Anonymous

“ Next to the conception of a sound plan of attack, and the issue of clear and comprehensive orders to the company commanders, the most important duty of the officer commanding a battalion is the handling of his reserve. It is by means of the reserve that he makes his influence felt in action, and by reinforcing the firing-line at the right time and at the right place keeps the attack moving and eventually attains the superiority of fire. ”

“ To judge the right time for the decisive counter-attack is as difficult as it is important. The most favourable moment is when the enemy has expended his reserves in endeavouring to storm the entrenchments. ”

“ Since the conditions of modern warfare render decentralisation of command in action an absolute necessity, no good results are to be expected unless the subordinate leaders have been trained to use their intelligence, and unless they have been given ample opportunities of acting on their own judgment in attack and defence, and have constantly, in peace practices, been called upon to consider the necessity of departing from their original orders. ”

“ A commander can only exercise a direct influence on his command so long as he retains at his disposal a portion of his force with which to meet the varying contingencies of an engagement. If he keeps in his own hands a strong reserve, he will have it in his power to take instant advantage of any mistake the enemy may commit, to restore the battle should the leading troops meet with a serious check, to meet a counter-attack, or, in case of need, to provide the additional strength required to drive the attack home. ”

“ The basis of the whole system of training is careful individual instruction, and gradual progression from the simple to the more difficult.
During instruction in elementary principles companies should act alone, or against a marked enemy and the company commander should concentrate his attention on the individual instruction of his men; but in many of the advanced exercises an opposing body gives not only increased interest to the practice, but also makes it more instructive. ”

“ It is an invariable rule that all bodies of infantry in the field should feel the way, and at the same time protect themselves from surprise, by means of scouts, who should be pushed out several hundred yards in advance and to the flanks. In skirmishing practice the scouts will examine all ground which might be held by the enemy, and report, usually by signal, all clear or otherwise. They will receive instructions from their commanders as to their action when they discover the enemy, and they must be careful to expose themselves as little as possible. ”

“ The best battle-formation for the infantry of a division engaged in a decisive attack, and, generally speaking, in all attacks, is the two brigades placed alongside each other, dividing the front, and regulating their own reserves. If the division is acting alone, it is important that, as a general rule, the divisional commander should retain two complete battalions as general reserve. ”

“ The frontage occupied in attacking, having regard to the fact that the position should be enveloped, must as a rule be greater than that of the defence. It is unnecessary, however, that the attacking force should be in equal strength along the whole front. Those portions of the position against which the main attack is not directed should be engaged by a holding attack, and the flank which is not to be seriously attacked may be observed or merely threatened by a feint. Troops engaged in holding attacks and feints should try to deceive the enemy as to their real strength. ”

“ It is always advisable, in instructing a battalion, to hand over the entire control of the companies in firing-line or reserve, with the exception of the portion retained at the disposal of the officer commanding, to their own leaders, and to give each of the latter a free hand in carrying out the task assigned to him. Such a method, with inexperienced company officers, may at first lead to mistakes and misunderstandings ”

“ A vigorous counter-attack by an army offering battle in a defensive position may throw the adversary on the defensive; or an assailant may fight a delaying or retaining action in one part of the field, while in another part his action may be essentially offensive; but these and other variations in a combat resolve themselves in every case into attack and defence. ”

“ The flank of a position should, therefore, be the object of particular attention. If the force detailed for an outflanking movement actually succeeds in placing itself [140] in prolongation of the enemy’s line, before he can change position, or while he is in the act of changing position, a surprise will have been effected, and if the opportunity is utilised with due vigour, an immediate and overwhelming success should be the result. ”

“ The rule that a strong firing-line should be established in a good fire-position at a decisive range must always be observed by the portion of the company which is told off for the decisive attack; and although the men need not be so close as in the case of larger forces, still, to dislodge an enemy of nearly equal strength, the firing-line, at decisive range, should not be weaker than one rifle to every two or three yards of front. ”

“ Skirmishing is the all important formation in warfare against a well-armed enemy. The instruction of the recruit in such exercises must therefore, be considered as one of the most important portions of his training, and should receive very careful attention. It should commence as soon as he is sufficiently advanced to be able to carry out movements in two ranks and to perform correctly the various motions required to fire the rifle, and should be continued throughout his training. ”

“ Personal example has undoubtedly an extraordinary influence, especially under heavy fire, and there are times when every other consideration must be sacrificed to leading or steadying the troops. But any attempt to exercise personal control over all portions of the force must inevitably lead to the neglect of other duties, such as feeding the firing line at the right place and time, protecting the flanks, meeting counter-attacks, reporting to, or communicating with, the superior commander, and maintaining connection with adjoining units. ”

“ The General Reserves.—This force, which is under the direct control of the commander of the whole force, is to be employed to meet eventualities; it should be prepared to meet counter-attacks, and in the case of success to march rapidly to the front to take up the pursuit; in the case of a reverse the general reserves may serve as a rallying point, but before deciding to hold back such portion of his force for this purpose, the commander must consider whether he cannot achieve success by employing the whole of his available force in breaking down the defence. ”

“ The control of fire is in the hands of the company commanders and their subordinates. To the company commander, as a general rule, must be left the choice of the moment of opening fire, but to the half-company, section and squad leaders, who will be in the firing line, must be left the choice of targets. They should always bear in mind, however, that if an exceptionally favourable target presents itself fire should at once be opened, notwithstanding the fact that no orders have been received. ”

“ Skirmishing implies extended order, in which each individual acts and thinks for himself, and makes use of all his powers, mental and physical, to attain a common object. It is absolutely essential, then, that in this part of his training, the intelligence of each recruit should be developed by every possible means, and that a spirit of independent action, subject to the control and general directions of the section and squad commanders, should be sedulously encouraged. ”

“ After each successful assault, the task of rallying the men, and of forming a defensive line until the advance can be resumed, will generally fall to the subordinate leaders. This will be much facilitated if there are bodies in rear, well in hand, which can be sent forward to carry on the attack, and, as may sometimes be possible, rush the enemy’s second position before he has recovered from the loss of the first. ”

“ When acting in battalion, a company told off to furnish a portion of the firing-line will usually keep a part in support. But it will often be advisable to extend only a few men at first, and to retain the remainder in rear until the enemy’s infantry advance to the attack, but they should be able to reach their places in the firing line without being observed by the enemy. ”

“ Troops told off to outflank the enemy will generally act on identically the same lines as those detailed to assail the front, for, as a rule, flank attacks are locally frontal attacks. The very fact that he is being attacked simultaneously from two different directions, that his line of retreat is threatened, and that a part of his force is exposed to enfilade fire, must have a most serious effect on the enemy’s moral, and consequently on the accuracy of his aim, and the promptitude of his manœuvres ”

“ To extend whole companies in the firing-line at the outset, the supports being formed from other companies, is a proceeding which can seldom be justified; leading as it must to a premature admixture of tactical units, and to the surrender, at an unnecessarily early period, of the control of the firing-line. The rule that all reinforcements should be furnished as long as possible by the same unit should never be infringed.
4. When the battalion is acting in concert with other units, the frontage assigned to it, if the attack is intended to be decisive, must be in proportion to its strength. ”

“ No recruit, or squad of recruits, is to be taught to march without the constant use of the drum, and pace stick.
The drum will first beat the time in which the men are to march, when the squad is halted; then, from time to time, when it is in motion. While the drum is beating, at the halt, the men will give their attention to the time; when it ceases, the instructor will put the squad in motion. ”

“ When placed at the foot of slopes that trend towards the enemy they have the advantage that fire from them is more grazing than it would be if they were placed higher up the slope, but a retreat under fire from them will probably involve heavy loss. It is, as a rule, easy to conceal them in such a position. On the other hand, the field of fire from low-lying trenches is often very limited, and it is generally more easy to open up communication with the rear when trenches are close to the crest-line than when they are much in advance of it. ”

“ The instructor, who will invariably carry a whistle and, if the squad is receiving rifle instruction, a rifle, will teach as much as possible by illustration, either performing the movements himself, or causing them to be performed by a smart recruit, placed facing the squad. He will be careful, in order to stimulate the intelligence and interest of the recruits, to explain clearly, in simple terms, the reason of every movement and formation, and its application in the field. ”

“ To enable the attack to be prosecuted it is clear that from this moment the hostile fire must be met by fire of greater power, its intensity and duration being dependent on the effect produced. Moreover, from this point forward movement will, as a rule, be contingent on the mutual fire support afforded to one another by neighbouring bodies, and on the effects produced by the covering fire brought to bear on the enemy’s line whenever the ground admits of such action, by supports, reserves and the troops specially told off for this purpose. ”