The Attack in Trench Warfare
[Sidenote: Objectives]
The objectives which must be dealt with in the attack of an intrenched
position such as will be found on the western front are:
1. The trenches of the first line.
2. The supporting points.
3. The trenches of the second line.
By a study of the text preceding this you must realize that in the
defense of these objectives there will be employed artillery, rifles,
grenades and machine guns.
[Sidenote: Artillery Preparation]
The first phase of the attack is the artillery preparation. In order
that the infantry may make the attack with a minimum of losses, the
artillery must have destroyed the wire entanglements and obstacles
that obstruct the advance, or at least have sufficiently breached them
to permit their being negotiated. The destruction of these obstacles
is never complete. It would require too great an expenditure of
ammunition. The infantry occupying the hostile trenches must be simply
overwhelmed with artillery fire so that they will be unable to man the
parapets when the assault is launched. During the artillery preparation
the hostile infantry does not occupy their firing positions in the
trenches but remain in their dugouts, which are fully protected from
all but the heaviest shells. Only a few observers are left in the
trenches.
When the bombardment against this particular part of the line ceases
the infantry leave their dugouts and man the firing positions. To
prevent this is one of the most important as well as most difficult
tasks of the artillery. This may be effected by a well-directed fire
on the exits to the dugouts with a view to caving them in and thus
preventing the egress of the occupants The enemy may sometimes be
induced to leave his shelter prematurely by the following ruse:
1. Cease the artillery fire.
2. Open a heavy rifle fire; this causes the enemy to believe that the
assault has begun and he will man his parapets in strength.
3. After waiting for several minutes open the artillery again with even
increased vigor.
The hostile infantry may be forced out of his dugouts by the use of
shells and grenades containing suffocating gases which penetrate the
shelters and make them untenable.
The artillery is also charged with putting the enemy’s artillery out of
action to prevent them from firing upon the attacking infantry.
If the enemy artillery is left free, it will shell our trenches and
approaches, causing casualties and confusion and thus interfering with
the formation for the attack. The location of hostile batteries is
effected by aerial reconnaissance.
Another task of the artillery is to prevent the hostile reserves from
coming up to reinforce their firing lines. These reserves will be
located back in the second line until their presence is required at
the front. As long as the artillery preparation continues they remain
in the shelters, but as soon as it ceases they man the trenches.
The artillery must therefore extend its fire to the second line and
continue it while the first line is being rushed. Back of the second
position the enemy holds strong reserves. The entrance of these into
action must be prevented. This is accomplished by extending the curtain
of fire still further to the rear. The supporting points must receive a
lion’s share of attention for, bristling with machine guns and trench
mortars, they are the really dangerous elements to the infantry attack
after it passes the first line trenches.
The weapon which inflicts the greatest losses on the assaulting
infantry is the machine gun, which appears suddenly out of the ground
and lays low whole units. By a careful reconnaissance these machine-gun
positions are ferreted out and every possible means are taken to effect
their destruction.
The effectiveness of the artillery preparation depends simply upon
superiority of guns and munitions. In this respect we now possess a
great advantage, for the state of our munition supply is such that our
artillery may fire several shells to one of the enemy. This is what
established the superiority.
[Sidenote: Organization of Infantry Attack]
The organization of the attacking infantry corresponds in a general
way to the organization of the position being attacked. A first line
of assault is organized. Its mission is the capture of the enemy’s
first line trenches. A second line follows, having for its mission
the assault and capture of the second line trenches. A separate
organization of these two lines is necessary for the reason that the
first attacking line is generally so disorganized in the fighting that
it no longer possesses the cohesion necessary to carry it through to
the second line. It has been found necessary to launch a comparatively
fresh and intact force against it.
As the first position is organized into several separate lines of
defense, so also is the first attacking line organized and launched in
two or more waves, those in rear being in the nature of reinforcements
to those in front.
[Sidenote: Objectives]
Each unit of the attacking line is assigned a distinct objective.
Certain units are given the mission of attacking the supporting points
to prevent their enfilading the units advancing through the intervals
between them.
The main efforts are made along the lines between the supporting
points, as to assault the latter would entail a casualty list not
commensurate with the results. The effort against them is made with a
view to neutralizing their effect. If the attack is successful in the
intervals, the supporting points will fall as a result.
The waves of the first line are directed against the first position,
the second against the second position. The reserves held under the
orders of the division commander are employed where the development of
the situation dictates.
Further to the rear, and under orders of the supreme commander, large
bodies of reinforcements are held ready to be moved rapidly to points
where progress has been made to such an extent that maneuver operations
are practicable.
[Sidenote: Preparation for the Assault]
Preparatory to the assault, numerous saps (trenches) are run out to the
front from the main firing trenches. The night before the attack, a
parallel is broken out connecting the sap heads. This parallel is amply
supplied with short ladders and is occupied by the companies composing
the first wave of the attack. The saps and the main trenches are also
filled with men assigned to the following waves, who will move into
the parallel as soon as the first wave leaves it. As the artillery
preparation ceases, the first waves rush up the ladders in succession
and move out to the assault.
[Sidenote: The First Wave]
As the artillery preparation against the first line is completed
and the curtain of fire shifted far into the enemy’s position, the
infantry of the first wave emerges from the parallel and moves out.
The formation and gait depend upon the distance to the hostile trench.
If the artillery preparation has been effective and the distance is
not more than 100 yards, it is expected that the wave will be able to
reach the fire trench without firing, except possibly when the wire
is reached. If the distance is much greater than 100 yards, it is
necessary to cover the advance with rifle fire. This is accomplished by
a line of skirmishers deployed at extended intervals, which precedes
the wave at about 50 yards. The wave starts out at a walk, carefully
aligned. It afterwards takes up the double time and advances by rushes
until the wire entanglements are reached.
From this moment the period of the charge and individual combat begins.
The men can no longer be kept from firing. Each tries to protect
himself with his rifle. Each man locates his opening in the wire
through which he is to go and makes for it. The line reforms on the
other side. With rifles at the high charge (a position to our old head
parry, but slanting slightly upward from right to left) the line rushes
upon the enemy. Each man runs straight towards the part of the trench
in front of him and jumps upon the parapet. By rifle shots and bayonet
thrusts he destroys everything in his way. Men selected in advance take
charge of the prisoners. The line is reformed, lying down just beyond
the fire trench, and fire is opened against the second line. Men are
positively forbidden to enter the communication trenches. They are most
inviting for cover, but a man rarely gets out of them.
The grenadier squad proceed to their work of clearing the fire and
communication trenches.
[Sidenote: The Second Wave]
The second wave of the first line starts forward at the moment the
first wave reaches the hostile trenches. If it starts sooner, it will
unite with the first at the entanglement and become involved in the
fight for the fire trench. It will be broken up prematurely and will be
unable to take advantage of the developments of the fight of the first
wave. The reinforcement by the second wave and the disorganization
produced by the assault lead to a mixture of units in the trenches
of the first position. Before starting out to the assault of the
next trench it is necessary that order be restored. When this is
accomplished the attack is launched against the second line. In front
of the supporting points the combat rages. The men are barely able to
hold on the outer edges. In the interval the advance has reached high
tide and has expanded like a wave and stopped. This is the limit that
can be expected of the first line.
Hasty cover is prepared and advantage taken of such cover as may exist.
All elements of the attack open fire on the second position.
[Sidenote: The Second Line]
Under the cover of these operations the second line has come up in a
series of three lines, where it is built up compact at the position
of the stopped first line. From this point its attack against the
enemy’s second line is launched. The lines are worked up to a point
from which the assault is to be made, and when the time comes the first
wave dashes out to the attack, followed by the second wave in the same
manner as the assault against the first position was made.
The action of the two lines of attack may be expected to overwhelm
the greater part of the two main hostile positions. At certain
points, however, the resistance will hold out, and, if not overcome,
will constitute points of support to which the enemy may bring up
reinforcements and even turn the tide of battle by a counter attack.
To deal with these points that hold out, as well as with hostile
reinforcements which may arrive, the reserve is launched into action,
which brings the attack into the open ground beyond the second line
of defense, and maneuver operations are begun. The mobile units are
rapidly thrown into action, and large forces from the general reserve
are hurried to the point where the lines of defense are broken through.
From what has gone before we may deduce that the following conditions
must prevail to attain success in an attack on a prepared position:
1. The attack must be planned down to the most minute detail.
2. There must be a greatly superior force of artillery concentrated at
the point of attack, and the artillery preparation must be thorough.
3. The infantry must be sufficient in number, training and morale to
perform the tasks that will be demanded of them.
4. The arrangements for the supply of ammunition to the firing line
must be planned and carried out in all its details.
5. Plans for meeting counter attacks must be thorough and complete. The
capture of a position is often less difficult than its retention.
6. Finally, every officer and man must know exactly what he is to do.
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29th Infantry
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TACTICAL TALKS
By Capt. W. H. Waldron, 29th Infantry
To the Reader:
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W. H. WALDRON,
_Captain, Twenty-ninth Infantry_.
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│ Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. │
│ Others are noted below. │
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│ this_, Words in bold characters are surrounded by equal signs, │
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│ p. 13: Frustrom --> frustum (… a frustum of a cone….) │
│ p. 75: dorm --> form (The form is then raised….) │
│ p. 78: staple --> stable (… make a stable, compact pile….) │
│ p. 109: Plate 40a re-numbered to 41e. │
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│ p. 120: Plate 41 re-numbered to 42. │
│ p. 126: machacoulis --> machicoulis (Machicoulis gallery in │
│ background.) │
│ p. 127: he --> be (Loopholes should be screened….) │
│ p. 155: he --> be (… tasks that will be demanded of them.) │
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End of Project Gutenberg's Elements of Trench Warfare, by William Waldron