commander1 who must see that each man has his canteen full1 his rations for the day1 a full supply of cartridges1 the magazine of his rifle loaded 7no cartridges in the chamber71 and his gas mask in good condition4 ,in winter the relieving troops will find a supply of blankets and trench boots in the sector4 ,usually each man should carry an extra supply of cartridges above that laid down by regulation1 and two sandbags4 ,there should be a certain number of flashlights and candles to the company 7each corporal carrying a minimum of two candles74 ,just previous to departure or entraining the battalion commander himself makes a general inspection of his unit4 ,,iii4 ,movement of the ,relief ,march to the ,rendezvous ,point of the ,guides4 ,usually the regiment marches1 but it is sometimes transported in motor trucks1 up to a point in the rear of the sector1 called the point of dispersion1 from which the different battalions branch off successively to go to their respective areas4 ,this practice avoids the crossing of units4 ,a short meal may be had by the regiment at the point of dispersion4 ,the distance of this point behind the sector and the time of arrival of the relieving unit must be carefully calculated so that the relief may be finished early enough to permit the unit relieved to get out of sight of the enemy before daylight4 ,when the battalions leave the rendezvous point1 each company sends to the battalion headquarters two messengers for the purpose of liaison4 ,the units now follow the prescribed itineraries up to the rendezvous point where the guides are met4 ,guides4 ,during the reconnaissance1 the company to be relieved details certain men to act as guides for the incoming company4 ,an average of two guides is furnished for each platoon1 one for each company headquarters1 and one for each battalion headquarters4 ,these guides await the arrival of the different units at a certain point called the rendezvous point of the guides4 ,usually this point is at the entrance of the boyau4 ,as several guides are usually grouped at the same rendezvous point1 they must be alert to meet the unit to which they are assigned4 ,a non-commissioned officer of the retiring battalion is in charge of this group and he is responsible that each guide finds his unit4 ,each guide1 of course1 must know the best and safest route by which to conduct the unit to the position it must occupy4 ,march in the ,boyaux4 ,from the rendezvous point1 the companies continue their march in the boyaux which are assigned to them4 ,one guide leads each platoon while the second guide brings up its rear4 ,the leading guide must inform the platoon commander of the different points of interest that are passed1 such as each line of the sector1 regimental or battalion command posts1 depots1 water points1 etc4 ,the march in the narrow boyau of an unknown sector1 in the darkness1 and with full equipment1 is difficult and depressing4 ,consequently1 the rate of march must be slow4 ,when the head of the column meets an obstacle1 a warning word is passed to the rear along the single file4 ,this rule is above all useful to prevent accident to telephone wires4 ,the march must be executed without noise4 ,orders are given in low tones4 ,smoking or the use of flashlights is prohibited4 ,no disciplinary measure is too severe that will prevent the enemy from discovering the relief4 ,it is absolutely prohibited to talk over the telephone concerning a relief otherwise than in cipher4 ,,iv4 ,occupation of the ,position ,details of the ,relief4 ,if the two units have the same number of men1 the relieving of one unit by the other is simple enough4 ,but often the relief is complicated by the fact that either the extent of front or the number of effectives is different4 ,in such a case1 the officers of the two units must settle1 during the reconnaissance1 upon the necessary modifications for an effective and expeditious relief4 ,when the company arrives at the command post of the captain1 the platoons are relieved from right to left in the first line1 then in the cover trench in the same order4 ,if there is a platoon in the support line this is next relieved4 ,in the first line1 the relief of the platoons is executed in two parts4 ,first of all1 the sentinels1 observers1 watchers1 men in the listening posts1 and the ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 of the watch are relieved4 ,when this is done1 the remaining men of the platoon are relieved4 ,the men of the old platoon occupy their places at 8,stand ,to40 ,the relieving platoon files in and steps up on the firing step4 ,at the command 8,pass0 which is given quietly1 the old and new platoons change places4 ,each retiring leader1 of whatever command he may be1 hands over his orders and information to the corresponding leader who relieves him4 ,for example1 one platoon leader will turn over to the other all information concerning guard duty1 defense of the line1 condition of the barbed wire entanglements1 patrolling1 and shelter accommodations4 ,this must be executed rapidly but with precision4 ,the platoon relieved assembles at the entrance to the boyau1 and leaves the trenches under the chief of platoon4 ,this is not done1 however1 until the platoon leader has reported to his captain1 by means of his guides1 the execution of the relief4 ,the old captain fixes a point for the assembling of his platoons1 but this point must be far enough to the rear to avoid blocking of the boyaux and out of reach of hostile grenade and trench mortar fire4 ,in the meantime1 at the command post of the support point1 the new captain acquaints himself with all information and orders pertaining to the support point from the old captain4 ,when this is finished he telephones the command post of the center of resistance the completion of the relief1 and asks if his predecessor may retire4 ,the relieved company then takes up the march1 following the prescribed route up to the assembly point of the battalion4 ,it may be stated here that the relieved units must leave their trenches in as clean and sanitary a condition as possible4 ,the work of clearing up the shelters and latrines must be thoroughly done before the arrival of the new units4 ,depots must be left in good condition and contain the amount of supplies called for by regulations4 ,the platoon commander is responsible that his men do not forget1 tools and cooking utensils in the trenches4 ,duties after the ,relief4 ,in each support point1 the new captain immediately establishes liaison with the command posts of the neighboring units to right and left4 ,communication between the captain and his battalion commander is obtained by means of the two messengers detailed to the battalion for that purpose and who now return to their company4 ,when the battalion commander has received the information from all his captains that the relief of his area is finished1 he reports the same by telephone to his colonel4 ,a confirmation of this report will be made the next morning in his daily written report which will cover the following points3 ,the general condition of the relief4 ,hour of completion of the relief4 ,casualties during the relief4 ,living conditions in the trenches4 ,requests for tactical modifications 7new dispositions of the garrison74 ,the relief finished1 the battalion commander must also establish his liaison laterally and to the front and rear1 but especially with his artillery support1 by means of the artillery ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 detailed to his area for that purpose4 ,finally1 the battalion commander investigates and perfects the organization of the food supply4 ,in the sector headquarters1 the new sector commander will find on file all records1 reports1 orders1 and detailed information concerning all the elements of defense of the sector4 ,the sector file will contain the following documents3 ,plan of organization4 ,plan of defense4 ,files of information concerning3 ,machine guns4 ,trench mortars4 ,artillery support 7table of barrages and other fires74 ,liaison 7telephones1 runners1 signalling1 etc474 ,supply and evacuation4 ,measures to combat gas attacks4 ,besides these are the files of the different reports3 ,sector daily reports 7kept by the adjutant74 ,intelligence reports 7kept by the intelligence officer74 ,construction reports 7kept by the engineer officer74 ,maps1 sketches1 and aroplane photographs 7kept by int4 officer74 ,inventory of the sector depot 7kept by engineer officer74 ,any officer of the sector1 as for example a machine gun officer1 has access to this file to more thoroughly acquaint himself for the execution of his duties4 ,,chapter ,v ,,defense ,,of ,a ,,position ,different ,kinds of ,hostile ,attacks ,surprise ,attacks4 ,these may be raids or local attacks4 ,a raid is usually for the purpose of taking prisoners2 and a local attack1 to capture a part of the line4 ,these operations may be carried out without a preliminary bombardment1 but are usually preceded by a short intense bombardment to destroy wire entanglements4 ,attacks in ,force4 ,such an attack may be made on a larger part of the line1 as a particular sector1 or on a considerable length of front in a general offensive4 ,this kind of attack is1 of course1 preceded by a bombardment4 ,special ,attacks4 ,special attacks are made with gas1 liquid fire1 and mine methods4 ,these will be taken up in detail in a later chapter4 ,surprise ,attacks ,precautions ,against ,surprise4 ,in considering precautions against surprise attacks1 it is not a question of combating patrols or enemy's reconnaissance parties whose missions are to search out information of your intentions and situation4 ,it is a question of raids and little attacks on your lines4 ,against such hostile operations the defense of the sector depends upon the following precautions4 ,maintenance of the ,barbed ,wire ,entanglements4 ,a surprise attack1 to be successful1 must have besides surprise the element of swiftness4 ,the enemy must make a dash across 8,no ,man's ,land0 up to your first line4 ,this1 however1 is impossible1 if your barbed wire entanglements are intact4 ,consequently each captain is responsible for the maintenance of the wire belt in front of his line4 ,it is the duty of the observation service to discover breaches or defects in your wire4 ,to this end1 the captain sends out at night patrols to ascertain the condition of his entanglements4 ,if necessary1 small detachments are sent out at night to make repairs4 ,if this work is considerable1 he calls upon the battalion commander for special working parties to assist4 ,the captain1 in his daily requisitions for material1 provides for the supply of wire1 chevaux-de-frise1 etc41 that he may need4 ,service of ,guard and ,observation4 ,one of the most important duties of the observers in the first line1 and of the sentinels and patrols1 is to locate breaches that the enemy has made in your wire1 or to discover hostile parties in the act of tampering with the same4 ,breaches or passages in your wire may be made by such means as bangalores and petards and detonators4 ,the explosion of such an arrangement is a sufficient signal of alarm4 ,these are usually poor methods4 ,passages may be made by special hostile patrols using wire cutters4 ,these wire cutting patrols may precede the attack4 ,alert sentinels or your own hourly patrols1 that crawl along your wire belt1 should discover such operations4 ,the usual method1 however1 is to destroy barbed wire by artillery fire4 ,the object of hostile shelling of your position is not always easily detected4 ,the enemy may carry out a general artillery fire on your position during the day1 for example1 just before dusk4 ,at the same time he will concentrate certain batteries for a methodical destruction of parts of your entanglement4 ,for this reason it is the mission of the first patrol1 sent out at dusk1 to ascertain the condition of the barbed wire belt4 ,the report of this patrol may carry important indications of the intentions of the enemy4 ,sometimes a hostile surprise attack is preceded only by a short and unexpected bombardment4 ,registering shots for this artillery fire are made during the day4 ,these registering shots1 however1 are fired short of the wire in 8,no ,man's ,land0 to deceive the observers that they are for the purpose of barrage control4 ,in this case1 the only means to baffle the attack is to have diligent sentinels to give immediate alarm1 and a well-trained garrison to take its place in the fire trenches quickly4 8,stand ,to0 ,exercises4 ,a well-trained garrison1 accustomed to 8stand to0 quickly1 without noise and confusion1 cannot be easily surprised4 ,when the call to arms is given by a sentinel1 this call is repeated by all watchers in the successive lines of the support point4 ,the officer of the watch runs immediately to the place of call4 ,all the men of the garrison spring out of their niches and shelters1 and proceed quickly1 without orders1 to their appointed places of combat4 ,this execution must be automatic1 and only a frequent repetition of the 8stand to0 exercise can give a unit this result4 ,besides these exercises1 as we know1 the garrison executes 8stand to0 one hour before dusk and one hour before daylight4 ,deep dugouts are prohibited in the first line because they may become traps in which the defenders are taken prisoners1 and they materially lengthen the time for the garrison to take its place for combat4 ,illustration3 ,,position ,,of ,,specialists ,,at 8,,stand ,,to0 ,only in case of an expected attack and when the garrison is ready for it1 is the alarm signal given by such special means as bells1 whistles1 or rockets4 ,this is exceptional4 ,the only practical alarm signal that will awaken the garrison any time during the night is the cry 8to arms0 passed along and taken up by everyone4 ,rifle1 ,a4 ,m4 ,r41 and grenade fire from the first line will usually stop a surprise attack4 ,but since it is impossible to ascertain the strength of the attacking troops1 the defensive artillery barrage is called for4 ,similarly1 the reserve troops located in the cover and support trenches may be used for the purposes of reinforcement and counterattacks1 depending upon the success of the enemy's attack4 ,the captain of a support point must not only keep up the offensive spirit of his garrison by all the means of trench fighting1 but he must organize and maintain a vigilant guard and patrol service for security4 ,attack in ,force ,attacks in force are carried out to capture an important position1 or there may be a series of such objectives along a front in a general offensive4 ,on the other hand1 the object of the defense is not only to repulse the enemy but also to inflict upon him as great a loss as possible4 ,the phases of a great attack are3 the preparation1 of which the final and most important element is the bombardment2 the assault of the first line2 and the exploitation of success by fighting in the interior of the position4 ,the defending troops must combat each one of these phases by the most adequate measures4 ,we shall take up these measures in detail4 ,i4 ,during the ,preparation of the ,hostile ,attack ,revealing ,symptoms of the ,attack4 ,the preparation of the hostile attack reveals itself by different preparations3 7#a7 ,the activity of the enemy3 ,his infantry will send out more numerous and aggressive patrols and reconnaissance parties4 ,his artillery will increase its daily destructive fire4 ,it will multiply its number of registering shots1 establish barrage fires in the interior of your position1 and begin to concentrate on communication routes4 ,his air service will take on unusual activities4 7#b7 ,vigilant observation of roads and territory behind the enemy's lines may reveal convoys carrying troops and supplies1 the assembling of troops in woods1 etc4 7smoke from their kitchens71 accumulation of materials in depots 7often accompanied by explosions in artillery dumps74 7#c7 ,the observation service may discover new hostile works1 such as the contraction of parallels of departure out in front of his first line4 ,there may be also successive parallels behind the nearest jumping-off trench4 7#d7 ,prisoners and deserters1 who become more numerous because of the approaching offensive1 may give valuable information concerning the coming attack4 ,the task of discovering the enemy's preparation for an attack is incumbent upon all ranks1 but above all1 this duty devolves particularly upon the information service1 balloon and air service1 and artillery observers4 ,in the sector1 the intelligence officer must perfect his system of observation to the highest degree4 ,the information in the daily reports is carefully sorted and tested4 ,preventive ,measures before the ,attack4 ,during this time1 each chief of area takes all preventive measures possible against the coming attack4 ,the attack is an expected event for which all must be prepared4 ,the preparation simply consists in perfecting and carrying out of the original plan of defense4 ,perfecting the ,organization of the ,position4 ,new lines are created4 ,the number of continuous lines between strong points and successive lines for defense in depth are increased4 ,old lines1 which are enfiladed by the enemy or which do not give flanking fire1 are rectified or abandoned for new ones4 ,the number of boyaux and communicating ditches are multiplied to facilitate the bringing up of reinforcements4 ,new accessories of defense are constructed and the old ones strengthened4 ,this is especially done in the interior of the position with respect to parallel and perpendicular barbed wire belts to divide the position into compartments capable of all-round defense4 ,additional false works are created1 to waste the enemy's artillery fire1 ,the art of camouflage is extensively used during this phase4 ,new shelter accommodations and dugouts are constructed for the better protection of the garrison during the preliminary bombardment4 ,increase of the ,control and ,discipline of the ,defense4 ,the guard and observation services are reinforced4 ,sentinels1 observers1 and patrols are held to a stricter account of their duties4 ,machine gun leaders are particular to perfect the disposition of their guns in depth of the position for interior fighting4 ,the sector for each gun emplacement is carefully verified4 ,dugouts serving as shelters for guns during the bombardment are strengthened4 ,the support artillery must constantly verify the settings of their barrages4 ,numerous exercises are carried out for the call of the barrage with rockets1 so as to keep the artillery constantly on the alert4 ,liaison must be assured by other means than the telephone as this latter system usually breaks down under severe and continuous shelling4 ,when the telephone is out of order1 chains of runners must be resorted to4 ,in the ordinary life of the trenches runners are not used4 ,for this reason1 when an attack is expected1 new chains of runners must be established4 ,illustration3 ,type of ,shelter off ,cover ,trench ,supplies in the depots must be kept up to contemplated requirements4 ,besides the regular depots of the sector1 numerous small ones are now established for the better distribution of extra ammunition and for the supply of reinforcing and counterattack troops4 ,supply parties are detailed to carry up ammunition during the battle4 ,moral ,preparation of the ,troops4 ,when an attack is expected1 this fact must be told the garrison of each area1 so that it can better prepare for it4 ,the troops must not be left in ignorance1 and upon the officers informing them devolves the responsibility of performing this task in such a manner as to raise the morale of their troops4 ,the men must be maintained in the best of physical condition4 ,their food supply must be regular1 of good quality1 and sufficient4 ,the tour of duty of the interior relief of the first line is shortened4 ,duties during the ,preliminary ,bombardment4 ,the most important and final act in preparation for the attack is a heavy and unusual bombardment of the position4 ,concentrated fire is brought to bear upon all visible points of the sector to demolish trenches1 emplacements1 dugouts1 routes1 and ammunition dumps1 and to destroy the barbed wire entanglements4 ,certain batteries are detailed for counter-battery work4 ,barrages are established to prevent reinforcements from coming up and to cut communications with the rear4 ,against this bombardment1 the defense has both a passive and an active rle to play4 ,illustration3 ,deep ,dug-out1 #bnd ,line ,maintenance of the ,garrison during the ,bombardment4 ,the violence of preliminary bombardments is ever increasing and there seems to be no limit4 ,high explosive shells of every caliber are used against the position4 ,any element of your system that is not properly concealed and can be located by the enemy is subjected to concentrated artillery fire until it is blown out of existence4 ,casualties inflicted upon the garrison are severe--in fact1 it would seem from the violence of the artillery fire that few of the garrison could escape4 ,however1 when the assault develops1 a machine gun may be found intact here and there in the position4 ,one or two of these powerful weapons1 by the use of flanking fire1 may be enough to cause the failure of the enemy's attack4 ,it is possible to say that upon the use of ,m4 ,g4's depends the whole interior defense of the sector4 ,the maintenance of the garrison during the bombardment depends1 of course1 upon the number and depth of dugouts4 ,the service of defense1 however1 requires many of the troops to execute their duties in the open trenches4 ,the leaders must set the example in this respect by making their rounds1 and taking their posts to observe the area from the observation posts4 ,in other words1 they must not stay in their dugouts4 ,the bombardment naturally causes a great deal of repair work to be done4 ,this is executed at night or during lulls in the shelling4 ,only emergency works1 however1 are executed1 such as repairing of accessory defenses1 cleaning of trenches and rebuilding of shelters4 ,when this work becomes too heavy for the garrison1 reserve troops are brought up to assist4 ,reply with ,artillery ,fire4 ,the only means to decrease the effectiveness of the hostile bombardment is to reply with your own artillery4 ,for this purpose1 a certain part of your artillery is detailed for counter-battery work4 ,the emplacements or approximate locations of the hostile guns are set down on maps4 ,these are divided amongst the counter-battery artillery who attempt to silence or neutralize the same4 ,in a sector1 the commander may ask for what is known as counter-preparation fire4 ,this fire is similar to the preliminary bombardment of the enemy4 ,it covers the entire position of the enemy and is just as methodical in its scope4 ,all the artillery that is at the disposal of the general is used for this purpose1 and consequently the call for this fire must be through the general4 ,similar to the counter-preparation fire1 but on a smaller scale1 is what is known as preventive fire which may be called for from the support artillery4 ,this fire covers the first and second lines and is used to prevent the enemy from assembling his troops in the first line for the assault4 ,this fire has been found very efficient4 ,it is called for by telephone and not automatically by rocket4 ,,ii4 ,defense of the ,first ,line during a ,hostile ,attack ,duties of ,watchers4 ,at the moment the assault is launched1 part of the enemy's artillery establishes a barrage on your first line4 ,the rest of the artillery1 however1 continues the regular bombardment to deceive the defenders as to the exact time of launching the attack4 ,therefore1 the exact moment that the enemy comes over the top can only be determined by the watchers in your first line4 ,it is their duty to give the alarm so that the garrison can reach its place in the firing line before the enemy reaches the same4 ,this is a matter of seconds and not of minutes4 ,consequently1 each dugout has a watcher located at its entrance and machine gun dugouts maintain special watchers4 ,for each watcher at an entrance there is a second watcher within sight and calling distance ready to receive the alarm from the firing trench4 ,if the second watcher is killed1 the watcher at the entrance moves up and takes his place while another man from the dugout goes on watch there4 ,these men are on duty only from fifteen to thirty minutes at a time4 ,by a system of relief each occupant of a dugout serves a tour of duty as a watcher4 ,the post of the watcher is protected as far as possible4 ,illustration3 ,,position ,,of ,,watchers ,the ,officer and ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 of the ,watch4 ,during this time1 the officer and the ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 of the watch constantly make their rounds to see if the watchers are performing their duty efficiently4 ,instantly the alarm is given1 the first duty of the officer of the watch is to set off the rockets calling for the barrage4 ,at the same time1 the orderly that accompanies him runs to the command post of the captain where the barrage call is confirmed by telephone and by rocket4 ,rocket signals are repeated and relayed from the same area until the barrage is obtained4 ,defenders of the ,first ,line4 ,immediately the call to arms is given1 the troops of the first line spring out of their shelters and take their places at the parapet of the firing trench4 ,if these parapets and fire trenches have been destroyed1 the troops are not in immediate grave danger1 because at this moment the enemy's barrage on your first line has lifted and is progressing toward the second line4 ,besides this1 the assaulting troops can not subject the defenders to fire during the advance4 ,also1 the assaulting column is subjected to the defensive barrage and is more or less in confusion1 due to this fire and having to cross the shell-torn area of 8,no ,man's ,land40 ,then1 too1 what is left of your barbed wire entanglements will hold up the enemy's troops4 ,in short1 the advantage at this particular point lies entirely with the defenders if they can occupy the first line in time4 ,among all the weapons of defense1 the most powerful is the machine gun4 ,the successful repulse of the hostile attack depends to the greatest extent upon the ability to use machine guns after the attack is under way4 ,the opportune fire of one machine gun on the flank of an assaulting column may disorganize it and drive back its troops4 ,the ,captain4 ,as soon as the alarm is given or it is known that the enemy's attack has started1 the captain throws his reinforcing platoons into the first line4 ,these troops1 in going forward1 employ the boyaux laid down in the plan of defense4 ,the hand grenades that they carry are stored in their dugouts4 ,the chiefs of the reinforcing platoons do not necessarily wait for this order of the captain1 but act upon their own initiative in sending forward their units4 ,if1 however1 the first line has already been taken1 the reinforcing platoons automatically carry out the functions of a counterattack by leaving their boyaux and going over the top to retake the captured trench4 ,this last movement of over the top by the counterattacking troops is facilitated by the fact that the hostile artillery barrage has by this time passed to the rear of the first line4 ,the next duty of the captain is to report to his chief of battalion the alarm1 which is done by means of a chain of runners1 by signaling1 or by use of carrier pigeons1 because usually by this time the telephone system has broken down under the artillery bombardment4 ,,iii4 ,fighting in the ,interior of the ,position ,if the hostile assault on the first line is successful1 the fight for the occupation of the position1 which takes place in the interior1 has only begun4 ,opposing his frontal progression through the position1 the enemy will encounter1 as we know1 a series of defensive lines disposed in depth4 ,also1 for instance1 if a nest of resistance holds up the progress of a part of the assaulting troops1 the successive overlapping waves will carry on along the flanks of this stronghold4 ,if1 then1 the position is strongly divided into compartments1 the fire of such defenses will take these overlapping troops in the flank and rout them4 ,the defenders may also play an active rle and the enemy is likely to encounter new troops sent up for the purpose of counterattack4 ,the division of the ground in support points1 centers of resistance and sectors1 has precisely for its object the localization of the enemy's attacks4 ,each area must be organized to defend itself1 independently of any other part of the position4 ,consequently1 the officers must explain this condition to their men1 so that they will have no concern if they see that the enemy has penetrated and is attacking them on the flank or rear4 ,on the other hand1 if several of these compartments hold their ground1 the enemy may find himself surrounded in a certain area and cut off from the rear by barrage fire4 ,thus abandoned in a part of the position that he has momentarily taken1 a vigorous counterattack will drive him out4 ,defense of an ,area4 ,the defense of each area is made similarly to that of the first line1 as these areas embrace the successive lines of the position4 ,the areas range in importance from front to rear1 the support point embracing the first line1 the center of resistance the first two lines1 and the sector all three lines of the position4 ,the alarm of an attack is relayed by the area commanders1 the captain to the battalion commander1 who in turn communicates it to the colonel of the sector4 ,not only the attacked portion of the sector is affected by this alarm1 but the whole sector1 so to speak1 takes up arms4 ,let us see what happens as a result of this4 ,all defenders of the area who have a special duty1 immediately occupy their posts and remain there awaiting developments of the attack4 ,for example1 telephone men will remain at their instruments1 runners will repair to their relay posts1 observers occupy their observatories1 and chiefs and headquarters officers remain at their command posts4 ,and above all1 the machine gun crews will man the guns disposed for interior fighting4 ,illustration3 ,,function ,,of ,,counter ,,attacks ,,in ,,interior ,,of ,,the ,,position ,at the same time1 the different troops held in reserve in the successive lines are used to hold their own line1 to reinforce the line in front1 or to make counterattacks4 ,when the alarm is given1 all supporting reserve troops take their places in their own lines4 ,in each support point1 the platoons held in reserve are sent forward as reinforcements to1 or to make counterattacks against1 the firing line4 ,similarly1 in each center of resistance the companies held in reserve are employed as reinforcements or to recapture the first line4 ,if1 upon arriving at the first line1 these troops receive no orders for particular duty1 they replace the reserve platoons of the support point4 ,likewise1 the sector reserve of the third line is sent forward to or1 in case the enemy has taken it1 against the second line4 ,the static or passive organization of the defense lies in the series of lines of trenches disposed in depth1 but the active rle of the defender is carried out in these successive waves of defense moving forward in definite limits to meet the attack1 not only to repulse it but to inflict as much loss as possible to the enemy4 ,this transforms the defensive combat into more nearly a fight in the open ground1 with the spirit of the offensive4 ,the ,counterattack4 ,it follows that the last and1 very often1 the most decisive means of defense of the sector is the counterattack4 ,in each center of resistance1 a counterattack has for its purpose the retaking of the first line when this is captured by the enemy4 ,it is made by the battalion reserves located in the reserve line4 ,the sooner the counterattack is made after its necessity1 the more effective it will be4 ,it should arrive at the first line almost1 one might say1 at the same time that the enemy does4 ,at any rate1 the counterattack should strike the enemy by surprise while he is still in a state of disorganization4 ,consequently1 in the plan of defense of the battalion1 the counterattack must be foreseen and all its details must be laid down4 ,all these details must be known and practiced by the troops who are to execute the counterattack1 so that when the alarm is given the counterattack will start automatically without orders and be carried to a finish like a good piece of team-work4 ,the counterattack is launched on the initiative of the leader of these troops1 without waiting for the orders of the battalion commander4 ,the latter may not know the exact situation nor be so located in the area as to appreciate the opportunity of the counterattack4 ,troops ,detailed for the ,counterattack4 ,the company1 or companies1 held as reserve of the center of resistance1 are divided into half-companies or platoons under the command of a single leader4 ,each one of these detachments is assigned to a support point and is put at the disposal of the captain commanding the same1 to counterattack on his first line if captured by the enemy4 ,in order to secure the proper liaison between these two units1 the counterattack troops send a messenger to the command post of the support point which they are assigned to4 ,when the hostile attack is executed and counterattack troops are needed1 the captain sends this messenger back to call them up4 ,routes or ,directions for ,counterattacks4 ,each detachment of counterattack troops has a fixed route for its attack laid down in the plan of defense4 ,usually a boyau that it employs or along which it travels1 fixes the direction4 ,for this reason1 in the interior of the position gaps are left in the barbed wire entanglements to permit the passage of these troops in the counterattack4 ,portable chevaux-de-frise are employed to fill up these gaps when necessary4 ,form of the ,counterattack4 ,the counterattack may be executed as a frontal or a flank attack4 ,frontal counterattacks are1 perhaps1 not as effective as the latter1 but they are more easily executed1 especially in the case where exact knowledge of the situation in the line in front is not known4 ,this is the form of advance employed in the support point where the reinforcing platoons1 starting forward to strengthen the line and finding it captured1 change their tactics by leaping over the top and charging the line with grenades and bayonets4 ,illustration3 ,,example ,,of ,a ,,counter ,,attack ,,executed ,,by ,,two ,,platoons ,,of ,,center ,,of ,,resistance ,,support ,a counterattack to the flank usually involves a little maneuvering4 ,the most successful of these attacks are those executed in two detachments-- for example1 a party of grenadiers may attack the enemy occupying a part of the area either on one or both flanks4 ,its approach is usually through a trench or boyau4 ,a second party of riflemen1 at the same time1 will make a frontal attack on the enemy over the top with bayonets4 ,to completely surround the enemy1 an artillery barrage is sometimes established to cut him off from the rear4 ,the battalion commander works out the plan of counterattack down to the most minute detail4 ,but when the hostile attack is carried out1 he is no longer the master of it4 ,all the foreseen movements start at the proper time and are carried out in their workings like a piece of mechanism4 ,the time of the start of the counterattack is in reality given by the enemy himself4 ,repair of the ,position4 ,after a hostile attack has been repulsed1 the chief of area must realize that similar attempts may be made without delay4 ,the first and most important repair work that must be done is to construct a parapet along the firing line4 ,there may be no trench left along this line1 but a fire parapet of sandbags must be constructed immediately4 ,at night reserve troops are brought up with tools and sandbags to put the line in the best state of defense possible4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,attack ,,of ,a ,,position ,phases of the ,attack4 ,as we have already learned1 the attack of a position by a unit comprises three phases3 ,the preparation of the attack4 ,the assault against the first hostile line4 ,the exploitation of the success by fighting in the interior of the position for its occupation4 ,these phases are the same as those in open ground warfare1 but their importance1 aspect1 and order are not the same4 ,especially the preparation of a trench attack is such a preponderant phase of the attack that upon the manner of its execution depends the success of the attack4 ,the exploitation of the success is a long and decisive operation4 ,in trench warfare1 the assault is only the beginning of the fighting for a position1 and its purpose is to make a breach in the enemy's first line4 ,through this breach1 the reinforcing and reserve troops are pushed in behind the assaulting columns to deliver the real combat for the capture and occupation of the position4 ,thus we see that the assault1 which in open ground warfare is the final phase of the battle1 is1 on the contrary1 in trench warfare the first move of the fight4 ,in open warfare1 the order of the battle is3 the preparation1 the approach march and infantry combat1 and finally1 the assault4 ,an offensive in trench fighting consists of1 first1 the preparation2 next1 the assault against the first line2 and last of all1 the interior fighting for the position4 ,the cause of this reversion of the rles of the attacking troops in a trench offensive operation lies in the strength and stability of the fortified front4 ,it is impossible to maneuver against a continuous line which extends without a single breach4 ,it is only possible to maneuver behind the first line or within the position after a breach has been made4 ,if a part of the first line gives way before the pressure of the assailants1 the leader of the attacking units pushes forward his troops through this breach without consideration of the strategical value of the part of the line broken4 ,i4 ,preparation of the ,attack ,front of ,attack4 ,the tactical unit for an attack is a division4 ,a division that is placed in the front line for this purpose is called an attacking division4 ,to such a division is assigned the task of attacking and capturing a definite length of front of the hostile position4 ,all the necessary means to carry out this mission are in the hands of the division commander4 ,the tactical unit for an assault1 in this division1 is the battalion4 ,each assaulting battalion is placed in front of that part of the hostile line against which it is to operate1 which is called its front of attack4 ,the length of this front is variable with the tactical situation4 ,also1 this length in no way indicates to the enemy the strength of the attacking troops because they are disposed for the attack in depth4 ,according to the size of the front of attack1 the battalion commander will place two or three companies in the assaulting column1 and two or one company as reinforcing support4 ,conditions of the ,assault4 ,an assaulting battalion must be disposed in a certain manner1 which is called the assaulting disposition4 ,in establishing this disposition1 we must consider the distance of the assault and the outline of the assaulting lines4 ,distance of the ,assault4 ,the distance over which the troops make their assault across 8,no ,man's ,land0 must not be too great4 ,this is to avoid as much as possible the enemy's barrage and machine gun fire4 ,for this reason1 parallels of departure or jumping-off trenches1 if necessary1 may be constructed out in front of the first line for the assembling of the assaulting troops4 ,on the other hand1 your own first line should not be so near to the enemy's position as to be in the zone of artillery dispersion when your own batteries are firing at the enemy's first line4 ,however1 one is not always master of this distance1 as it is a result of long fighting and occupation of the two positions4 ,the proper concealment of these attack works1 such as the parallels of departure1 is an essential condition of success4 ,the ,trace of the ,lines of ,departure4 ,the trace of the lines of departure must be parallel to the first line of the enemy1 not to your own1 so that the assaulting troops will simply have to start in a perpendicular direction from the lines of departure to reach their objective4 ,in other words1 the assault is a simple frontal attack without maneuvers4 ,ground ,preparation for the ,assault4 ,it follows from the statements of the conditions of the assault and also of the tactical and material preparation of the attack1 that the terrain from which these troops will start must be specially organized for this purpose4 ,we have discussed the principles and details of the organization of the position for the defense1 and it is clear that these must differ materially from those for the attack4 ,an attack1 like a defense1 is made with the units disposed in depth4 ,to launch an attack1 certain of the defensive works that play but a passive rle in the resistance1 such as barbed wire entanglements1 must be rearranged1 modified1 or partially eliminated4 ,other elements1 such as routes1 boyaux1 and supply depots that facilitate the forward movement of reinforcements1 are multiplied4 ,details of the ,preparation of the ,ground for the ,attack4 ,all the details of the preparation of the ground for the attack are laid down in an order called the 8,plan of ,ground ,disposition0 issued by the general of the attacking division4 ,this order is divided into two parts3 the organization of the works1 and their execution4 ,organization4 ,we know that the disposition of an assaulting unit is in the form of successive echelons1 called waves4 ,in order to protect these waves before the assault1 it is necessary to construct for them trenches parallel to the enemy's first line2 and for this reason these are called parallels of departure4 ,the trace of the first parallel fixes the directions of the others behind4 ,for example1 an assaulting battalion which is going to advance in four waves1 might have two parallels of departure with two waves in each parallel4 ,these parallels are narrow trenches like the defensive lines1 but with a series of steps in the front side so that the men can go over the top easily4 ,if there are no steps1 trench ladders or footholds must be used4 ,theoretically1 one might think that the distance between these successive parallels should be the same as that between the attacking lines4 ,but this is not practicable4 ,such practice would mark out boldly on the ground1 for the enemy's air observation1 your intentions and your dispositions for the attack4 ,therefore1 this method is strictly prohibited4 ,besides1 it is not necessary1 since the regulation distances between the lines and waves are not realized from the point of departure of the assault4 ,the object of the assaulting companies is to cross 8,no ,man's ,land0 as quickly as possible to avoid the enemy's defensive barrage and machine gun fire4 ,consequently1 when the different lines of the first wave jump out of the same parallel of departure1 they will dash across to the enemy's first line with little regard to distances but with a fixed idea of reaching their first objective before the hostile garrison1 and before the enemy's barrage intervenes4 ,they attain their regulation distance as soon as the zone of barrage is passed and when they have arrived at and crossed the first hostile line4 ,in order not to print the attack on the ground1 so to speak1 these different parallels of departure are not constructed in front of your position unless absolutely necessary4 ,they are constructed when the distance across 8,no ,man's ,land0 is more than five hundred yards1 when there is natural cover1 such as woods to conceal them1 and sometimes on reverse slopes4 ,the different defensive lines of the sector make very convenient parallels of departure4 ,the first waves of the assaulting company are placed in the firing and cover trenches of the first line4 ,the reinforcing platoons are disposed in the transversal and intermediate and support lines4 ,behind these lines are constructed places d'armes or assembling places for the reserve troops4 ,these places d'armes consist of a series of short transversal trenches leading off both sides of a central boyau4 ,if the first hostile line is too far from our own first line1 on the night previous to the attack1 hasty parallels of departure are constructed out in 8,no ,man's ,land0 for the leading wave of the assault4 ,this is to give this leading element the best possible chance to arrive at the enemy's first line uninterrupted by artillery fire and before the hostile garrison4 ,the work of preparing the ground for the disposition of the attacking troops also comprehends the following3 ,several boyaux4 ,command posts and observatories in advance of those of the defensive sector4 ,each chief must now be in the middle of his unit and not behind it4 ,depots and medical aid stations4 ,each company has its own little ammunition depot near the post of the captain4 ,ditches for telephone wires4 ,each battalion has telephone wires brought up in its main boyau as far as the first parallel4 ,at this point1 telephone material is stored so that the system can be carried into the enemy's position with the least delay4 ,small bridges are constructed for the passage of the parallels by the reserves4 ,it is not necessary that the shelter accommodations be numerous1 especially in the first line1 because the assaulting troops are brought in only a few days before the attack4 ,the ,execution of the ,works4 ,the second part of the plan of ground disposition contains the details of the execution of the works for the preparation of the ground previous to the attack4 ,this part consists of2 #a4 ,emergency works 7necessary to the assault74 ,observatories and command posts4 ,the first two parallels of departure for each battalion4 ,if none need be constructed1 the defensive lines used for this purpose are designated4 ,secondary boyaux between parallels1 one for each company4 ,entrance and evacuation boyaux4 ,ammunition depots and water points4 ,dressing stations4 ,if there is more time1 the following are constructed3 ,the third and fourth parallels4 ,telephone wires and material brought up4 ,bridges for crossing the parallels4 #b4 ,time of duration of the execution of the works4 ,this may vary from three to twelve days1 or even more1 depending upon circumstances4 #c4 ,division of labor4 ,this depends upon the number of special working parties at your disposal4 ,a whole division may be assigned for this work1 but it is not the division that will make the attack4 #d4 ,tools4 ,the tools required for this work are requisitioned from the headquarters of the attacking army4 #e4 ,ammunition depots4 ,cartridges1 hand grenades1 and signal rockets4 #f4 ,ammunition depots4 ,sandbags and logs4 #g4 ,transportation of supplies4 ,special means of transportation besides the usual ones1 railroads1 motor trucks1 mules1 horses1 etc4 ,artillery ,preparation ,during the time employed in preparing the ground for the attack1 the artillery executes the preliminary bombardment4 ,this comprehends three kinds of fire4 #a4 ,counter-,battery ,fire4 ,a certain part of the artillery is detailed to destroy the hostile batteries or1 if this is not possible1 to neutralize them4 ,this result is obtained by methodical fire on precise targets4 ,each battery or group of batteries is assigned certain emplacements to destroy4 ,counter-battery fire is long-winded work and is begun several days or even weeks before the attack4 ,if the hostile batteries are not destroyed before the time of attack1 they must be neutralized at this moment by violent shelling by all the batteries disposed for this purpose1 with shrapnel and other special shells4 ,this counter-battery action will hinder the hostile artillery from executing defensive fire1 barrage1 preventive fire1 counter-preparation fire4 ,it is carried out by special groups of heavy and light artillery under control of the general4 #b4 ,fire on ,communication ,routes1 ,depots1 etc4 ,this fire1 besides its destructive effect upon the enemy's position1 hinders the arrival of reinforcing troops1 material1 ammunition1 and food4 ,the shelling of distant roads1 depots1 and bivouacs is carried out by batteries of long-range guns4 ,the fire on the nearest communications1 such as interior supply routes1 entrances of boyaux1 kitchen emplacements1 etc41 is executed by light batteries of the divisional artillery4 #c4 ,destructive ,fire4 ,before the attack1 the whole of the enemy's position is submitted to methodical and violent artillery fire for the purpose of destroying3 ,obstacles which may hinder the advance of the assaulting column3 accessory defenses1 such as barbed wire entanglements4 ,elements of the defense1 such as strong points1 machine gun emplacements1 observatories1 depots1 shelters1 and dugouts4 ,each different kind of target calls for a certain number of rounds of a particular caliber4 ,these calculations of the different numbers of rounds are the results of experience and are set down in tables for the information of the sector commander4 ,the time1 therefore1 necessary for a proper preparation for the attack is a function of the number and strength of targets4 ,the artillery preparation may last from one to twenty days1 but it must continue until the elements of the hostile position are sufficiently destroyed to assure a successful attack4 ,before an offensive1 there is placed at the disposal of the attacking divisions1 besides their regular divisional artillery1 a special allotment of batteries4 ,the different calibers of guns are used according to the nature of the target4 ,the largest calibers are employed against the strongest elements of the organization3 nests of resistance1 strong points1 and deep dugouts4 ,light artillery is used to obliterate trenches and boyaux and interior barbed wire entanglements4 ,trench mortars serve to destroy the elements of the first line and its accessory defenses4 ,plan of ,artillery ,action4 ,the details for the execution of these different artillery fires are laid down in the plan of action of the artillery of the army corps or of the division4 ,this plan is a part of the plan of battle of the division4 ,these details must be carried out punctually and with precision4 ,the sector commanders are not interested directly in the execution of these fires1 but they are in their results4 ,duties of the ,infantry during the ,artillery ,preparation4 ,in connection with the artillery fire1 the infantry in the position must observe the results of the bombardment and the leaders report their opinion upon its control4 ,observation4 ,the observation of the counter-battery fire1 long-range fire on communication routes1 and destructive fire on the interior of the position1 falls upon the artillery's ground observers and the aviation service4 ,but the duty of observing the results of destructive fire on the enemy's first line is carried out with the help of the infantry observers4 ,each regiment must observe the front upon which it is to make the attack4 ,special attention is paid to the destruction of barbed wire entanglements and machine gun emplacements4 ,the interested infantry does not content itself with a passive observation1 but must send out at night1 or even in daylight1 offensive reconnaissance parties4 ,their mission is to actually go into the enemy's first line1 to ascertain its condition1 and to investigate the breaches in the hostile entanglements4 ,the tactics of such a reconnaissance are the same as for a raid4 ,the information gathered is sent to the division headquarters in the daily report of the intelligence officer or in special information reports4 ,control4 ,it is both the privilege and the duty of the infantry commanders to state in their daily reports their opinion on the artillery preparation4 ,if they do not express their exact opinion on the progress of the bombardment1 they are liable to pay for their carelessness at the time of the assault4 ,destruction of the ,enemy's ,position4 ,the experiences of three years of trench warfare have given bitter proof that an attack against an insufficiently destroyed position will not only fail but will result in great losses4 ,it is sheer folly to attempt an assault against undestroyed entanglements1 or against a line in which the machine gun posts have not been demolished4 ,one does not oppose materiel with men4 ,in trench warfare1 the conquest of the ground is made by the artillery2 the infantry follow up this conquest to occupy and to hold the ground4 ,the essential condition for the success of an attack depends upon the proper destruction of the elements of a position by the artillery4 ,plan of ,battle4 ,the plan of battle depends upon1 first1 the strength of the enemy1 obstacles to the attacking troops1 lines of defense1 nests of resistances1 barbed wire1 etc42 and secondly1 the mission of the attacking unit and the means at its disposal4 ,strength of the ,enemy4 ,the ,information ,service of a division has so many different methods of obtaining information and data of the enemy and his defenses that the assaulting troops can be constantly kept advised of the state of the hostile position4 ,the regiment receives daily from the division headquarters an information bulletin1 aroplane pictures1 and precise maps of the hostile lines4 ,upon these data the regimental commander bases his plan of battle4 ,comparisons of aroplane pictures and maps are particularly useful4 ,from all these data1 the regimental intelligence officer makes pertinent extracts for the information of the battalion commander4 ,copies of the different maps are distributed by the battalion and company commanders to their officers and non-commissioned officers in order that they may have a better knowledge of the hostile position for the attack4 ,illustration3 ,,convergence ,,on ,,the ,,objective ,,for ,,the ,,attack ,,method ,,of ,,reducing ,a ,,nest ,,of ,,resistance ,mission4 ,the general plan of battle is issued by the division commander4 ,based upon the terms of this order1 the ,colonel1 ,battalion ,commander1 and ,captain issue detailed orders of their own plan of battle4 ,the plan of battle of a small unit usually comprehends the following points3 ,mission of the unit in the attack4 ,front to be attacked1 with definite limits4 ,objectives1 different lines to be taken1 the last objective4 ,disposition of the unit for the attack2 formation1 intervals4 ,disposition of the unit in the parallels of departure before the attack4 ,the day 7,d7 and hour 7,h7 of attack4 ,direction of the attack2 compass angle4 ,position of the leader4 ,tactical relation with the neighboring units during the advance4 ,use of specialists2 machine guns1 trench cleaners1 etc4 ,support of artillery during the attack4 ,unit liaison during the attack3 ,with neighboring units and leaders 7runners1 telephone1 signaling1 carrier pigeons74 ,with the support artillery 7detachment of liaison1 observatories1 and rockets74 ,with air service 7rockets1 signaling1 ,bengal fires74 ,with balloon service 7searchlights74 ,equipment for the attack4 ,supply of ammunition and water2 advanced supply points4 ,evacuation of the wounded2 dressing stations1 routes of evacuation1 auto ambulance points4 ,also1 routes of evacuation for prisoners and assembling points for same4 ,this plan of battle is so drawn up that it may be executed any later day that may be designated in the order for the attack4 ,preparation of the ,men for the ,attack4 ,the work of fitting their men physically1 professionally1 and morally for the task before them devolves upon the leaders of all ranks4 ,by a system of relief1 the men of the garrison get short periods of rest behind the sector to shake off the atmosphere of the trenches4 ,continuous instruction of both men and officers in the basic principles of fighting should be carried on at all times4 ,the moral training of the men depends to a great extent upon the officers4 ,the leaders1 by example and encouraging words1 should instill into their soldiers that fighting spirit which makes for success in battle4 ,,ii4 ,the ,assault ,formations for the ,assault ,disposition in ,depth4 ,the assault has for its purpose the capture of the first hostile line1 that is to say1 the crossing of 8,no ,man's ,land0 and penetrating the enemy's position4 ,the assault is only the beginning of the combat4 ,when the breach has been made in the enemy's first line1 the assaulting and reinforcing troops must continue the fighting in the interior for the conquest of the position4 ,the direct object of the assault is to open the way for the attacking troops into the position4 ,the attacking troops are disposed in depth in a series of echelons1 so that during the advance each echelon is brought into the battle at the proper moment4 ,this rule of formation in depth is followed without exception by every unit of whatever size4 ,illustration3 ,a ,battalion ,attack ,formation 7,distances in ,yds47 ,the regiment forms with one or two assaulting battalions1 and two or one battalion behind in reserve4 ,the battalion has three or1 better1 only two assaulting companies and one or two companies with machine guns1 in the second echelon as support4 ,the company may have three1 but more usually two1 assaulting platoons with one or more reinforcing platoons in the second line4 ,waves4 ,the successive echelons have received the name 8waves40 ,this designation is expressive but not clear1 and causes mistakes4 ,first1 waves may be formed by different dispositions3 in deployed line or in line of small columns4 ,secondly1 the waves are not always composed of the same strength of troops or units1 and consequently are not of the same disposition4 ,the battalion commander will designate his first assaulting company as his first assaulting wave4 ,similarly1 the company commander designates his assaulting platoons as the first wave2 and the platoon leader1 his first skirmish line as the first wave of the platoon4 ,illustration3 ,,attacking ,,company ,,two ,,platoons ,,in ,,the ,,first ,,line ,lastly1 the real significance of the term 8wave0 lies in its application to the formation of the departure of the attack and during the first part of its advance into the interior of the hostile position4 ,as soon as the assaulting echelons are held up by nests of resistance1 they are obliged to halt while neighboring echelons on both flanks continue the advance4 ,also1 reinforcing units will come up from behind to outflank such a nest4 ,as soon as such a condition arises within the enemy's position1 the disposition of the troops in waves is lost and the fight is continued in the best formation possible under the circumstances4 ,formation of an ,assaulting ,battalion ,assaulting ,companies4 ,in an assaulting company1 a certain number of platoons are placed in the first or assaulting line1 and the rest in the second line as reinforcing platoons4 ,the assaulting platoons deploy usually in two lines of skirmishers1 the different specialists being assigned to places in these lines depending upon their functions in the attack4 ,the line of assaulting platoons is known as the line of combat4 ,a third line of grenadiers follows closely behind the assaulting platoon1 and may be called a part of it4 ,these grenadiers are furnished by the reinforcing platoons and are known as trench cleaners4 ,their function does not begin until the hostile line is reached1 and it is to clear out the trenches of the first line of the enemy while the assaulting troops continue their advance in the open ground4 ,illustration3 ,,attacking ,,company ,,three ,,platoons ,,in ,,the ,,first ,,line ,the reinforcing platoons are either deployed in lines of skirmishers or lines of small columns4 ,these platoons constitute the line of reinforcement and follow the advance of the assaulting platoons at a distance of about forty to sixty yards4 ,the machine guns detailed to the assaulting companies by the chief of battalion are placed with the reinforcing platoons and are usually carried on the flanks4 ,considering the battalion as the assaulting unit and adopting the term 8wave0 to designate each platoon1 we may say that the company of the first echelon of the assault is disposed in two waves4 ,the position of the captain is in front of the second wave between the two reinforcing platoons4 ,his liaison group remains with him4 ,supporting ,companies4 ,the supporting companies of an assaulting battalion constitute the second echelon4 ,these companies1 also1 are formed in two waves4 ,these waves are formed like those of the reinforcing platoons of the assaulting company1 either in deployed lines or in lines of small columns4 ,usually the battalion has two companies in the first line and two in the second line4 ,in other words1 the battalion carries out the assault in two echelons of two waves each1 the distance between the two echelons being from #bjj to #cjj yards4 ,in rear of the support companies and following their advance1 are the remaining machine guns of the battalion and the #cg mm4 platoon4 ,the position of the battalion commander with his liaison group is directly in front of the second echelon and between his support companies4 ,disposition of ,assaulting ,battalion in the ,departure ,trenches4 ,we have seen that for an attack the ground is specially organized for this purpose and the attacking troops are disposed in successive parallels or places d'armes4 ,usually this disposition is as follows3 ,the two waves of the assaulting companies are placed in the first and second parallels which under ordinary circumstances will be the fire trench and cover trench of the first defensive line4 ,consequently1 the different lines of each wave will occupy the same parallel1 but at the moment of the assault the successive departures of the lines will permit them to automatically gain the necessary distances to separate them in the advance across 8,no ,man's ,land40 ,for example1 let us assume that there are four lines 7this is the maximum7 placed in one parallel4 ,the men are numbered from #a to #d in successive groups of four each4 ,each ,no4 #a man belongs to the first line2 each ,no1 #b1 to the second line1 and so on4 ,the distance between similar numbers in the parallels is about four paces1 giving the proper skirmish intervals to the line4 ,at the given signal of the leader of the line1 the ,no4 #a's go over the top4 ,the ,no4 #b's follow at the prescribed distance ordered or at another signal given by their leader4 ,the other lines follow similarly1 so that the assaulting troops have the regulation interval in line and a prescribed 7not always regulation7 distance in depth4 ,the two waves of the support companies are placed in a third parallel or place d'armes4 ,this third parallel is usually an intermediate trench1 or special work1 executed for this purpose1 located between the first and second defensive lines4 ,machine guns and #cg mm4 guns are located on the ground in relation to their places in the advance during the attack4 ,the battalions which are kept as reserves according to the plan of battle of the sector commander1 are disposed in places d'armes organized behind the parallels of departure4 ,the colonel and his headquarters occupy a command post directly behind the assaulting battalion from where he can witness the launching of the assault and the crossing of 8,no ,man's ,land40 ,order of the ,attack4 ,the attacking troops take the disposition that has just been explained some days before the attack4 ,this disposition is laid down in a paragraph of the ,plan of ,battle4 ,each leader of an attacking unit1 with a map of the ground on which his area is specially outlined1 must study his disposition on the ground previous to the arrival of his troops4 ,besides this1 the leaders must pay special attention to the hostile position1 verifying the direction of the attack1 and identifying the successive objectives and the nests of resistance that will be encountered4 ,when the general who is in charge of the attack judges that the artillery preparation is sufficient1 that the supply systems for the attack are properly organized1 that all is ready and1 in short1 that the psychological moment has arrived1 he gives his order for the attack4 ,based upon the divisional order for the attack1 the colonels1 battalion commanders1 and captains issue their own orders4 ,the difference between the plan of battle and the order for the attack lies in the fact that the latter fixes all the details of execution of the general operations laid down in the former4 ,but also1 the order for the attack contemplates the first measures to be taken as soon as the assault is carried out1 especially the extension of the liaisons 7telephone lines7 and communications 7boyaux7 from the first parallel of departure up to the enemy's position4 ,the order for the attack contains precise details of the following points3 ,exact hour of the attack2 or signal rocket for the same4 ,details of the successive objectives2 different resistances that will probably be encountered4 ,time-table of the moving barrage and the rate of its advance4 ,prolongation of the telephone lines2 particular wires to be extended4 ,prolongation of communications2 boyaux to be built at night across 8,no ,man's ,land02 units detailed for this purpose4 ,supply of ammunition and water in the captured position2 points of distribution4 ,departure of the ,assault ,the hour 7,h74 ,we have now arrived at the most important and critical moment of the battle1 the hour 7,h7 of launching of the assault4 ,a few minutes before the hour 7,h7 the men take the places assigned them in the parallels with strict orders to remain there4 ,bayonets are fixed on the rifles4 ,useless movements and noise of any kind are prohibited4 ,each man holds himself in readiness awaiting the signal of his immediate chief4 ,each chief of unit himself ascertains that his men are in readiness and in good condition for the assault4 ,he sends all wounded back to shelter4 ,the leader must impress his men with the confidence that he knows his duty1 that he has foreseen and is prepared to meet all circumstances of the coming battle2 ,the value of troops at this moment depends upon their leaders4 ,support ,artillery4 ,during the time just preceding the hour 7,h7 all the artillery which does not execute counter-battery fire is employed to protect the assault4 ,a part of this artillery is given to each of the assaulting battalions as support artillery4 ,liaison and observation detachments are sent by this artillery to the infantry battalions to which they are attached4 ,these detachments have the same composition and rle as explained in the defense of a position4 ,the artillery support holds under its fire that part of the hostile line assigned to its infantry battalion4 ,a violent fire is especially directed against the enemy's first line1 the objective of the assault4 ,protected by this fire1 the assaulting battalion moves forward4 ,for a few moments after the launching of the first waves over the top1 this fire remains on the enemy's first line4 ,the protective barrage is then lifted and is established on the hostile second line1 where it also remains for a certain time1 according to the barrage time-table1 and so on4 ,departure of the ,first ,echelon 7,assaulting ,companies74 ,at the precise moment or signal the first wave of an assaulting company jumps out of its parallel of departure1 the different lines of which it is composed being formed as previously explained4 ,in a similar manner1 as soon as the first wave is launched1 the second wave goes over the top of its parallel4 ,all the different lines of the different assaulting companies advance straight to the front towards their first objective4 ,the rate of advance1 although not a run1 is as rapid as the circumstances of the torn up ground of 8,no ,man's ,land0 will permit1 at the same time maintenance of the formations being paramount4 ,success depends upon the proper location of the specialists in the formations of the waves1 and this order must not be lost in the confusion that results from too much speed4 ,the result is that all the lines of the assaulting companies start almost at the same time from the two parallels of departure1 and with shorter distances between the lines than that called for by regulation4 ,this formation is not a drawback1 but1 on the contrary1 works to better advantage4 ,the first and most important thing to avoid at this time is the defensive barrage of the watchful enemy4 ,this is established as soon as he is aware of the assault4 ,if the reinforcing line follows closely behind the line of combat1 it has a better chance of passing the danger zone before the enemy's barrage is established4 ,a company caught under the enemy's barrage will lose1 on an average1 fifty per cent4 of its effectives4 ,also1 the assaulting companies must arrive in the first hostile line as quickly as possible behind their own barrage4 ,the assaulting platoons1 who set the pace1 should arrive there almost 8as soon as the barrage lifts40 ,troops that arrive at this opportune moment will surprise the enemy in his shelters or in the act of taking his place on the firing line4 ,it is better to risk losing a few lives by your own barrage than to give the enemy time to man his first line4 ,finally1 the regulation distances between the different lines and waves will be attained during the progress after passing the enemy's first line4 ,departure of the ,second ,echelon 7,supporting ,companies74 ,when the first echelon1 or assaulting companies1 have crossed 8,no ,man's ,land10 the battalion commander usually launches the second echelon1 or supporting companies4 ,by this time1 the battalion commander will have an impression of the assault1 and the distance which separates the two echelons is at this moment the one usually required 7#bjj to #cjj yards74 ,in order to avoid the enemy's barrage and to profit by any lull in his fire1 the battalion commander chooses the exact moment for the departure of the second echelon4 ,advance of the ,reserves4 ,as soon as all the waves of the assaulting battalion have penetrated the enemy's position1 the reserve battalions of the regiment leave their places d'armes and move forward through boyaux to the first parallels of departure4 ,in this position they await the order of the colonel to advance into the enemy's position to join the combat for its conquest4 ,the colonel awaits the first report from his assaulting battalion before giving the order for the advance of the reserves4 ,,iii4 ,fighting in the ,interior of the ,position and ,exploitation ,principle of the ,fighting4 ,the fundamental principle of the fighting in the interior of the position is that each attacking unit from the division down to the battalion receives a definite objective4 ,this objective is usually an area containing the lines of the hostile position with precise flanking limits4 ,the farthest line in the objective area must be gained by the units at all costs4 ,beyond this last objective1 strong reconnaissance parties and patrols are sent to keep contact with the enemy4 ,usually the attacking regiments1 which carry out the struggle in the interior of the position1 are assigned the mission to capture the third or covering line of the artillery4 ,the continuation of the struggle beyond this line and the capturing of the enemy's guns is what is called 8the tactical exploitation of the success40 ,the troops that carry out this operation are the reserves of the division held out for this particular purpose4 ,the plan of battle does not include orders for this action4 ,details of the ,interior ,fighting4 ,let us follow an attacking regiment in its progress in the interior of a hostile position1 and consider the use of the different echelons of which it is composed3 assaulting companies1 reinforcing companies1 and reserves4 ,assaulting ,companies4 ,the advance of the assaulting platoons regulates the advance of all the successive elements4 ,these platoons1 after crossing the first hostile line1 continue their movement without hesitation4 ,the rate of advance is1 of course1 variable with the difficulties of the ground and the strength of the hostile organization4 ,for this reason it cannot be very rapid4 ,the pace of the leading elements of the assaulting column is foreseen in the plan of battle 7depends upon the strength of the enemy's position71 and this becomes the rate of advance of the moving barrage4 ,if no unforeseen and serious resistance is encountered1 the assaulting platoons will be able to keep up with their protective barrage4 ,sometimes1 however1 they may halt for a moment in their progress under cover of some shelter to regain their alignment4 ,as a part of the assaulting platoon comes the trench-cleaner detachment4 ,the trench cleaners are armed with hand grenades and trench knives4 ,their function is to enter the hostile trenches taken and1 profiting by the surprise effect of the attack1 to vanquish the last resistance and to make prisoners of the defenders still in the dugouts4 ,they pay special attention to picketing all entrances1 exits1 and shafts of dugouts so that detachments of the enemy cannot come out and fire into the rear of the waves that have already crossed4 ,if the different lines of the hostile platoon are very far apart1 the number of trench cleaners is increased1 a detachment dropping off in each line4 ,as long as the assaulting platoons do not meet resistance1 the reinforcing platoons follow the former at the regulation distance to avoid mixing of the different waves of the attack4 ,if1 however1 the assaulting platoons suffer severe losses1 and are unable to continue the progress1 the reinforcing platoon1 either by order of the captain or upon the initiative of its leader1 moves up and reinforces the combat line4 ,its function then becomes the same as that of the assaulting platoon4 ,again1 if a gap should occur in the combat line1 due to losses or extension of the front1 the reinforcing platoon moves in that direction and fills the gap4 ,in general1 the tactics of the reinforcing platoon are always to assure continuity of progress by outflanking resistances that have stopped the advance of the platoon in front4 ,the machine guns attached to an assaulting unit follow and protect the flanks4 ,when halted they fire on retreating hostile troops and on special points of resistance4 ,their special use1 however1 is against counterattacks4 ,reinforcing ,companies4 ,the reinforcing companies1 with the machine gun reserve and #cg mm4 gun of the assaulting battalion1 after they have penetrated the hostile position1 follow the progress of the assaulting waves at the prescribed distance4 ,they advance in line of small columns but make use of any cover that the ground affords to minimize losses from hostile fire4 ,during this advance1 their mission is to rally all the elements of the assaulting companies and push them forward2 and also to watch out for the flanks1 pushing out to protect them on their own initiative if necessary4 ,but when the line of combat is held up by resistance the supporting companies are maneuvered by order of the battalion commander4 ,naturally1 the whole line of combat will not progress uniformly4 ,certain assaulting platoons will be held up by nests of resistance1 while others in the intervals will carry on with less interruption4 ,reinforcing platoons and support companies are maneuvered to outflank such nests of resistance and to fill the resulting gaps in the combat line4 ,illustration3 ,,maneuvers ,,against ,a ,,nest ,,of ,,resistance ,let us take a concrete example of an assaulting company followed by a supporting company held up by a nest of resistance 7a ravine1 reverse slope1 or woods strongly organized with machine guns7 and follow the movements of the reinforcing platoons and supporting company4 7,examine the diagram showing maneuvers against a nest of resistance in connection with the following explanation47 ,the first figure shows the formation of the four platoons of an assaulting company advancing in the interior of a position followed by a supporting company4 ,the #ast and #bnd are the assaulting platoons1 and the #crd and #dth the reinforcing platoons4 ,the supporting company follows in double column of platoons4 ,the second figure shows the #ast assaulting platoon held up by a nest of resistance with the #crd or reinforcing platoon moved up on the right flank4 ,platoons #b and #d of the same company carry on1 and this movement results in a gap in the line of combat between the #bnd and #crd platoons4 ,the third figure shows the #ast and #bnd platoons of the supporting company moved up in this gap1 and the #crd and #dth platoons acting as reserves4 ,the nest of resistance is thus attacked from the front and flank and the continuity of the combat line maintained4 ,when a nest of resistance is encountered the attacking troops must not accumulate in front1 as this will multiply the losses4 ,the line of combat will attack the front of a nest of resistance while the successive reinforcing and supporting waves maneuver against its flanks4 ,the battalion commander will use all the weapons at his disposal as machine guns1 #cg mm4 guns1 and rifle grenades to reduce the nest of resistance4 ,if this method fails he will have to call on the artillery for help1 but this necessitates a modification of the artillery barrage time-table4 ,rle of the ,artillery during the ,attack4 ,during the attack the artillery carries out the following different fires3 ,counter-battery fire4 ,protective fire on the flanks of the attack4 ,accompaniment or barrage fire4 ,the first two fires are executed by a part of the artillery directly under the chief of artillery of the division1 who in turn is under the control of the general4 ,the third kind of fire is executed by the support artillery1 detailed to the different assaulting battalions as in the defensive organization4 ,the action of this artillery directly interests each infantry chief of area1 to whom are sent liaison detachments and observers 7an officer1 ,n4 ,c4 ,o4's1 and artillery orderlies74 ,this third kind of fire is the only one that we will consider in detail4 ,principle of the ,accompaniment ,fire4 ,during the progress of the attack the support artillery establishes a moving barrage in front of the advancing infantry4 ,this barrage travels by bounds4 ,it remains for a certain time on each defensive line and at intervals between them so as to thoroughly sweep the intervening ground4 ,the time-table1 or rate of this moving barrage1 is laid down in the plan of action of the artillery4 ,the infantry leaders of course are acquainted with this time-table4 ,other ,means of ,controlling the ,barrage4 ,the moving barrage may also be advanced successively by order of the commanding general according to information received from the leading elements of the assaulting battalion1 from the artillery or aroplane observers4 ,calls may be made directly from the line of combat by rockets1 or other means of liaison4 ,with reference to the barrage there are two uses of rockets2 one is for calling the barrage in the defensive1 and the other is calling for an advance of the barrage during the attack4 ,it may be remarked that it is impossible to call for a decrease in range of the barrage as this1 of course1 would be dangerous to your own troops4 ,it is better to decrease the rate of advance of the barrage rather than to have it move too quickly and risk abandoning the infantry4 ,lastly1 the preceding means for controlling the barrage can be employed in conjunction4 ,that is to say1 a time-table for the barrage is adhered to during the first part of the advance when the positions of the hostile lines are well known1 while during the last part1 when the infantry's progress is not so regular and the ground is not so well known1 each advance of the barrage may be called for by rocket1 as each resistance met with is disposed of4 ,if an assaulting battalion meets a resistance which it cannot reduce by its own means1 it must call upon the support artillery for help4 ,to do this1 the artillery must halt its barrage and for an interval the time-table is not in effect4 ,such an emergency calls for a special action on the part of the support artillery1 and also for the intervention of any other artillery at the disposal of the general4 ,this particular action of the artillery may be called for automatically by rocket or by the other means of liaison4 ,the rle of the officer and ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 of the artillery liaison detachment is to give the artillery the precise technical information necessary in such a case to establish its fire on a nest of resistance4 ,this action of halting the barrage and giving the artillery a new objective is exceptional and delicate to execute4 ,as soon as the resistance is reduced1 the time-table is resumed4 ,liaisons ,during the ,attack4 ,the proper co-ordination of all the foreseen developments of the attack lies in a good system of liaison4 ,there must be leadership liaison for the transmission of orders and reports1 and infantry-artillery liaison for the proper co-operation of the two arms4 ,the means of liaison in the offensive are the same as those considered in the defensive organization4 ,the principle of their use is the same but made more difficult by the progress of the different attacking echelons4 ,it is the duty of all leaders to foresee the establishment of liaison for the engagement in their plan of battle1 and also for the prolongation of these means with the advance of the attacking troops4 ,the means of liaison are3 ,telephone lines 7for leadership in artillery4 ,they are lengthened from the parallel of departure to the interior of the enemy's position47 ,signal communication 7established from the enemy's position to a central point in the rear74 ,rockets 7precise signification of each kind laid down in orders74 ,carried pigeons 7headquarters that are to carry these laid down in orders74 ,detachment of special runners 7essential to be established between all units74 ,aviation4 ,during the advance1 a particular system of liaison is established with the air service4 ,each division has at its disposal a certain number of accompanying planes that fly low and follow the assaulting battalions4 ,their duty is to establish communication between the leading elements of the advancing infantry1 and the artillery1 and the commanding general4 ,the infantry signal to these airplanes by means of rockets and ,bengal fires1 and the planes in turn communicate with the artillery and the commanding general by means of wireless4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,trench ,,orders ,the following outline gives a synopsis of information required in various paragraphs for ,battalion ,orders in ,trench ,warfare1 followed by models of each4 ,six orders are given in these models1 viz43 ,i4 ,plan of ,attack4 ,,ii4 ,order for the ,attack4 ,,iii4 ,preliminary ,order for a ,relief4 ,,iv4 ,march ,order for ,relief4 ,v4 ,plan of ,advance4 ,,vi4 ,a ,raid4 ,i4 ,plan of ,attack 7,issued several days before attack7 #a4 ,rle of ,battalion1 i4 e41 general description of offensive and whether battalion is in first line or reserve4 #b4 ,zone of ,attack4 ,accurate description of boundaries of hostile position to be attacked4 #c4 ,objectives4 ,number of trenches to be assaulted and trench at which offensive will halt4 #d4 ,disposition for the ,attack4 ,companies in assaulting line--companies in support--apportionment of objectives to companies--distance between assaulting and supporting companies--disposition of ,m4 ,g4 ,co4 and #cg mm4 gun--location of battalion ,c4 ,o4 during assault4 #e4 ,disposition of ,units in ,parallels of ,departure4 ,describe accurately trenches each unit will start from3 e4 g4 ,assaulting ,cos4--first line and cover trenches4 ,supporting ,cos4--intermediate trenches or places d'armes nearby starting points of battalion ,c4 ,o41 ,m4 ,g4 ,co4 and #cg mm4 gun4 #f4 ,direction of the ,attack4 ,landmark to guide on1 also compass direction4 #g4 ,tactical ,relation with ,neighboring ,units4 ,troops on flanks of battalion and responsibility for liaison therewith4 ,patrolling to establish connection if necessary4 #h4 ,artillery ,support during ,attack4 ,barrage to start at hour ,h4 ,where and how long it will halt beyond the last objective4 #i4 ,liaison during ,attack4 ,usual liaison with artillery and aroplanes-- telephone lines to be established during attack--signals such as ,bengal lights to show progress of assaulting companies4 #aj4 ,supply4 ,detachments 7usually from supporting companies7 to carry ammunition4 ,hour at which and points from which they will start4 #aa4 ,evacuation4 ,evacuation point for wounded and assembly point for prisoners4 99 99 99 99 99 ,details not stated in this order4 ,time of attack--detailed instructions for barrage4 ,liaison to be established after attack--equipment to be taken4 ,information of the enemy not given as all officers have maps of enemy's trenches as well as of their own trench system4 ,,ii4 ,order for the ,attack 7,issued night before attack is to be made7 #a4 ,time2 i4 e41 hour ,h4 #b4 ,further details of assault than given in previous order4 #c4 ,further details concerning barrage1 i4 e41 ,halts to be made by barrage--rate of travel4 #d4 ,liaison to be established after attack4 #e4 ,supplies to be carried4 ,,iii4 ,preliminary ,order for a ,relief 7,issued night before reconnaissance2 i4 e4 #bd to #cf hours before relief7 #a4 7,based on regimental order47 ,battalion to be relieved--,sector4 ,general ,description of ,sector3 ,centers of resistance--troops in each-- troops on right and left of sector--reserve-command post of ,colonel1 ,command ,post of artillery support ,commander4 ,note3 ,battalion needs know no more about artillery support than location of command post4 ,details as to location of guns are not given out4 #b4 ,disposition of ,battalion in ,center4 ,accurate description of3 ,first line and units occupying it--intermediate line and units occupying it-- support line and units occupying it--,battalion ,command post--stations of machine gun company--dressing station4 #c4 ,hour at which usual reconnaissance will be completed--each officer to reconnoiter area assigned him in #b4 #d4 ,hour at which ,major will assume command of center of resistance4 ,,iv4 ,order for the ,march of the ,relief 7,issued after reconnaissance and several hours before relief starts7 #a4 ,dispersion point fixed by ,colonel--,battalion's place in regiment--hour at which battalion clears dispersion point4 #b4 ,relief to be made as per preceding order4 ,order of march of units in battalion4 ,routes to be followed and formation taken from dispersion point to point of rendezvous of guides4 #c4 ,hour at which the guides will be at rendezvous4 ,location of rendezvous4 ,routes by which guides will conduct various units to their places4 #d4 ,hour and place ration details will report to ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 from battalion headquarters to go to kitchens for rations4 ,hour at which daily requests for material and ammunition will reach ,major4 ,whether ,major has depot to fill emergency requests4 #e4 ,reports to be submitted by ,captains4 ,usually written report upon occupation of area and daily reports submitted at same time as requests for material4 ,v4 ,plan of ,defense #a4 ,direction and nature of probable attacks4 #b4 ,plan of ,defense of center4 ,duties of first line ,companies4 ,orders for machine guns4 ,platoons to support machine guns4 #c4 ,counterattack4 ,platoons for counterattack--their routes--reinforcing platoons to replace them4 #d4 ,artillery ,support4 ,to establish barrage in 8,no ,man's ,land0 at usual 7rocket7 call4 #e4 ,supply4 ,extra grenades or ammunition to be carried by counterattack or reinforcing platoons4 ,,vi4 ,a ,raid #a4 ,date1 hour1 objective1 and purpose of raid4 #b4 ,composition of and company furnishing raiding party4 #c4 ,assistance to ,raiders--,details of ,execution of ,raid3 e4 g41 ,grenadiers to protect flanks4 ,objective4 ,direction of attack4 ,preparation of explosives to destroy enemy's wire4 ,rocket signal for blowing up wire1 rush of raiders and start of artillery or rifle grenade barrage4 ,duration of raid4 ,direction and return of raiders4 #d4 ,duration and location of barrage4 #e4 ,supplies4 ,raid is generally made by men from an organization in rear 7support or reserve74 ,captain of first line company provides the material3 ,grenades1 tools1 explosives1 rockets1 etc4 ,i4 ,plan of ,attack #ast ,bn4 #crd ,inf4 #dgth ,div41 ,bn4 ,command ,post1 #a ,nov4 #ag1 #b p4 m4 ,field ,orders ,no4 #g ,map ,,berry-,,au-,,bac1 ,n4 ,o4 #a4 ,rle4 ,in the attack this ,bn4 will be in the first line4 ,it will attack the west slope of the ,,enclume ,,wood in a general offensive in conjunction with the ,bns4 on both flanks4 #b4 ,zone of ,attack4 ,the zone of attack will be limited as follows3 ,on the left by the road from ,,temple ,,farm to ,,corbeny 7exclusive71 on the right by the imaginary line marked by the points1 boyau ,,st4 ,,pol1 point #fiji 7first ,german line71 point #gaji 7cover trench1 first line7 hill #fi4b point #gbaf 7,german support line7 and topographical point #gh4h1 all these points inclusive4 #c4 ,objectives4 #ast4 ,first ,german line1 ,plaine trench4 #bnd4 ,cover trench1 ,,enver ,,pasha trench4 #crd4 ,support trenches1 ,l',,enclume trench on the east and ,,marteau trench on the west4 ,on this last objective the assaulting companies will halt1 maintaining contact with the enemy by means of contact patrols1 especially on the right front towards the ,,forgeron ,,wood and the west edge of the ,l',,enclume ,,wood4 #d4 ,disposition for the ,attack4 ,the ,bn4 will attack with two ,cos4 in the assaulting line and two ,cos4 in support4 ,assaulting ,cos4 7,a and ,b7 will take the usual assaulting disposition4 ,each ,co4 will be reinforced by a ,m4 ,g4 platoon4 ,the zones of action of the assaulting ,cos4 will be divided by the line3 ,point #fejb 7,,anspach trench71 point #ffjf 7in the ,,bonnet ,,persan ,,wood71 and the boyau ,,parseval from point #fgab to point #fiai4 ,all these points to be included by the left ,co4 ,the distance between assaulting ,cos4 7,a ,b71 and supporting ,cos4 7,c ,d7 will be #cjj yards4 ,the remaining sections of ,m4 ,g4 ,co4 and the #cg mm4 gun will follow the left supporting ,co4 7,c7 at #ajj yards4 ,the ,bn4 ,c4 ,o4 will be located in front of the reinforcing companies to the left of the center1 on the general axis of march1 the boyau ,,parseval4 #e4 ,disposition of ,units in ,parallel of ,departure4 ,the assaulting ,cos4 will use for their parallels of departure the fire and cover line trenches between the boyau ,,st4 ,,pol and ,,lievin 7inc474 ,the supporting ,cos4 will use for their parallels of departure the ,,anspach trench1 and the places d'armes built in rear of this trench and on each side of the boyau ,,st4 ,,omer and ,,st4 ,,pol4 ,the ,bn4 ,c4 ,o4 with his headquarters1 will start from the point of intersection of the ,,anspach trench and the ,,st4 ,,omer boyau4 ,the ,m4 ,g4 reserve and #cg mm4 gun are located in the #ebj ,m4 trench4 #f4 ,direction of the ,attack4 ,the general direction of the attack is on the ,r4 ,r4 station at south edge of ,,corbeny1 compass direction ,n4 #aj ,e4 #g4 ,tactical ,relation with ,neighboring ,units4 ,left3 connecting with #bnd ,bn4 #crd ,inf4 on the road4 ,permanent liaison will be assured by the assaulting ,cos4 ,right3 connection with #bnd ,inf4 at the points #fiji and #gbaf4 ,the right supporting ,co4 will take a formation in echelon with the right element refused1 this latter element establishing connection with the troops to the right during the advance4 ,reconnoitering patrols will also establish connection with the troops on the right in the ,l',,enclume ,,wood4 #h4 ,artillery ,support during ,attack4 ,the assaulting waves will be protected by a moving barrage which will start at the hour 7,h74 ,the moving barrage will halt and remain on the line #bjj yards beyond the last objective at the hour 7,h plus #ej minutes74 #i4 ,liaison during ,attack4 ,usual liaison with the artillery and airplanes 7rockets and flags74 ,as soon as the assaulting ,cos4 arrive in or halt before the third objective1 a telephone liaison will be established between the ,co4 commanders and the ,bn4 commander4 ,a ,bengal line of fire will be lighted by the assaulting ,cos4 when they reach the #bnd and the #crd objectives4 #aj4 ,supply4 ,each supporting ,co4 will send a party often men to the ,,temple ,,farm as supply detachments4 ,these detachments will start with ammunition supply at the hour 7,h plus #a hour7 for the command posts of the assaulting ,cos4 in the captured position4 #aa4 ,evacuation4 ,evacuation point for wounded will be at ,,rivoli ,,center 7northeast edge of ,,de ,,beau ,,marais ,,wood74 ,assembly point for prisoners will be at ,,temple ,,farm4 99 99 99 99 99 ,major1 #crd ,inf41 ,bn4 ,comdr4 ,,ii4 ,order for the ,attack #ast4 ,bn4 #crd ,inf4 #dgth ,div41 ,bn4 ,command ,post1 #d ,nov4 #ag4 #g p4 m4 ,field ,orders ,no4 #h ,map4 ,,berry ,,au ,,bac ,n4 ,o4 #a4 ,in accordance with ,field ,orders #g1 these headquarters1 the attack will be made at the hour 7,h74 ,h #aj3cj ,a4 ,m4 #b4 ,the three objectives of the attack are3 #ast1 ,,plaine trench2 #bnd1 ,,enver ,,pasha trench2 #crd1 ,l',,enclume and ,,marteau trenches4 ,for the capture of these three objectives the plan of the ,bn4 commander is as follows3 ,the assaulting ,cos41 after taking the #ast and #bnd objectives will proceed to the attack of the #crd objective1 while the mopping up parties clean up the captured trenches4 ,as the assaulting ,cos4 leave the #bnd objective1 the ,bn4 commander will give the order for the supporting ,cos4 to start1 in order that they will reach the #bnd objective at the same time the assaulting ,cos4 reach the #crd4 ,in case the assaulting ,cos4 are compelled to stop before reaching the #crd objective1 the ,bn4 commander will use the supporting ,cos4 to outflank the nest of resistance expected to be encountered in ,l',,enclume wood4 #c4 ,the moving barrage will halt #aj minutes immediately in rear of the #bnd objective and #aj minutes on the #crd objective4 ,with the exception of these halts the barrage will move at a uniform rate of #bj yards per minute4 #d4 ,as soon as the ,bn4 commander reaches the point #fiai a telephone liaison will be established from the starting point in the ,,anspach trench to point #fiai4 ,from point #fiai a signal liaison will be established with the artillery observation post in the ,,edmond ,,butte4 #e4 ,the supply detachments will carry #djj hand grenades1 #ej illuminating and #ej signal rockets4 99 99 99 99 99 ,major #crd ,inf41 ,bn4 ,comdr4 ,,iii4 ,preliminary ,order for a ,relief ,order for the ,occupation of a ,center of ,resistance ,field ,orders ,no4 #e4 #crd ,bn4 #hjth ,inf4 #a ,nov4 #ag4 #f p4 m4 #a4 ,in accordance with orders of the regimental commander1 the #hjth ,inf4 will relieve the #acbnd ,inf4 in the ,,temple sector during the night #b-c ,nov4 #ag4 ,in this sector two ,bns4 are in the first line in the centers of resistance ,,bonnet ,,persan ,,wood and ,,pins ,,butte4 ,the #crd ,bn4 #hjth ,inf4 will occupy the ,,bonnet ,,persan ,,wood center1 which is limited on the east by the ,,st4 ,,pol boyau 7inclusive7 and on the west by the ,,temple ,,farm-,,corbeny road 7exclusive7 which road is the dividing line between the two centers4 ,adjoining units3 ,on the right the #deth ,inf41 occupying ,,epinal sector4 ,on the left the #ast ,bn41 #hjth ,inf41 occupying ,,pins ,,butte center4 ,in reserve1 #bnd ,bn41 #hjth ,inf41 in the ,,beau ,,marais ,,wood4 ,command post of the regimental commander 7sector commander71 ,,temple ,,farm4 ,command post of the artillery support commander 7#gbnd ,a4 ,c471 ,,edmond ,,butte4 #b4 ,disposition of the ,bn4 in the ,,bonnet ,,persan ,,wood center4 ,in the first line3 ,co4 ,a in the firing and doubling trench 7,baden trench7 between the ,,st4 ,,pol and ,,bonnet ,,persan boyaux 7both inclusive71 ,co4 ,c in the same firing and doubling trench between the ,,bonnet ,,persan boyau 7exclusive7 and the ,,lievin boyau 7inclusive74 ,in the intermediate line 7,,anspach trench73 ,co4 ,b and the detachment of pioneers4 ,in the support line 7#ebj ,m trench73 ,co4 ,d and ,bn4 ,hq4 ,command post of the ,bn4 ,cmdr4 7,commander of the center71 ,command post of ,,st4 ,,omer 7in the ,,st4 ,,omer boyau74 ,three sections of the ,m4 ,g4 ,co4 will relieve same numbered sections of the relieved ,co4 in the different lines of the center4 ,the remainder of the ,m4 ,g4 ,co4 with the #cg mm4 gun will be kept as ,bn4 reserve in the #ebj ,m trench4 ,dressing station3 in the #ebj ,m trench at the intersection with ,,st4 ,,omer boyau4 #c4 ,the reconnaissance for the relief will be made early in the morning of #b ,nov4 #ag 7usual composition7 and will be completed at #aj a4 m4 ,each officer will reconnoiter the area assigned to him in this order4 #d4 ,after the relief the ,bn4 ,cmdr4 will assume command of the center at #f a4 m4 #c ,nov4 #ag4 99 99 99 99 99 ,major #hjth ,inf41 ,bn4 ,cmdr4 ,,iv4 ,order for the ,march of the ,relief ,field ,orders ,no4 #f4 #crd ,bn41 #hjth ,inf41 #b ,nov4 #ag4--ab o'clock noon4 #a4 ,in accordance with orders of ,regimental ,commander1 the dispersion point of the regiment for entering the ,,temple ,,farm sector will be ,,pontavers4 ,this ,bn4 will be the first ,bn4 to leave4 ,it will clear ,,pontavers at #e p4 m4 #b4 ,the occupation of the ,,bonnet ,,persan ,,wood center will be made in accordance with ,field ,orders ,no4 #e1 these headquarters4 ,the order of march of the ,bn4 will be3 ,co4 ,a1 ,co4 ,c1 ,bn4 ,hq41 ,c4 ,b41 ,dtch4 ,pioneers1 ,co4 ,d1 ,mach4 ,gun ,co41 and #cg mm4 gun4 ,the march from ,,pontavers to ,,halte will be via the ,,corbeny road in column of squads with #bjj yards distance between cos4 ,from ,,halte to point of rendezvous of the guides the ,bn4 will march along the right of ,r4 ,r4 track in column of twos with #bjj yards distance between cos4 #c4 ,the usual guides will be sent from the relieved ,bn4 to be at the point of rendezvous by #f o'clock p4 m4 ,the point of rendezvous of the guides will be south of ,,edmond ,,butte at the intersection of the ,,corbeny road and the ,r4 ,r4 track4 ,from this point the cos4 will be conducted by the guides to their respective positions in the trenches4 ,cos4 ,a1 ,b1 and ,pioneer ,dtch4 will use for their route the ,,st4 ,,pol boyau4 ,cos4 ,c1 ,d1 ,bn4 ,hq41 ,m4 ,g4 ,co4 and #cg mm4 gun will use for their route the ,,st4 ,,omer boyau4 #d4 ,at #g o'clock p4 m4 each night on and after #c ,nov4 #ag1 the ration details from each organization will report at the point of rendezvous of the guides to a ,n4 ,c4 ,o4 from ,bn4 ,hq4 who will conduct them to the kitchens at ,,pontavers for rations4 ,requests for material and ammunition will be sent to the ,bn4 ,cmdr4 every morning to reach him before #f3cj o'clock a4 m4 ,emergency requests made at other times will be filled as far as possible from the ,bn4 ,cmdr's depot4 #e4 ,company commanders will make a written report to ,bn4 ,cmdr4 as soon as they have occupied their areas1 and thereafter will make daily reports to be submitted with their requests of material4 99 99 99 99 99 ,major #hjth ,inf41 ,bn4 ,cmdr4 ,v4 ,plan of ,defense #ast ,bn41 #bjth ,inf41 #dcrd ,div41 ,bn4 ,command ,post1 #bi ,nov4 #ag1 #b o'clock p4 m4 ,field ,orders ,no4 #aj ,map4 ,,berry-,,au-,,bac ,n4 ,o4 #a4 ,direction of ,probable ,attack4 ,the enemy may possibly make a frontal attack starting from ,,plaine and ,,enver ,,pasha trenches and supporting it on the left from ,l',,enclume ,,wood1 or a flank attack starting from ,,plaine redoubt for the purpose of striking our first line and ,,anspach trench from the rear by first penetrating the sector on our right4 #b4 ,defense of the ,center of ,resistance4 ,when the assault develops ,cos4 ,a4 and ,c4 in the first line1 will maintain the defense of their own line by their own means4 ,the two machine guns located at #feja ,,anspach trench will be taken immediately to the right flank of ,co4 ,a1 near ,,poste ,,de ,,nemours and take up a position to fire to the north toward ,l',,enclume ,,wood and to the east toward ,,plaine redoubt4 ,the ,c4 ,o41 ,co4 ,b1 will place a platoon permanently in the ,,st4 ,,pol boyau at the junction of the ,,anspach trench1 and1 when the alarm is given will send it forward to occupy and hold the ,,poste ,,de ,,nemours salient in support of the ,m4 ,g4 ,platoon4 ,when this platoon has moved forward1 its place will be taken by #a ,platoon of ,co4 ,b1 7located in ,,anspach trench between the ,,st4 ,,pol and ,,bonnet ,,persan boyaux7 which will protect the right flank4 #c4 ,counterattack4 ,the two remaining ,platoons of ,co4 ,b are assigned to the commanders of ,cos4 ,a and ,c respectively for use in counterattack4 ,one ,platoon will employ the ,,bonnet ,,persan boyau1 the other the ,,lievin boyau4 ,the ,bn4 ,cmdg4 will replace these two ,platoons by two ,platoons of ,co4 ,d1 in the #ebj ,m4 trench4 #d4 ,artillery ,support4 ,the supporting artillery will establish a barrage in ,no ,man's ,land in front of the first line4 ,the barrage will be called by the usual signal4 #e4 ,supply4 ,the counterattack and reinforcing ,platoons will carry #e grenades per man in addition to their regular equipment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,major #bjth ,inf41 ,bn4 ,cmdg4 ,,vi4 ,order for a ,raid ,field ,orders ,no4 #ab #ast ,bn41 #hjth ,inf41 ,bn4 ,command ,post1 #aj ,nov41 '#ag1 #b p4 m4 #a4 ,at #c o'clock a4 m41 #bj ,nov41 '#ag1 a raid will be carried out against the western salient of ,,plaine ,,trench for the purpose of capturing prisoners4 #b4 ,the raiding party will consist of a lieutenant1 #aj hand grenadiers1 and #bj riflemen from ,co4 ,d1 #hjth ,inf4 #c4 ,two parties of grenadiers each will be furnished from the same ,co4 to protect the flanks of the raiding party on each side of the salient4 ,the raiding party will penetrate the enemy's first line by a frontal attack1 capture the defenders of the salient and return directly by the same route4 ,the raiding party will crawl into 8,no ,man's ,land0 in front of the ,,plaine salient until it reaches the enemy's barbed wire and will prepare detonators for the necessary breaches4 ,the signal to explode the detonators and rush into the salient will be given by the leader of the raid by rocket4 ,the raid will last ten minutes4 #d4 ,for ten minutes after the rocket signal the artillery will maintain a barrage on the flanks and in the rear of the ,,plaine salient to protect the raiding party4 #e4 ,co4 ,c1 which occupies the first line in front of the ,,plaine salient1 will provide a supply of #fj detonators1 #bjj hand grenades1 and #c signal rockets for use of the raiding party4 99 99 99 99 99 ,major #hjth ,inf41 ,bn4 ,cmdr4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,special ,,operations ,i4 ,raids ,the object of a raid is to attack a special point in the hostile lines1 destroy it1 and return with prisoners or information4 ,such a point may be a salient1 blockhouse1 observation or listening post1 etc4 ,the purpose of the raid is both to prosecute the attrition of the enemy and to gather information4 ,a raid is made with or without a previous artillery preparation4 ,usually1 however1 the barbed wire entanglements of the enemy are subjected to a short and intense artillery shelling4 ,whether or not an artillery bombardment is carried out1 the tactics of the raid are the same4 ,success of a raid depends entirely on its preparation1 which must be thorough and complete in every detail so that every man in the raid knows his part4 ,illustration3 ,,raid ,,against ,a ,,hostile ,,point ,preparation4 ,the troops employed for a raid are a specially chosen unit1 a platoon or half-company4 ,better still1 a regiment may have a detachment specially trained in this work4 ,when a raid has been decided upon against a particular point in the hostile line1 the leader of the raid has the following duties to perform3 #a4 ,he goes to the command post of the center of resistance opposite to the point in the enemy's line against which the raid is to be made4 ,here he gathers all necessary information concerning the enemy by studying maps and sketches1 and comparing them with the ground4 ,he also speaks with occupants of the first line for the purpose of getting information2 and calls upon the commander of the center of resistance to send special listening parties1 if necessary1 to the enemy's line1 observing necessary precautions to prevent the enemy from becoming suspicious of a contemplated raid4 ,from the detailed information1 maps and sketches that the leader of the raid has obtained from the headquarters of the center of resistance and from his own reconnaissance1 he lays out a model of the hostile point to be attacked4 ,this he does in the rear of his own sector4 ,the model is partially dug in so that the raiding detachment will have an exact duplicate of the enemy's lines to be raided to practice upon4 ,he now prepares the order for the execution of the raid1 which contains the following points3 #a4 ,purpose of the ,raid4 ,to destroy such and such a dugout1 machine gun emplacement1 etc41 to make prisoners1 to gather information1 or to prevent a contemplated gas attack on the part of the enemy4 #b4 ,troops ,employed4 ,number and designation of the different groups of grenadiers and trench cleaners to be used1 equipment of same1 and ammunition carried4 #c4 ,objective of the ,raid4 ,the particular part of a trench1 post1 blockhouse1 etc4 #d4 ,precise ,rle of ,each ,group4 ,disposition of the groups before the raid in their own lines4 ,this may be in the firing line or in 8,no ,man's ,land0 in a shell hole reached by crawling at night4 ,time and signal of departure4 ,means of crossing the enemy's barbed wire entanglements4 ,points of the hostile line upon which each group is to make its attack4 ,rle of each group during the raid4 ,protection of the flank1 establishing barricades1 proper execution of the raid4 ,time or signal to return4 #e4 ,co-operation of the infantry and artillery supporting the raid4 #f4 ,supply of the attacking troops--grenade depots in the firing line4 ,in practicing the raid in the rear1 on the model1 the detachment must repeat the execution of the raid at least five times4 ,all the details of the raid are foreseen and provided for4 ,each man is made thoroughly proficient in his particular part in the raid1 so that1 in the confusion and darkness1 they will be able to reach their objective and carry out their particular function4 ,each chief of group must be thoroughly conversant with his duties4 ,the leader of the raid personally conducts the most important of these groups4 ,execution of the ,raid4 ,the most important element of the execution of a raid is speed1 its time of duration being only from five to ten minutes4 ,time4 ,if all the points in the enemy's line to be attacked are thoroughly known and located1 the raid can be carried out during the night4 ,but if there is some lack of knowledge of the above mentioned points1 the raid must be carried out at dusk or dawn1 so that the objectives can be at least partly seen4 ,disposition of the ,groups to ,cross the ,barbed ,wire2 ,disposition of the ,troops before the ,raid4 ,the distance of a raid should not be more than fifty yards4 ,for this purpose1 the different groups must get into position such a distance from the enemy's lines either by silently crawling across 8,no ,man's ,land0 or by profiting by a short preliminary bombardment of a few minutes which will prevent the enemy's sentinels and watchers from perceiving them4 ,their disposition is usually made by hiding or crouching in shell holes4 ,destruction of the ,barbed ,wire4 ,the different ways of destroying barbed wire have been spoken of under ,surprise ,attacks in the chapter on ,defense of a ,position4 ,signal of ,departure4 ,three methods can be used2 previous designation of the hour1 use of a whistle1 or by means of a rocket4 ,of these1 the last named is probably the best4 ,there are two different kinds of groups in the raiding party4 ,the flank groups1 armed with hand grenades1 protect the groups executing the raid proper by shutting off all avenues of approach of the enemy4 ,barricades are established by these groups by throwing grenades into the trenches leading to the attacked area4 ,between the flank groups1 are the groups that carry out the proper mission of the raid4 ,they are armed with incendiary grenades1 pistols1 and trench knives4 ,their function is to accomplish any particular destruction of their mission and to capture prisoners4 ,infantry ,supporting the ,raid4 ,the riflemen of the garrison of the center of resistance stand ready at the firing parapets to receive the groups returning from the raid4 ,the machine guns carry out an intense fire on the flanks of the point raided to prevent the approach of hostile reinforcements4 ,the rifle grenadiers of the garrison execute fire upon special points on the flanks or on the rear of the raided area1 such as machine gun emplacements1 junction of boyaux1 etc4 ,support of the ,artillery4 ,if artillery is used in conjunction with the raid1 it may be employed before1 during1 or after the raid1 or in any combination of these periods4 ,during the raid1 two kinds of fire are carried out1 that of demolishing the barbed wire entanglements1 and special elements of the hostile position that will hinder the raid4 ,this is carried out by the light artillery and trench mortars1 principally the latter4 ,during the raid1 the support artillery establishes protective curtains of fire on both flanks and on the rear of the raided portion of the enemy's line4 ,this is to neutralize the enemy's defenses and to cut the area off from communications or reinforcements4 ,in other words1 the artillery will isolate by its fire the point of attack of the raid4 ,at the designated time for the return of the raid or at the signal of a rocket sent up by the raiding party on reaching their own first line1 the support artillery establishes its usual defensive barrage in 8,no ,man's ,land40 ,it may also fire on the enemy's position with shrapnel1 because at this time reinforcements are usually coming up into the raided area4 ,this latter fire may be repeated two or three times during the ensuing hour4 ,,ii4 ,gas ,warfare ,gas attacks may be carried out in two ways1 by asphyxiating shells or by waves of gas4 ,the shelling of a position with asphyxiating shells is made to neutralize the action of its defenders and1 if possible1 to kill and wound some of them4 ,asphyxiating shells are used in counter-battery fire against the enemy's artillery emplacements4 ,they are also used for shelling a woods in which troops are located and against strong points of the hostile position1 either during an offensive period or to carry out attrition of the enemy4 ,such shelling is also carried out for an offensive1 either in the preparation or for the protection of the flanks during the attack4 ,asphyxiating shells may be thrown on a village or strong point in rear or on the flank of the enemy's position where he may organize a counterattack4 ,gas waves are used against the enemy's position with or without following up with the infantry for a raid or an attack4 ,usually the liquified gas is brought to the first lines in cylinders under heavy pressure4 ,these cylinders must be properly protected from hostile fire until the time that they are to be used4 ,with a favorable wind1 the gas is carried across 8,no ,man's ,land0 and into the enemy's position4 ,gas waves1 of course1 are more efficient than asphyxiating shells1 but the use of the former method is more difficult as it takes special apparatus and a trained personnel1 and can be used only under favorable atmospheric conditions4 ,protections against ,gas4 ,in general1 protective measures against gas waves are the same as against asphyxiating shells4 ,the individual protective apparatus is the gas mask4 ,the essential part of a mask is composed of several layers of porous material containing a chemical that will neutralize the poisonous gas4 ,the gas mask has an efficiency of several hours4 ,each man carries a gas mask and there are also a certain number kept in reserve in the different depots of the sector4 ,each gas mask must be properly adjusted and it is the duty of each officer and non-commissioned officer to ascertain that each man in the company has a gas mask in good condition4 ,he must always carry the same4 ,each man is trained to put on his mask rapidly4 ,standing orders compel the man to put on his gas mask immediately the alarm is given or upon his detection of gas by color or odor4 ,frequent exercises are held to perfect the men in putting on their gas masks rapidly4 ,this drill may be held at the same time as the 8stand to0 exercises are carried out4 ,the men must have confidence in their gas masks4 ,for this purpose1 each man is sent through a 8chlorine chamber0 several times to give him confidence that1 although the gas may be of great density1 it has no disagreeable effects4 ,there are also collective protective apparatuses used in dugouts4 ,each large shelter possesses such apparatus4 ,besides this1 the entrances and openings of each dugout will be closed by a double canvas impregnated with a special chemical solution to neutralize the gas4 ,special ,precautionary ,measures4 ,first1 there is established a system of bells1 sirens1 and klaxons which are used by the watchers to give the signal of alarm4 ,this signal is taken up and repeated in all parts of the position and to the rear4 ,careful observation on the part of a garrison may detect signs of a coming gas attack4 ,metallic noises in the hostile line may indicate the transportation of gas cylinders4 ,very often the enemy will use little balloons to ascertain the velocity and direction of the wind4 ,foggy weather is a special time of danger4 ,in each sector or regiment1 an officer is in charge of the maintenance of protective gas apparatus and all the measures against gas attack4 ,with the proper precautionary measures and application of the protective measures1 the gas attack is not very dangerous4 ,,iii4 ,liquid ,fire ,protection against ,liquid ,fire4 ,the enemy may make an assault with a special detachment of liquid fire operators in the first line4 ,the object of these operators is to throw jets of liquid fire on the occupants of the first line to allow the assaulting columns to penetrate into the position without losses4 ,the only means of combating such an attack is to evacuate the part of the trenches against which the liquid fire is directed1 and move by the flanks4 ,machine guns and automatic rifles should be established to bring flanking fire to bear against the detachment of liquid fire operators4 ,it is impossible to withstand a liquid fire attack if the operators succeed in coming within sixty yards before the garrison can man its parapets4 ,illustration ,,iv4 ,mines ,we will consider mines only from the point of view of defense by infantry against them4 ,this consideration will therefore have no relation to mine warfare or the construction of countermines by engineers4 ,let us consider a concrete example where the enemy is about to explode a mine under your first line of trenches 7examine accompanying diagram1 ,precautions against a ,mine74 ,when it has been definitely discovered that the enemy has a mine gallery under your first line and there is no means of combating it by countermining1 etc41 the infantry in the position must take certain precautions4 ,by listening devices the powder chamber is located4 ,the extent of the crater is also calculated4 ,a new first line is constructed behind1 excluding the mine crater and at a distance of about #cj yards from its lip4 ,this re-entrant angle of the first line is made by using boyaux on the flank if they exist4 ,a cover trench is also constructed behind this first line4 ,the infantry moves back to this new line behind the threatened area of explosion4 ,every other defensive precaution is taken against the explosion and the accompanying assault of the enemy4 ,heavy bombing posts are located on the flanks of the crater4 ,the position of these posts is usually at the point of change of direction of the old firing line with the new one of the re-entrant angle4 ,dugouts may be constructed close to these bombing posts for the protection of the grenadiers during the explosion4 ,immediately the explosion is over1 these grenadiers man their posts and establish a heavy barricade between the posts and the crater by using hand grenades4 ,if the enemy attempts to enter the crater1 these grenadiers can make it untenable by throwing hand grenades into it4 ,automatic rifle or machine gun emplacements are also located on both flanks of the crater4 ,their function is to establish flanking fire on hostile troops attempting to approach the crater4 ,rifle grenadiers are stationed in the line of trenches to establish a defensive rifle barrage out in front of the crater4 ,the riflemen will usually occupy the near and flank lips of the crater4 ,they will not occupy the lip of the crater nearest the enemy until it is ascertained that the enemy has no more galleries4 ,a rocket post is located in the first line on the flanks of the crater4 ,as soon as the crater is exploded1 a rocket is sent up from this post calling upon the artillery for a defensive barrage4 ,usually1 special artillery is detailed for this extra fire4 ,it is a reinforced fire1 or a combination of preventive fire and protective barrage4 ,it is established on the enemy's first line rather than in 8,no ,man's ,land0 as a purely defensive barrage4 ,with all these precautions taken1 the infantry await the explosion of the mine4 ,a ,selection from the ,catalogue of ,g4 ,p4 ,,putnam',s ,,sons ,complete ,catalogue sent on application ,,it ,,is ,,the ,,real ,,stuff ,,over ,,the ,,top ,,by ,,an ,,american ,,soldier ,,who ,,went ,,arthur ,,guy ,,empey ,,machine ,,gunner1 ,,serving ,,in ,,france ,,author ,,of 8,,first ,,call0 ,for a year and a half1 until he fell wounded in ,no ,man's ,land1 this ,american soldier saw more actual fighting and real warfare than any war correspondent who has written about the war4 ,his experiences are grim1 but they are thrilling and lightened by a touch of humor as original as the ,soldiers ,three4 ,and they are true4 #ab1 #af ,illustrations and ,diagrams1 #a4ej net1 ,by mail1 #a4fj ,,together ,,with ,,tommy',s ,,dictionary ,,of ,,the ,,trenches 8,over ,the ,top with the ,best of ,luck and ,give ,them ,hell60 ,the ,british ,soldier's ,war ,cry1 as he goes over the top of the trench to the charge ,sidenote3 ,,guide ,,posts ,,to ,,berlin ,,first ,,call ,,by ,,arthur ,,guy ,,empey ,author of 8,,over ,,the ,,top0 #ab4 ,illustrated4 #a4ej 7,by mail1 #a4fe7 ,in the amazingly vivid and simple way that has made ,over the ,top the most widely read and talked of book in ,america1 and the most successful war book in all history1 ,empey tells the new soldiers ,what they want to know ,what they ought to know ,what they'll have to know and what their parents1 sweethearts1 wives1 and all ,americans1 will want to know1 and can do to help4 ,a practical book by an ,american who has been through it all4 ,the chapters headed 8,smokes0 and 8,thank ,god the ,stretcher ,bearers0 will stand among the war classics4 ,here is advice1 here are suggestions1 overlooked in other books1 that will safeguard our boys in ,france4 ,the ,making of a ,modern ,army ,and ,its ,operations in the ,field ,a ,study ,based on the ,experience of ,three ,years on the ,french ,front #aiad-aiag ,ren ,radiguet ,gnral de ,division1 ,army of ,france ,translated by ,henry ,p4 du ,bellet ,formerly ,american ,consul at ,rheims ,illustrated ,the younger ,americans who are now in training for active service in the field1 and particularly those who have secured commissions as officers or who are preparing to compete for such commissions1 will have a very direct interest in the instructions and suggestions presented by ,general ,radiguet in regard to the organization of an army and the method of its operations in the field4 ,general ,radiguet's treatise is based upon a varied experience in the campaigns of the present war4 ,the old text-books must be put to one side4 ,the methods of organization and the methods of fighting have alike changed4 ,it is only those who have had responsibilities as leaders in the present war whose instructions can be accepted as authoritative4 ,g4 ,p4 ,putnam's ,sons ,new ,york ,london ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's note3 #a4 ,silently corrected typographical errors and variations in spelling4 #b4 ,retained anachronistic1 non-standard1 and uncertain spellings as printed4