J. P. Cole

“ The rifle with its flat trajectory is of little use against an enemy who is completely hidden from view and who can go on existing under ground. Hence the reversion to the ancient grenade—but with all its modern improvements. The grenade has shown itself to be the weapon that can solve the problem of seeking out an enemy who is under ground; its trajectory is high and its fire is plunging, so that it can be thrown from a place of concealment and protection and into a place equally well concealed from ordinary view. ”

“ From the point of view of protection against gas, nothing is gained by men remaining in unprotected dug-outs or by moving to a flank or to the rear. It is, therefore, desirable that on tactical and disciplinary grounds all men in the front line of trenches should be forbidden to do these things. In support or reserve lines where there are protected dug-outs, it is advisable for men to stay in them unless the tactical situation makes it desirable for them to come out.
Nothing is gained by opening rapid rifle fire unless the enemy's infantry attacks. ”

“ Be sympathetic, and it has been shown by experience that, for some slight breach of discipline a "little talk" in the orderly room does the most good, and is the best form of punishment. Do your work cheerfully, and your men will do likewise. Keep yourself abreast of the times in all matters military—remember your men look to you in time of action and excitement and you must be ready to deliver the goods. ”

“ The secret of a successful assault is exact synchronization of the movements of the infantry with those of the barrage.
The pace of a barrage depends, to a certain extent, on the pace of the infantry, which varies with the condition of the ground, the length of the advance, the number of enemy trenches to be crossed, etc. It may be from 15 to 75 yards per minute. The pace of the barrage should be quicker at first, and should gradually slow down as the men become exhausted, in order to give them time to get close to the barrage and pull themselves together for the final rush. ”

“ Food means everything to a soldier. The camp cooking is a barometer of the organized efficiency and of the enlisted men's attitude. Nothing else can do so much to help or hinder.
The Company Commander should realize the controlling power exercised by the company cook and keep the matter in his own hands. He should accept no excuse for burnt or dirty food. ”

“ Cleanliness Of Surroundings.—Men should be taught that cleanliness of surroundings is not merely for purposes of inspection; but that it is absolutely necessary where a great number of men are living together in close quarters. Quarters should be well policed; the company street should be kept clean; refuse of all sorts should be kept in receptacles provided for that purpose and frequently removed. A police squad appointed daily should be charged with this work, and the corporal of the same made responsible for the condition of quarters and the company street. ”

“ Each man must find it for himself. To make commands understood, enunciate carefully with lips and teeth. Sound especially first and last letters of words. Officer's posture adds to effect of command. His personality is impressed on his men largely by his voice. Preparatory command should be vibrant and cheerful—not a harsh tone that grates on the men and antagonizes them. The command of execution must be short and sharp; drill can be made or marred by it. ”

“ To understand that a charge should be slow and steady (the faster men must not run away from the slower ones) . To form up immediately after the charge and follow the enemy with fire, not attempting a disorganized pursuit. To understand that it is suicidal to turn his back to an enemy and that, if he cannot advance, he must intrench and hold on until dark. To count distant groups of object or beings. To recognize service targets. Never To Fire Until He Understands What The Target Is, At What Part He Is To Fire, And With What Sight Setting. ”

“ Trench Construction.—The methods of building trenches are the same whether the work is carried on under fire or not. In an attack, upon reaching the limit of advance, the men immediately dig themselves in, and later connect these individual holes to make a continuous line of trench.
Most of the digging must be done at night, and must be organized to obtain the most work with the least confusion. There are three ways of increasing the efficiency of the men. In the first of these, squad shifts, the squad leader divides his men into reliefs and gives each man a limited period of intensive work. ”

“ The real strength of the defense consists, not in holding the fire and cover trenches, nor even the support trenches, but in holding the supporting and strong points until the counterattack can be launched.
Liaison.—The question of liaison in battle is of the utmost importance, and complete co-ordination of the different arms is absolutely necessary. Each battalion sends an officer or non-commissioned officer and a cyclist to the colonel, and each colonel sends a soldier to the battalion commander. ”

“ By doing all of these things and systematizing your work of training and instruction right from the start you lay the foundation for a "good company." Fifteen good companies make a "good regiment" and so on up to the division, and that's what we want "good divisions"—the basis of which lies in the "good company" which you are going to command. ”

“ Duty Roster.—For any roster the key word should be "equality of all duties." It means the difference between contentment and dissatisfaction among your men. Keep an exact list of men available for every duty and detail them in exact rotation; adjust to complete satisfaction any little differences that arise. Let the men know that you want to give them a square deal and they will respond. The longest man off duty is the first man to be called. In the regular service the roster covers guard duty and other duties, notably kitchen, police and other fatigue work. ”

“ In combat the platoon is the fire unit. The fire of the company, battalion or regiment is nothing more than the combined fire of all the fire units. The enemy can be imaginary, outlined or represented. The exercise must be conducted under an assumed tactical situation. The commander must lead his men according to the assumptions made by the umpire. Signals are used to indicate the enemy's actions, strength, etc. The situation should be simple, and after the exercise a critique should be held on the ground. ”

“ An infinite number of acts minutely and officially investigated have established that our troops and our Nation should never count on the observance of these laws and that the atrocities committed prove to be not only individual violations dishonoring merely the perpetrator, but violations premeditated and ordered in cold blood by the commanders with the moral support of the heads of the enemy nation. ”

“ There should be mental exertion in every exercise. But the most important part is the disciplinary benefit. The exercises must teach men to jump at commands, and by this means must make the organization a homogeneous mass.
The principal thing in the position of attention is "chest lifted; and arched." There should be a stretch upward at the waist. The position should give the impression of a man as proud of himself as he can be. This is a bluff which works, not only by making a good first impression on others, but by causing the man himself to live up to it. ”

“ There is always one line upon which the resistance must be made with the greatest energy; for its defense the following methods have been found successful. Machine guns should be placed where they can secure the best flanking fire, and every one put out of action should immediately be replaced by an automatic rifle. If machine gun barrage fire is to play its role successfully at the moment of assault, the guns must survive the bombardment. Their protection is secured by placing them under shelter during the bombardment and making their emplacements as nearly invisible as possible. ”

“ The enemy's trenches are so close that it is very important for the men to have their rifle sights always at battle sight, so that there will be no necessity to alter their sights in case of alarm. By night all bayonets are to be fixed and half of the men on duty in the trenches are to be sitting on the firing platform with their rifles by their side. In case of attack, especially at night, it should be impressed upon the men that they fire low.
Section commanders are responsible that the men under their command have sufficient standing room for the purpose of firing over the parapet. ”

“ Prevents increasing vulnerability of squad while preparing for a rush, and rushes as soon after cease firing as possible. When other squads of his platoon, are rushing, or the platoon which is covering the same target as is his platoon, is rushing he has his squad increase its rate of fire to make up for lost fire effect of the rushing element. In rushing causes men to spring to feet running at full speed, all men to drop to the ground at the same time, and those who are in rear to crawl up to the line. When re-enforcing the firing line, takes over the duties of disabled squad leaders. ”

“ That any soldier who fails so to report, if found to be suffering from a venereal infection, shall be brought to trial by court martial for neglect of duty. That men so infected shall be confined strictly to the limits of the post during the infectious stages of the disease. That all officers serving with troops shall do their utmost to encourage healthful exercises and physical recreation and to supply opportunities for cleanly social and interesting mental occupations for the men under their command. ”

“ The Mode Of Action.—The machine gun acting only by its fire can prepare an attack or repulse an offensive movement, but it does not conquer ground. The latter role is almost exclusively that of infantry which is fitted for crossing all obstacles. When it will suffice to act by fire, employ the machine gun in preference to infantry, preserving the latter for the combined action of movement and fire. ”

“ Do not dump the entire equipment on a man all at once. There is nine-tenths of it that he knows nothing about. He does not know what it is for. As the training progresses you can issue it to him, an article or two at a time until he has finally gotten all of it. Before issuing an article, explain at a company formation, what it is for, the purpose it serves and where it is carried.
(c) Uniforms and clothing should be procured as soon as practicable. The commanding officer will indicate whether or not the clothing will be requisitioned for in bulk or on individual clothing slips. ”

“ Be especially attentive to rigid military discipline; i.e., every soldier to be neat; equipment must be clean at all times; to render the required salute when not observing or firing at the enemy. Have one non-commissioned officer on duty at all times. To inspect rifles, equipment and latrines twice daily. To have at least one latrine in working order at all times. To have a sentry on duty at each platoon dugout at all times. Establish one Observation Post in daytime. In Front Line Trenches: No smoking or talking to be allowed at night. Every man to wear his equipment except packs. ”

“ Do not have any straggling, remember if a man falls out he must have a certificate signed by an officer stating the cause. Have one officer march in rear of the company. Be careful about the use of water. Have your men take a good drink early in the morning just after reveille, and on the march use their canteen sparingly. One canteen of water must last one man one day. Do not allow men to drink until after the second halt.
On reaching camp the kitchens are put up, latrines are dug, and tents are pitched. When everything has been tended to each man should give his feet a good salt water bath. ”