Match (fire starter)

“ A FURIOUS blast of the storm sent the overhanging spruce tops smashing against the top of the cabin. Straight overhead the wind shrieked almost like human voices, and the one window rattled as though it were shaken by human hands. The lamp had been burning lower and lower. It began to flicker now, the quick sputter of the wick lost in the noise of the gale. Then it went out. Brokaw leaned over and opened the door of the big box stove, and the red glow of the fire took the place of the lamplight. ”

“ Casualty Competitions.—Falling or collapsible targets are of great value in all field practices, and may be used with advantage in casualty competitions designed to test the relative abilities of two firing lines, which simultaneously fire at separate sets of targets representing their opponents. Each man is represented by a target placed in front of the opposing firing-line, and becomes a casualty if that target falls. ”

“ Many other object lessons can be devised on the Target with figures to illustrate the principles of fire control. For instance, against an enemy’s entrenchment or firing line under cover, fire at longer ranges will usually be deliberate, while against the dense line of an attack at close range or against very favourable or important targets, especially if they are fleeting, it will usually be delivered in rapid bursts and in as great a volume as possible. ”

“ It is much easier to march at the head than at the rear of a column.
5. Before opening fire, carefully consider the situation. If you feel certain of being able to deal with the enemy, let him approach close before disclosing yourself, and then destroy him. If, on the contrary, he is so much superior to you that you cannot hope to be able to do this, you should open at a long range, but in these circumstances do not hurry the rate of fire to begin with. It takes an exceptional man to fire more than 200 rounds in a short space of time without being shaken. ”

“ 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. ”

“ In advancing the attack, advanced elements of the firing line or detachments in front of it should not open fire except in defense or to clear the foreground of the enemy. Fire on the hostile main position should not be opened until all or nearly all of the firing line can join in the fire. ”

“ Now, it must be remembered that even careful persons may meet with accidents through the use of bad matches. Sometimes, when struck, the blazing head will fly off, or the stick will break and fall; sometimes, too, the match will continue to glow after the flame has been blown out. ”

“ Poorly trained troops finally do not raise their rifles at all, but blaze away without aiming. To be sure, fire opened at an early moment annoys the advance of the enemy, but it cannot seriously retard it. Once the fire is opened, we want it to be effective; we don’t want to injure the enemy—we want to annihilate him.
Although we fully appreciate the good results obtained at long ranges on the target range, we prefer to utilize the entire staggering fire effect of our weapons at short and mid ranges, wholly for the purpose of annihilating the enemy. ”

“ In the individual practices each firer will be provided with a separate target. He will learn to fire at unknown distances, depending on the observation of a comrade for information as to the result of his shots. He will fire at targets representing an advancing enemy, and will advance himself, firing at each halt. He will learn to use ground for fire effect and cover, to pass all orders and information 153 received, to recognize the limits for effective individual fire, and the principles which govern the choice of targets in individual fire. ”

“ In combat, shots which graze the enemy's trench or position and thus reduce the effectiveness of his fire have the approximate value of hits; such shots only, or actual hits, contribute toward fire superiority.
Fire discipline implies that, in a firing line without leaders, each man retains his presence of mind and directs effective fire upon the proper target. ”

“ The fire fight at long ranges and near the extreme limit of mid ranges is only a means for the purpose of reaching the decisive battle ranges, and of interfering with the undisturbed delivery of the enemy’s fire. Fire must be opened at as late a moment as possible. Our firing line should in any case be strong enough, upon entering the zone of mid ranges, to reply effectively to the enemy’s fire. ”

“ The desire of the attacker to put a superior number of rifles into the fight, in order to gain a superiority of fire more quickly, naturally leads to an extension of the firing line and to an overlapping of the defender’s line. The advantage of overlapping the enemy’s line lies in the fact that part of the [357] line attacked is exposed to both frontal and oblique fire. The effect of this oblique fire is increased by bending the wing of the attacking line toward the enemy. ”

“ As the object of this movement is to pin the enemy to his position, to wear down his resistance generally, and particularly at the point where the Decisive Attack is to be delivered, as well as to effect a lodgment in the position, it is clear that the greater the extent of the objective the better, and one or both flanks should be threatened if possible. But whenever a Fire Attack is developed it must be in sufficient strength to occupy the enemy's attention fully and it must be carried through with vigour once begun. ”

“ If there is still time available, and the ground is suitable, the company can be moved to a flank to choose a similar fire-position where the ground is more favorable to an advance, and where the company could get within 300 yards of the enemy, or even less, before it would be absolutely necessary to stop in order to gain superiority of fire. ”

“ But while this cover conceals the enemy from our view, he sees our location and his fire is not interrupted. There is a strong tendency to shoot only at the men that can be seen. This must be overcome; much of our firing must be aimed at a locality, although unseen the enemy is nevertheless there and his fire effectiveness must be kept down. Our fire must be distributed to cover every part of the hostile line whether the enemy is seen or not. ”

“ Is the front of a line of troops an advantageous position for a field battery?
On the contrary, it is the worst possible, as offering a double object to the enemy’s fire, and greatly obstructing the movements of the troops; while a position in rear is nearly as bad, as the fire might seriously injure, or at least, greatly disquiet them. ”

“ For instance, against a narrow-fronted column or machine gun fire will be concentrated, while against lines of infantry in extended order or the frontage of a defensive position fire will usually be distributed. Fire may, however, be concentrated if part of a line offers a favourable target through the men failing to keep their extension and crowding together, on the principle that fire should be concentrated against very vulnerable targets or at points where it will produce increased effect. ”

“ Again, when firing at such objectives, no time must be lost by giving a long and detailed description of the target.
A well-trained detachment should be able to get quickly on to the target, and to distribute its fire advantageously on receiving brief words of command. If one part of the enemy is silenced or has vanished, the fire must at once be independently directed on the still visible and active part of the objective. ”

“ Company and platoon commanders must watch for the effect of the enemy’s fire, where his bullets are striking. If the hostile bullets are going wild, some striking far short, others way high, and very few are effective, you have fire superiority; that is the time to gain distance to the front. On the other hand, although you may be suffering no loss, you see that the enemy’s bullets, well massed, [Pg 39] are striking, say 50 yards in your front; you have no fire superiority; the enemy has simply underestimated the range and your advance will bring you into the center of his beaten zone. ”

“ It requires further, taking advantage of the ground; care in setting the sight and in delivery of fire; an increase of fire by individuals whenever the targets become more favorable, and a cessation of fire when the enemy disappears; finally, economy of ammunition.
The decision is prepared by the fire of infantry, supported by machine guns, field, and heavy artillery. The fire of troops pushed to within short range of the hostile position will in many cases suffice to induce the enemy to give way, so that the assault encounters nothing but evacuated or feebly defended works. ”

“ In fire at will, without taking count of any trembling, men interfere with each other. Whoever advances or who gives way to the recoil of his weapon deranges the shot of his neighbor. With full pack, the second rank has no loophole; it fires in the air. On the range, spacing men to the extremity of the limits of formation, firing very slowly, men are found who are cool and not too much bothered by the crack of discharge in their ears, who let the smoke pass and seize a loophole of pretty good visibility, who try, in a word, not to lose their shots. ”

“ Certainly not; the destruction of the enemy being the object, it follows that at distant ranges, a greater degree of care is required in pointing the guns; the fire is slow and steady, and increasing in rapidity as the enemy advances, without however, impairing its precision. ”

“ This piercing is most difficult in the conditions of to-day, for the enemy by establishing a new firing line behind the point carried by our troops may be able to enclose in a semicircle of fire the party that has made its way into the position. Against such an enveloping fire it is a hard task to make headway. ”

“ The lighter quick-firers are further mounted on pivots, so that they can be easily moved through an arc of a circle by one man, who keeps his eyes on a moving target and his finger on the trigger ready to fire. ”

“ They were too near to hope to escape, or so they thought at least, although in reality, reciprocal firing, at such short ranges, is almost always too high. The man who would fire sees himself already killed by the return fire. He throws stones, and not with great force, to avoid using his rifle, to distract the enemy, to occupy the time, until flight offers him some chance of escaping at point-blank range. ”

“ A position on the flank of the attacking infantry has the further advantages that oblique or flanking fire, which from machine guns is particularly effective, can be brought to bear against the enemy, whilst guns so placed are less likely to draw fire upon the attacking infantry. A change of position during the decisive fire action interrupts the fire and entails fresh laying and ranging, and therefore should be seldom resorted to unless an increased fire effect is to be obtained. ”

“ It is to be borne in mind that the fire can only have a decisive effect when it is directed against troops situated within effective range. The arm to which they belong has little to do with the question; the decisive point in choice of target is first and foremost the momentary tactical importance of that target. ”

“ The figures will be arranged against background which renders them invisible to the naked eye from the firing-point. The firers will be told that they have come under the fire of the enemy somewhere to their front, and that the need for replying to it immediately to minimize its effect is urgent. They will depend upon individual firing for fire effect. When they have realized their helplessness, a fire-unit commander will indicate the target and direct fire, the results of which will be noted. ”

“ In theory, then, the desideratum is to get so many men up to about two hundred yards from the enemy that they form a line practically shoulder to shoulder, in order that their fire may be at least as heavy as that of the enemy, if the latter are also in one continuous line, and in default of circumstances admitting of effective covering fire being maintained from positions in rear or on a flank. ”

“ As incomprehensible as it may appear to persons accustomed to the use of fire-arms, recruits are very prone, before they have been drilled at target practice with ball cartridges, to place the ball below the powder in the piece. ”

“ The massing of guns should be rarely resorted to. When it is desired to bring an overwhelming fire to bear on any locality, it should be accomplished by the concentration of fire from dispersed guns. The selection of a fire position should be preceded by careful reconnaissance on the part of the machine-gun commander. ”

“ The great ranging power of the rifle will also frequently afford opportunities of concentrating fire from a wide frontage on to important localities, and of directing an effective oblique or enfilade fire against portions of the enemy’s line. ”

“ When firing from a rest, high shots result from vibrations of the barrel; [166] and there is also danger, when under fire, that the men will not raise their heads over the parapet, but will fire their pieces into the air. This, as corroborated by the more recent campaigns, is why a fire fight at short range is by no means decided in so short a time as the peace performances of modern rifles lead one to suppose, for great losses do not take place until skirmishers, who have heretofore hugged the ground, rise. ”

“ The fire perpendicular to the front will be employed generally on certain necessary points of passage as, bridges, roads, defiles, cuts, roadways, communicating trenches, etc., where the enemy is generally forced to take a deep formation with a narrow front, or where he is in massed formation. Inconspicuousness.—By reason of its small strength the machine gun section can utilize the smallest cover, and can consequently hide from the enemy; the machine gun therefore, more than the infantry, has the chance to act by surprise. The opening of the fire by surprise will be the rule ”