_The Director_: “You are right. There is no doubt but that the presence
of the 3rd platoon will be required at the enemy position just as soon
as it can be gotten up there. The assault platoons will be more or less
disorganized by their attack. They will be out of hand. Squads, sections
and platoons will be mixed up. There will be some hand to hand fighting
with some of the enemy who have failed to make their get-away or with
some determined men who will hold on to their local position until they
are driven out with cold steel.
“It is to provide for just such a situation as this, that we hold out a
reserve—a formed body of troops that has not been in the assault. A body
that is absolutely in hand and under control. It can be conducted up to
the enemy position, take it over and be ready for any eventuality that
may occur.
“As a matter of fact the assault troops should not be allowed to go into
the captured position unless it is absolutely necessary to do so to
drive out or capture those remaining. The reasons for this are obvious.
When the enemy abandons the position, he assumes that it is occupied by
his opponent and will turn as great a volume of fire on it as possible
with a view to inflicting losses on our disorganized troops. With a
formed body of troops, under control, we can make such tactical
distribution of the units as may be required, posting them where the
greatest amount of shelter exists and thereby reduce casualties to a
minimum.”