FIRE SUPERIORITY
Do not study this chapter until you begin your extended order drills.
If the authors of this text were requested to select for you the most
important of all information that you will receive during your
instruction at a training camp, they would advise you to take home that
contained in this chapter. If you have learned fully so much you will
have done well. If you have failed to comprehend as much as this, you
will have returned to your homes lacking in important knowledge.
If you are on the battle-field and propose to crush the other side
(defeat the enemy), you have got to do one thing: you have got to make
your rifle fire better than his, and you have got to keep it better.
The proposition is this: The enemy is on the defense. He is in a
number-one, first-class trench. It is constructed with steel, concrete,
and sandbags. It has all the improvements that science can devise. Your
business is to attack and crush the enemy. How can you advance over
exposed ground against such a position? The man behind all those modern
improvements has got to stick his head up more or less when he fires. If
the volume and rate and accuracy of your fire is greater than his, he
will grow timid about the matter. His fire will become less effective.
That is to say, he cannot have fire superiority. When your side has fire
superiority, it not only can advance upon such a position but it can do
so without ruinous losses, and with hope of success.
To obtain this fire superiority it is necessary to produce a heavier
volume of accurate fire than your opponent can produce. We can get a
proper conception of the ideas involved by imagining two firemen in a
fight armed with hose. One has a larger hose and a greater water
pressure than the other. All else being equal, we can foresee clearly
who will be the victor and who will be defeated. The more water one
throws into the other's face, the less accurate and effective will the
other's aim become. This is equally true with bullets. Put a man on the
target range, where no danger whatsoever is involved, and he may fire
with a nice degree of accuracy. Put him on the battle-field with a great
number of bullets whizzing around his head, and he must be a trained
veteran to fire with the same accuracy. This is true simply because we
have been made that way.
The volume and accuracy of fire depend upon several considerations: (a)
Of primary importance is the number of rifles employed. Let us imagine a
battle-line one mile long. It is obvious that we cannot have one man
firing behind another. We don't want to destroy our own men. They must,
therefore, be placed side by side. Each man must have sufficient room to
operate his rifle. Experience tells us that we must not have more than
one man per yard. We thus see that our battle-line of a mile can only
have about eighteen hundred rifles. (b) The rate of fire affects its
volume; an excessive rate reduces its accuracy. If you were hunting
tigers, you can easily imagine where one well-aimed and well-timed shot
could be of more use to you and more harm to the tiger than half a dozen
shots fired too rapidly. (c) If the target is large, is clear (can be
easily seen), and is but a short distance from you, your fire, for
reasons that do not require explanations, can be more rapid. Greater
density increases the effect. Suppose a hundred deer were grazing on a
hill; you would be more likely to kill some deer than if only a half
dozen were there. (d) The position of the target influences the effect
of fire. Suppose that ten men were lined up in a row against a wall and
that it is your business to kill the lot with a rifle. If you are in
front of them, ten shots at least will be required. But it is possible
for you to take a position in prolongation of the line (on its flank)
and kill the entire number with one bullet. (This also illustrates the
extreme vulnerability of flanks.)
What are the important steps that must be taken if you are going to get
this fire superiority? 1st, Fire Direction. 2d, Fire Control. 3d, Fire
Discipline.
FIRE DIRECTION
A company that cannot start firing or stop firing, that cannot fire
faster or slower, that cannot distribute equally its fire over an
opposing target, that cannot switch its fire from one place to another
and make bull's-eyes, would be as unsuccessful in battle to-day as
Harvard's football team would be, without practice, in its final game
with Yale. The team work in no department of athletics is as necessary
or vital as that of a military force, the teamwork of a military
machine. The first is a sport, a limited time being involved. The second
is a question of life and death to the nation.
It requires a nice and cool judgment, under actual conditions of war, to
point out and distribute properly the target to the different groups, to
find the exact range, and give all these instructions (directions) that
will be necessary to produce an effective fire upon the enemy. Who is
responsible for giving these instructions (fire direction), and exactly
what are all the conditions that must be fulfilled in order that each
individual on the firing line may know exactly where and how to fire?
The captain (company commander) is responsible for all. In the military
world there is no such thing as shifting responsibilities. The commander
assumes full responsibility, whether things go right or wrong. He must
handle his job through his subordinates (platoon leaders). 1st, He
points out the target to his platoon leaders. 2d, He assigns a part of
the target to each platoon, in such a manner that the entire target
(objective) will be covered (fired upon). 3d, He determines and gives
the men the distance to the objective (range). 4th, He indicates the
kind of fire to be employed (that is, whether each man will fire as he
pleases, fire five shots and then stop, et cetera). 5th, He indicates
when the company is to commence firing. 6th, Thereafter the captain
observes what effect his company's fire is producing, and corrects
flagrant (material) errors. He prevents the exhaustion of his ammunition
and distributes such extra ammunition as may be received from the rear.
FIRE CONTROL
We have just described what the captain directs. Now we must put his
directions (orders) into effect. This is done through his platoon
leaders, assisted by the platoon guides and the corporals. 1st, The
platoon leaders point out and describe their part of the objective
(target) to the corporals. 2d, They assign a particular part of the
objective to each corporal with the view of covering equally with the
fire the entire objective. 3d, They announce the range (distance to the
objective) to their platoons. 4th, If any part of the line cannot see
the objective, the platoon leaders must make the changes so that it can
see, or so that its fire will be effective. 5th, They order their
platoons to open fire at the proper time. Thereafter they observe the
target and make any necessary changes to keep the fire effective, i.e.,
fire fast or slow, according to the necessity, and are on the alert for
any commands or signals from the captain.
The platoon guides do one thing only: they watch the firing line and
check every breach of fire discipline. (See "Fire Discipline," below.)
The corporals have four distinct duties. 1st, They transmit the commands
and signals to their squads when necessary. 2d, They observe the conduct
of their squads and abate excitement. 3d, They do all in their power to
enforce discipline. 4th, They participate in the firing.
FIRE DISCIPLINE
Now we come to the individual private on the firing line. All of the
above measures for efficiency will come to but little unless the man
with the gun can understand and do what he is directed to do. This
training is called Fire Discipline.
Fire Discipline implies, besides a habit of obedience, a control of the
rifle by the soldier (the result of training), which will enable him in
action to make hits instead of misses. It embraces: 1st, Taking
advantage of the ground. 2d, Care in setting the sight and delivery of
fire. 3d, Constant attention to the orders of the leaders, and careful
observation of the enemy. 4th, An increase of fire when the target is
favorable, and a cessation of fire when the enemy disappears. 5th,
Economy of ammunition.
Summary
Fire Direction is the issuance of instructions regarding the firing.
Fire Control is the explanation of these instructions through the
platoon leaders.
Fire Discipline is the quality which enables the soldier to submit to
control and fire efficiently under all conditions.