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Elements of Trench Warfare
Waldron
Elements of
Trench Warfare
_By_
Captain William H. Waldron
29th U. S. Infantry
DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE INFANTRY AND
CAVALRY SCHOOL, 1905
GRADUATE ARMY STAFF COLLEGE, 1906
GRADUATE ARMY WAR COLLEGE, 1911
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ARMY WAR
COLLEGE COURSE, 1911-12
_Author of_
“Scouting and Patrolling”
“Tactical Walks”
Price 60 cents
Washington
1917
Copyright, 1917, by
WILLIAM H. WALDRON
NATIONAL CAPITAL PRESS, INC., WASHINGTON, D. C.
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_See “Tactical Walks” advertisement in the back
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NOTICE
There is a wealth of material in this little book that will interest
the soldier. From the illustrations alone he will be able to obtain a
good general idea of the subject.
It is essentially a soldier’s book, written in language that he can
understand. The price has been kept within the limits of his pocketbook.
With a view to securing a wide distribution of the book I desire to
secure a representative in every organization in the Army. I have an
attractive proposition to make to competent parties.
A letter will bring particulars. My address will be found in the Army
List and Directory. If this is not available, a letter addressed as
follows will be forwarded to me:
Captain W. H. Waldron,
29th Infantry,
Care of “Infantry Journal,”
Washington, D. C.
(Signed) W. H. WALDRON.
CONTENTS
Page
Chapter I.—The Organization of a Section of the Position 1
Chapter II.—Obstacles. Construction, repair. Wire entanglements,
barricades, land mines, inundation 4
Chapter III.—Lookout and Listening Posts: Types. Construction,
service 18
Chapter IV.—Field Trenches: Traversed trenches. Types of trenches.
Drainage. Communication trenches. Dugouts. Penetration of
projectiles. Communication. Trench mortar positions. Machine
guns. Supporting points 24
Chapter V.—Use and Improvement of Natural Cover 50
Chapter VI.—Revetments: Sandbags. Fascines. Hurdles. Gabions 64
Chapter VII.—Working Parties: Details of organization. Laying out
tasks. Operations 80
Chapter VIII.—Grenade Warfare: Organization and tactics of
grenadiers. Offensive operations. Clearing fire trenches.
Clearing communication trenches. Night operations. Grenade
patrols. Notes on grenade warfare 86
Chapter IX.—Gas Warfare: Methods of dissemination of gas. Gas
helmets, care and use of. Sprayers 105
Chapter X.—Service in the Trenches: Preparations for entering.
Inspection of trenches. Tactical dispositions. Going into the
trenches. Information routine. Observation field glasses.
Snipers. What to fire at. Use of rifle grenades. Scouting and
patrolling. Care of arms. Care of trenches. Latrines. Maps.
Frost bite. The trench soldier’s creed 114
Chapter XI.—The Attack in Trench Warfare 146
INTRODUCTION
This little book has been prepared with a view to placing before the
soldier a store of information on the subject of Trench Warfare as
it has been developed on the battle fronts of Europe, and giving him
some idea of the nature of the service that he will be called upon to
perform when the time arrives for him to do his “bit.”
The illustrations have been carefully prepared and arranged to the end
that the soldier may gain a fair knowledge of the subject from them
alone. The text is intended to treat the subject in a purely elementary
manner that the soldier may be able to understand.
The size of the book is such that it may be conveniently carried in the
pocket and referred to as occasion requires. The price has been kept
down to the point where it is available to the soldier.
If the book assists in his preparation for the front and, by reason
of the knowledge that he has gained from it, helps to make him more
efficient when he gets there, it will have served its purpose.
THE AUTHOR.
CHAPTER I
Organization
The normal organization of an intrenched position includes the
following elements from front to rear:
1. In front of the position and at a variable distance from the first
line fire trench there is a line of wire entanglements. (See Obstacles,
p. 4.)
2. Close up to the wire entanglements there is an intrenched post known
as the “listening post,” which is connected with the first line fire
trench by a zigzag communicating trench. (See Listening Posts, p. 18.)
3. Then comes the first line fire trench with attached machine-gun
emplacements at convenient points. (See Fire Trench and Machine-Gun
Emplacements, pp. 24 and 44.)
4. The fire trench is so narrow that lateral communication along it
is effected only with difficulty. In order to provide a passageway a
communication or supervision trench is provided a few yards in rear of
the fire trench. Passageways lead from this communication trench to the
fire trench and to the dugouts located along it.
5. At a variable distance in rear of the fire trench (100 to 200 yards)
the emplacements for bomb-throwing apparatus and trench mortars are
located. These are connected up laterally by a communication trench
which joins with the main communication trench running from front to
rear through the position. (See Emplacements for Trench Mortars, p. 41.)
6. From 100 to 400 yards to the rear of the first line fire trench, and
generally parallel to it, is the supporting trench or cover for the
supports. This trench is invariably provided with strong overhead cover
and a system of dugouts for the protection of the troops. (See Cover
for Supports, p. 48.)
7. This whole arrangement of trenches is connected throughout from
front to rear, and laterally, by a system of zigzag communication
trenches.
Take this brief description together with Plate 1, the drawing that
accompanies this volume, and study the two until you get the entire
system fixed firmly in your mind; that is, until you get a mental
picture of all the elements included in the system.
After you have done this, study on through the book in order that you
may know the purpose of each of these elements and how one links up
with the other.
[Illustration: _PLAN OF THE ORGANIZATION OF AN INTRENCHED POSITION_
PLATE 1]
[Illustration: PLATE 2]
This is the typical system now in use in the European war theaters.
Circumstances at certain places may render some variations necessary,
and it must not be inferred that the trace of the works is the same
throughout. As a rule the types of trenches (altered when necessary to
meet local conditions) illustrated herein are the ones in actual use on
the war fronts.
All of these trenches and their accessories constitute what is known as
the first line. At a distance of from 2,000 to 5,000 yards in rear of
this first line a second line, organized in a similar manner, is to be
found.
At intervals of from 800 to 1,500 yards along the first line-centers of
resistance, or what we know as “supporting points,” are located. These
consist of fortified villages, or a network (labyrinth) of trenches,
provided with every defensive device known to modern warfare. The
object of these supporting points is to bring a flanking fire to bear
on the intervals between them, with the idea that an attacking force
cannot advance beyond them without capturing them.
Plate 2 shows the general scheme of the occupation of a sector of the
line by a field army of two divisions.