Produced by deaurider, Wayne Hammond and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
[Transcriber’s Note:
Bold text delimited by equal signs, italic text delimited by
underscores.]
GRAHAM & LATHAM, LTD.
MILITARY ENGINEERS
SOLE MANUFACTURERS OF THE
YOULTEN HYPOSCOPE RIFLE SIGHT
Invaluable for the Trenches
_Price £7-10-0_
[Illustration]
Special
Quotations
for
Quantities
on
Application
MADE FOR
ANY ARM
104, VICTORIA ST., WESTMINSTER, S.W.
GUARANTEED
WATERPROOFS
INFANTRY & CAVALRY
[Illustration]
BY SPECIAL APPOINTMENT TO
H.M. THE KING
THE “SERVICE” COAT
In approved KHAKI materials, may be had with
detachable FLEECE LINING
CAMP AND HOSPITAL
EQUIPMENT
SLEEPING BAGS, HAVERSACKS,
KITBAGS, VALISES,
AIR PILLOWS
GUARANTEED
WATERPROOF BOOTS
for all purposes.
LEGGINGS, RIDING APRONS
_=NOTE=: REGIMENTAL ORDERS
can be promptly executed_
[Illustration: The “SERVICE”]
GEO. CORDING, LTD.
LONDON, W.
125, REGENT ST.
SIMPSON & LONDON, ^{LTD.}
103 REGENT ST., LONDON, W.
_The Overcoat Makers._
SPECIAL AND UNIQUE MATERIALS.
_Founded 1800_
FIELD SERVICE OUTFITS
OVERCOATS
COATS WARM BRITISH
Extract from Letter received from Officer at the Front:
“_The British Warm Coat you made me is the best I have ever had.
I use nothing else. A coat by day and bed by night. No rain has got
through. I would not lose it for anything._”
Signed.--MAJOR ----.
WATERPROOFS
Unlined or Lined. A special cut for Riding
From =63/-=
Extract from P.C. from Lt.-Gen., now Gen., ----.
“_Have received overcoat all right. It fits very well. Many thanks
for the trouble you took over it._”
Signed--LT.-GEN. ----.
A British Warm that is warm and a Waterproof make a
handy and efficient combination.
_FOR EASY, ACCURATE, AND
INEXPENSIVE RIFLE PRACTICE_
You must use the
B.S.A. AIR RIFLE
[Illustration]
Up to 25 yards the =B.S.A. Air Rifle= is just as accurate as any
Miniature Rifle, and very much cheaper with regard to the cost of
ammunition:
=B.S.A. PELLETS, 1/6 per 1,000=
=PRACTICE AT HOME.=--Any ordinary room or garden where a 6 yards range
can be got is entirely suitable. If a longer range is available so much
the better. =A HOME OUTFIT=, consisting of the Medium Weight Rifle
(recommended because all the members of the family can use it), a
Steel-faced Target, a pot of White Paint and Brush, and a box of 1,000
B.S.A. Pellets, cost =50/-= only.
B.S.A. “SAFETIPASTE”
The “No Trouble” Rifle Barrel Preserver
No scrubbing needed. All labour abolished. Merely coat the bore and
“=Safetipaste=” will kill all fouling and preserve the bore for any
length of time.
_For fully Illustrated Rifle Booklets, post free, write to_
The Sole Manufacturers:
THE BIRMINGHAM SMALL ARMS CO., LTD.
BIRMINGHAM.
_Makers of Rifles for the War Office._
_VOLUMES ALREADY PUBLISHED IN THE IMPERIAL ARMY SERIES_
_Each 1/- net_
DRILL AND
FIELD TRAINING
Based on Infantry Training, 1914
(4 Company Organisation)
ATTACK, DEFENCE, OUTPOSTS, SCOUTING,
BAYONET FIGHTING, FIELD SKETCHING,
FIGHTING IN WOOD AND VILLAGES,
NIGHT OPERATIONS, ETC.
FIELD
ENTRENCHMENTS
(Spade Work for Riflemen)
HASTY FIRE COVER, FIELD ENTRENCHMENTS,
COMMUNICATIONS, OBSTRUCTION,
DEFENCE OF VILLAGES, WOODS AND
BUILDINGS, SHELTERS, ETC.
CAMPS, BILLETS,
COOKING, CEREMONIAL
ORGANISATION, ROUTINE AND SANITATION
IN QUARTERS, SENTRY AND GUARD
DUTIES, BUGLE CALLS, INSPECTION,
BIVOUACS, COOKING IN MESS TINS, ETC.
_Each 1/- net_
FIELD
ENTRENCHMENTS
(Spade Work for Riflemen)
HASTY FIRE COVER, FIELD ENTRENCHMENTS,
COMMUNICATIONS, OBSTRUCTION,
DEFENCE OF VILLAGES, WOODS AND
BUILDINGS, SHELTERS, ETC.
MUSKETRY
(·303 and ·22 Cartridge)
ELEMENTARY TRAINING AND PRACTICES,
FIRE DIRECTION AND CONTROL, INDIVIDUAL
AND COLLECTIVE FIELD
PRACTICES, RANGE PRACTICES, ETC.
PHYSICAL TRAINING
Junior Course--Senior Course (Separate Vols.)
COMPLETE COURSE OF SWEDISH
EXERCISES, GAMES, ATHLETIC SPORTS,
SWIMMING AND LIFE-SAVING, ETC.
BOUGHT, SOLD.
CAMERAS
EXCHANGED.
_ILLUSTRATED AND BARGAIN LISTS POST FREE._
ELECTRIC TORCHES
Large Selection
PRICES FROM 2s. 6d.
_British Made_
TRENCH PERISCOPES
_THE “WESTMINSTER”_
_Patent Applied for_
Open 24 × 6½ × 4¼ in. Closed 24 × 6½ × 1⅜ in.
Weight in Case, 3lb. 6oz. Sight-height 22 in.
PRICE COMPLETE £1 12s. 6d.
THE “N.S.” TRENCH PORTABLE
PERISCOPE
Weight in Case, 18 oz. Sight-height 18 in.
PRICE COMPLETE £1 15s.
_THE_ WESTMINSTER
PHOTOGRAPHIC EXCHANGE, L^{TD}.
_111. OXFORD STREET.
119. VICTORIA STREET, LONDON._
MUSKETRY
VOLUMES IN THE
IMPERIAL ARMY SERIES
_Each 1s. net_
DRILL AND FIELD TRAINING
FIELD ENTRENCHMENTS
SIGNALLING
MUSKETRY
CAMPS, BILLETS, COOKING, CEREMONIAL
PHYSICAL TRAINING. Junior Course
PHYSICAL TRAINING. Senior Course
_For full particulars see front of book_
IMPERIAL ARMY SERIES
BASED ON OFFICIAL MANUALS
MUSKETRY
(·303 AND ·22 CARTRIDGES)
ELEMENTARY TRAINING
VISUAL TRAINING
JUDGING DISTANCE
FIRE DISCIPLINE
RANGE PRACTICES
FIELD PRACTICES
Written by an Officer of the Regular Army
AND EDITED BY
E. JOHN SOLANO
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1915
_All rights reserved._
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO
BRIGADIER-GENERAL N. R. MACMAHON, D.S.O.
KILLED IN ACTION, FLANDERS,
_November 11, 1914._
_First Edition_ _January, 1915_
_Reprinted_ _February, 1915_
EDITOR’S NOTE
=Object of the Book.=--This book is intended to serve as an
introduction to _Musketry Regulations_. The instruction contained
in it is consistent in principle and method with that laid down in
_Musketry Regulations, Infantry Training (1914)_, and other official
manuals. It is hoped that the book may prove useful to officers and men
of the newly raised units of the Regular Army, Territorial Force, and
the Military Forces of the dominions. As great care has been taken to
explain the correct methods of carrying out musketry training, it is
also hoped that it may prove useful to the Volunteer Training Corps,
Officers’ Training Corps, and Cadet Corps. The Preface contains notes
on experience gained at the front in the present campaign, signed by
General Sir O’Moore Creagh, V.C., which will prove of great value to
officers in training their commands.
=Scope of Instruction.=--The scope of instruction in the book is
practically identical with that laid down in _Musketry Regulations_.
It contains the conditions of the individual and collective field
practices recently laid down for the training of the new armies on
classification ranges. It also includes directions for carrying out a
complete course of musketry instruction on miniature ranges with the
aid of the Standard Target Equipment adopted for this purpose.[1] This
instruction includes elementary training, and leads up by progressive
stages to visual training, fire discipline, fire direction and control,
and a variety of individual and collective field practices which can be
fired under conditions approximating as closely as possible to those of
service.
=Acknowledgment.=--The Editor desires to express his thanks and
acknowledgments to the Military Authorities and to His Majesty’s
Stationery Office for permission to reproduce illustrations and
extracts from the _Musketry Regulations_ and other official manuals.
It is intended to keep each edition of this book abreast of the latest
developments in the science with which it deals, and the changes made
from time to time in the official training manuals.
E. JOHN SOLANO.
LONDON, 1915.
PREFACE
NOTES ON EXPERIENCE GAINED AT THE FRONT
BY GENERAL SIR O’MOORE CREAGH, V.C.
=1.= The experience gained at the front in the present campaign may be
divided broadly under two heads: Firstly, the test under war conditions
of the general principles upon which the British Army has been trained
in peace. Secondly, knowledge concerning the tactics of the enemy and
his method of employing various arms. With regard to the former of
these two heads of information, it is important to note _that the broad
principles upon which the training of the British Army has been based
are described by a General Officer as being sound, and that the need of
paying strict attention to them in carrying out training is emphasized
by him_. On the other hand, valuable experience has been gained as to
the best method of applying these general principles to the peculiar
conditions which have so far prevailed in the present campaign,
including the tactics adopted by the enemy. Information based on this
experience, more especially so far as it concerns the employment of
musketry in attack and defence, is included in these notes, as it may
prove useful to officers in training their commands.
=2.= These notes, therefore, do not affect the general principles of
training laid down in this book. _They merely deal with the application
of these principles to the peculiar conditions which have so far
obtained in the course of the campaign._ These conditions may at any
time give place to others, for it must be remembered that in no two
military operations is the situation exactly the same. _Instructors,
therefore, must avoid the mistake of training their men for any
particular given conditions of warfare, and remember that general
principles and broad rules alone are applicable to the leading of
troops in war (Infantry Training, 1914)._
=3. German Musketry.=[2]--(i) The Germans consider it unnecessary
to teach men to fire at distances beyond 400 metres. Their plan of
infantry attack (see diagram, p. ix) is devised to get within this
range without opening fire. Accordingly, judging distance is practised
by officers only, and no attention is devoted to the indication of
targets, concentration of fire, or to fire direction and control
generally, as practised in the British Army. To concentrate the fire of
a platoon or company on one spot at 1,000 yards range was considered by
Germans to be a waste of ammunition. Their training seems to have been
limited to independent firing by battalions on large areas of ground.
(ii) Only some of their men were practised in rapid firing, which
averaged eight or nine rounds a minute, as against the fifteen
well-aimed shots a minute which British troops are trained to deliver
in rapid firing. In this respect it may be mentioned that the straight
bolt of the German rifle is not so easy to work as the bolt of the
British rifle, nor is its clip so easy to put in. When put to the test
of war, the musketry of the German infantry is characterized by British
officers as poor and “lamentable.”
=4. British Musketry.=--On the other hand, the German officer referred
to in the footnote below described British musketry under the test of
war as “marvellous,” and, in doing so, expressed the views generally
held in the German Army as the result of experience. He states that the
Germans had counted on being able to rush the British troops by weight
of numbers by the plan of attack described in the next paragraph;
but they found themselves unable to do so because the British rifle
fire was “so straight and so quick.” He added that “they had never
had a chance against the British,” because, although they reckoned
on their third line with their machine-guns being able to get within
400 yards of the enemy, they had never been able to do this over open
ground against the British, because their first line was down too
soon--sometimes at 800 to 1,000 yards. Again, on the Aisne, this German
officer’s machine-gun battery came under the concentrated fire of
British infantry at 1,000 yards, and though his men suffered heavily
from it, they were unable to reply to the British, as they were unable
to see them.
=5. A German Plan of Infantry Attack.=--(i) The diagram on page ix
gives a rough idea of a German plan of infantry attack in close
formations, as explained by a German officer. The first line is looked
on as cover from bullets for the second and third lines, to enable
these two lines to get close to the enemy with the minimum of loss. The
Germans considered massed formations to be the only way to get up close
to the enemy. Both ranks of each line in these formations are close
together. When their third line is stopped, they have standing orders
to dig in at once, and for this purpose the third line carries shovels
and small picks. It has already been explained that, owing to the
tremendous effect of British musketry fire, this German plan of attack
has repeatedly failed after very heavy loss has been incurred.
(ii) As regards fire effect, the Germans had considered the machine-gun
to be the most valuable method of discharging bullets, and an
enormous amount of time, trouble, and ammunition has been expended
on machine-gun training, as well as upon their artillery, upon which
they relied largely in their plan of attack. Notes referring to German
machine-guns will be found in _Machine-Gun Training_ of this series.
=6. German Night Attacks.=--(i) The enemy’s night attacks are made
without scouts or advanced parties, and the advance is made with great
rapidity. Infantry in trenches must always be ready to open a burst of
rapid fire at a few seconds’ notice; so long as this can be done, there
will be no chance of a trench being rushed. Supports should be in the
cover-trenches, and, when the firing-line is attacked, should not fire,
but rely on the bayonet.
[Illustration: DIAGRAM SHOWING A GERMAN PLAN OF INFANTRY ATTACK IN
CLOSE FORMATIONS.]
(ii) The Germans usually attack about 3 p.m. (winter) or at dusk, and
then entrench during the night within 200 yards of our lines. They also
take advantage of fog in the early morning. They make a little progress
in this way, but it is slow work, and they have lost enormously, as
already stated. They shoot badly with the rifle, and the effect of
their fire is chiefly obtained by artillery and machine-guns.
=7. Flares to illuminate Foreground at Night.=--(i) No fixed apparatus
can be set in the field for the reliable lighting of foreground at
night which will survive a prolonged bombardment and bad weather, or
admit of renewal or attention in the close presence of the enemy. This
does not apply to electric searchlights employed in carefully chosen
and protected sites in connection with harbour and fortress defences,
nor to flares or bonfires set for the purpose of providing a single
illumination for a given purpose, such as a signal or landmark.
(ii) For the temporary illumination of foreground during an engagement
with the enemy, the best method is to employ hand and rifle
“illumination grenades,” which ignite on impact with the ground upon
the same principle as in the detonation of the explosive or fighting
grenades. By this means temporary illumination can be concentrated at
the exact points at which it is most required. In siege warfare or
trench fighting at close quarters there is special use for a combined
incendiary and illumination bomb or grenade fired from a trench mortar.
These bombs would be charged with inflammable material and liquid, such
as cotton waste in petrol, together with a small charge of explosive,
which would ignite and scatter the contents freely upon impact.
=8. British Infantry Formations in Attack=--(i) =Advance under Rifle
or Machine-Gun Fire.=--Small columns in what are known as “artillery
formations” should never be adhered to when there is a possibility
of their coming under close or medium range fire of infantry or
machine-guns. Troops have suffered severely from insufficient
extension, and the adoption of rigid lines, and also from pushing
forward in close formations without taking the proper military
precautions. Loose elastic formations adapted to the ground, with men
at eight or ten paces interval, are the least vulnerable.
(ii) =Advance under Artillery Fire.=--Several times it has been
necessary to advance under unsubdued artillery fire. Small columns at
50 yards’ interval and 300 yards’ distance have been found to be the
best method of avoiding casualties. The 19th Brigade lying in the open
in this formation were shelled by two batteries for half an hour, and
had only twenty-five casualties.
=9. Cover and Fields of Fire.=--(i) Owing to the effect of German
artillery fire, cover from view has become more important than field
of fire. It is better to have a field of fire of 100 yards and to be
invisible than to have one of 600 yards and be an easy target for
artillery. Owing to the enemy’s artillery fire by day, digging is
nearly always done at night, and this requires much practice. Some sort
of rough cover from shrapnel and head cover is made if time allows, and
also if it can be made without making the trench conspicuous.
(ii) =Defensive Positions and Sites of Trenches.=--Whenever possible,
trenches should be sited so that they are not under artillery
observation. This point is regarded as of great importance, and an
extensive field of fire is a secondary consideration. Trenches should
therefore be sited having regard to possible observation stations
on ground occupied by the enemy, and not solely with regard to the
possible artillery positions of the enemy. In open country it is better
to select a “back position,” behind the crest of a hill, with a field
of fire of 300 or 400 yards. This compels the enemy to expose his
infantry to rifle and shrapnel fire, and affords his artillery little
opportunity of observation. Such positions were held on the Aisne, with
slight loss to our troops and heavy loss to the enemy. A field of fire
of 100 yards is regarded as satisfactory if it cannot be increased
without loss of concealment from artillery observation.
=10. Care of Rifles.=--(i) The following directions are issued with
regard to the care of rifles on service. New rifles are inclined to
work somewhat stiffly at first, owing to slight roughness of the
bearing surfaces of the bolt and bolt-way. This can be appreciably
lessened by frequent and systematic manipulation of the bolt, the
bearing surfaces being well oiled. Primary extraction--the first
loosening of the fired cartridge in the chamber--can be improved by
placing a fired case in the chamber, and working the bolt-lever up and
down without drawing back the bolt.
(ii) Rifles must be kept clean and well oiled, and it has been found
necessary to make an inspection daily or even oftener. Particular care
must be taken to see that the chamber is scrupulously clean. If it is
permitted to become dirty, great difficulty in extraction is likely to
be experienced. It has also been found that cartridges get rusted into
their clips, and that they should be moved at least weekly. Magazine
springs may also become weak, if the magazine is continually kept
loaded with ten instead of five rounds.
=11. Conclusion.=--(i) Up to the present the tactics of the enemy
and the conditions of warfare of the campaign on the Continent have
resulted as a rule in giving the infantryman fairly short fields
of fire and more or less visible targets. This has accentuated the
value of rapid, accurate fire within close range, to which particular
attention should be paid in training men. On the other hand, when
opportunity has afforded, the value of fire direction and control has
been demonstrated by the effect of British rifle fire beyond close
range.
(ii) The principles of training laid down in the _Musketry Regulations_
and in this book as a whole should, therefore, be adhered to and
carried out systematically. Above all, the sound principles that troops
should be trained to make the best possible use of their weapons, not
only at one but at all ranges of the battlefield, and that they should
be trained to adapt their instruction to a variety of conditions, and
not to any given conditions, should be observed faithfully. The correct
application of general principles to the ever-varying circumstances of
warfare should be the object of any sound system of military training.
(iii) The following subjects of training may be mentioned as being
especially important in relation to the present campaign:
1. Rapid fire.
2. Entrenching, especially in the dark.
3. Cover from view of artillery for the trenches.
4. Bringing enfilade fire to bear on enemy’s trenches whenever possible.
5. Skilful use of machine-guns. Infantry must be careful when advancing
that an enemy’s machine-gun is not hidden on the flank ready to open
enfilade fire. Some regiments have lost very heavily from being caught
in this way.
O’M. CREAGH.
LONDON, 1915.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
PAGE
NOTES ON EXPERIENCE GAINED AT THE FRONT vi
DEFINITION OF TECHNICAL TERMS AND MILITARY
VOCABULARY
I. =Definitions= xxii
II. =Military Vocabulary for Indication and Recognition of
Targets= xxvi
CHAPTER I
THE CARE AND CLEANING OF ARMS
SECTION
1. =General Remarks= 1
2. =Wear and Fouling= 2
3. =Materials used for Cleaning Arms= 4
4. =Instructions for Cleaning Arms= 7
5. =Instructions for Care of Arms and Ammunition= 10
6. =Examination of Small Arms= 12
7. =Inspection of Arms on Parade= 15