_The Director_: “Lieutenant Williams, how would you go about your task?”
_Lieutenant Williams_: “In the first place, I would look over the front
and see what it affords in the way of a field of fire. I would next
locate the section groups on the right and left and see where their fire
could help to protect my front and how fire from my position could help
to protect their fronts. I would see how the bands of fire from the
machine guns in the area lay with relation to my front.”
(Note.—The Director will point out the location of the adjacent
section groups on the right and left and the position of the machine
guns. He will also indicate the direction of the bands of fire of
the machine guns. All of this should be indicated by flags of
distinctive color if it is possible to do so.)
_The Director_: “You have done all of the things you mention and the
whole layout is clear to you. What is your next step?”
_Lieutenant Williams_: “I would search out the vacant spaces—the
uncovered ground of the machine guns and so arrange my dispositions to
cover them. I would first determine where my automatic rifles may be
employed to the best advantage. I will want them for flanking fire to
cover the adjacent combat groups and will expect the support of their
automatic rifles to help cover my own front. I will want them to cover
exposed places to the front that the enemy will have to pass over in
making his attack. I will want them to cover certain lines along my wire
entanglements. All of these things will have to be taken into
consideration in locating them. I will next consider my other special
weapons, the rifle grenade and the hand grenade. They are both valuable
adjuncts to the defense, especially the rifle grenade. They will both
serve well to cover dead spaces that are difficult to reach with machine
gun and rifle fire. Such features as ravines, sunken roads and places
where enemy troops may seek cover can be made untenable by the rifle
grenade up to about 200 yards.”
_The Director_: “All right, let us assume that all of these things have
been taken into consideration. How may the troops be disposed to best
meet them, Lieutenant Wallace?”
_Lieutenant Wallace_: “We have three squads in the section. We are
required to furnish our own outguards in addition to furnishing the
garrison for the firing line. I should say that one squad employed on
the outpost line would be sufficient. That would leave two squads for
the firing line.”
_The Director_: “Now, there are two plans by which the outguards may be
furnished. One is to have each squad cover its own front with an
outguard and the other is to have a complete squad detailed as outguard
for the section. Which of these plans do you prefer to use in this
instance, Lieutenant Ralston?”
_Lieutenant Ralston_: “I think it would be better to employ one squad as
the outguards for the section rather than have each squad do it.”
_The Director_: “What factors lead you to such a decision?”
_Lieutenant Ralston_: “If we have each squad furnish an outguard for its
own front it would take half of the squad for that purpose. The least
that could be sent out would be a cossack post of four men—a leader and
three reliefs for a single sentinel post. I would not want to send our
automatic riflemen on that duty and interfere with our arrangements for
flanking fire. We would not desire to send our rifle grenadier under
ordinary circumstances. This would leave only two rifles in the squad
and one of these is the squad leader. If we send one squad out to
furnish the outguards it can furnish two cossack posts, which are
sufficient to cover our front, and it will leave the other two squads
intact to occupy the firing line with all their weapons. If the enemy
attacks and the outguards are driven in they will fall back on the
flanks so as not to mask the fire of the squads on the firing line. This
will enable them to drift toward an assembly point or trench in rear of
the firing line proper where they will be available to the section
commander as a small local support to be thrown in any of the squad
firing positions where casualties have been relatively heavy or to put
them in where they are most needed to repel the attack.”
_The Director_: “Of course it is always problematical as to how many men
of the outguards will be able to get back; your points are well taken
and convincing. I agree with you that the outguards may best be
furnished by a complete squad, and this leaves the other units intact
for the firing line proper. This now brings us down to the location of
two small groups of a squad each. Captain Hodges, what factors will you
consider in locating these two groups?”
_Captain Hodges_: “I would want one near each flank of the area where
they can help cover the front of the adjacent groups, and I would want
also to cover the front of the position. In order to do this I would
break each squad into two groups of four men each. In the right group I
would have the automatic rifleman and three riflemen of the 1st squad.
The automatic rifleman would have a fire position from which he can
cover the front of the adjacent section on the right, and if the one
position does not serve the purpose I will have another fire position
for him from which he can fire to the front. In the next group of four
men I would have the rifle grenadier and three riflemen. They will be
charged with covering the front. The group that the squad leader will
remain with will depend upon circumstances. He would not be definitely
assigned, but would go where his presence is most required. I would have
a group of four men of the 2nd squad next to the left with the rifle
grenade in it, and near the left of my line I would have another group
similar to the one on the right with the automatic rifleman in it. The
3rd squad will furnish the outpost—two cossack posts.”
_The Director_: “I think you have made a very good distribution of
troops. I do not think you can say off hand that you would have the
rifle grenadier always in the interior groups. His position must depend
upon the prospective targets that he may have. Now, the distribution
brings us down to the proposition of the preparation of four short
sections of trench sufficient to shelter four men each. This makes it a
comparatively simple proposition. You see, when you divide all of this
work up in the way we have how it gradually clears up and becomes
perfectly simple.
“Let us now locate on the ground the four short sections of trench that
will have to be prepared.”