Handy War Guide for My Company: Handy Company Commander's GuideHanguillart, André Godefroy Lionel
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Handy War Guide for My Company: Handy Company Commander's Guide
Hanguillart, André Godefroy Lionel
Intrenchments; Siege warfare; United States. Army -- Officers' handbooks
Several emplacements should be provided so that mortars, etc., may be
removed as soon as they have obtained desired results or been located
by the enemy.
The trench mortar commander should make it his business to study
carefully all possibilities for effective emplacements and should
inspire his men to be alert and quick to improve opportunities.
80.--Use of machine guns.
The machine guns should likewise be handled as a mobile weapon and
not be used merely from elaborate carefully concealed emplacements
commanding otherwise uncovered ground or enfilading communication
trenches, etc.[C]
81.--Use of hand grenades.
Hand grenades may be listed as trench artillery. The temptation is to
use them too freely. Like other ammunition they should never be wasted
and always used with a definite aim.
FOOTNOTE:
[C] Captain Hanguillart treats this important subject very summarily.
Cf. Cole & Schoonmaker's Military Instructor's Manual p. 319. He also
barely mentions Gas attacks. Cf. very complete treatment in same work,
p. 356 to 370.
FIELD ARTILLERY COOPERATION.
82.--Communications with the artillery.
Should be permanent so that it may cooperate whether to repulse an
enemy's attack, to silence his artillery, to damage his defences or to
prepare and protect an attack or a counter attack.
83.--Observations posts.
To avoid a waste of ammunition, and attain the desired result as well
as to prevent the artillery fire from falling short upon one's own
trenches, artillery observation posts should be provided in the fire
trench or at one of the outposts.
84.--Artillery fire falling short.
In case artillery fire does fall short upon one's own trenches,
communicate at once with artillery commander and proceed as when
bombarded by enemy. (Cf. 69 ff.)
85.--Artillery preparation of infantry attack.
Special caution should be exercised in the case of a raid against the
enemy's trench. Make sure that the artillery preparation has secured
the desired result. Synchronize carefully the infantry advance and the
lengthening of the artillery fire.
DAILY SCHEDULE.
86.--Rosters and schedules.
Throughout the stay in the trenches, the various fatigues should be
assigned by roster and carried out according to schedule. The following
schedule has been found practical:
7 A.M. (6 A.M. in summer).
87.--Cleaning of trenches.
Have trenches cleaned of all rubbish, latrines disinfected, drinking
water supplied.
88.--Collecting of broken equipment.
All cartridge shells, broken tools, etc. should be collected.
89.--Requisition Report.
A list of the supplies and ammunition needed should be drawn up.
90.--Report on night activities.
Full report should be brought to the company commander, covering the
work of the patrols and of the fatigue parties, and giving full details
of all that has happened during the night.
91.--Report on casualties.
Also the list of casualties in the last twelve hours with full names
and nature of wound if possible.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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