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
85.--What is a good motto under all conditions, but especially in the
attack?
Appendix.
A Division Front in
Trench Warfare.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE I.
The following may be considered a standard scheme of distribution of
troops, for trench warfare, in a fully developed trench system.
An infantry division is composed of two brigades, each brigade of two
regiments, each regiment of three battalions. Each brigade thus has six
battalions, each battalion numbering 1026 officers and men, normally
divided into four companies.
One battalion occupies about 1000 yards in ordinary trench warfare. As
reliefs must be frequent, three battalions of each brigade will be on
duty, while the other three are in rest-billets, at least two miles
back of the trenches.
Two of the battalions on duty occupy the trenches, the third is
stationed about a mile back, in reserve.
A brigade can therefore hold about 2000 yards of trenches: two
battalions in front line trenches, one battalion in reserve, and three
battalions in rest billets.
Hence a division (two brigades) will hold a front of about 4000 yards.
Within each 1000 yards front, the distribution may be as follows:
Three platoons of Companies A, B, and C occupy the dugouts of the cover
trench and of the support trench and post sentinels by roster in the
fire trench.
Platoon No. 4 of each company occupy the dugouts of the reserve trench,
together with the entire Company D.
Platoons and companies then relieve one another according to roster,
a platoon of each company and an entire company, in turn, enjoying
comparative rest in the reserve trench even during the stay of the
battalion in the trenches.
EXPLANATION OF PLATE II.
The following is a description of the back areas of a divisional sector
in which there has been no great changes since 1915. There are still
several hundred miles of such sectors.
The line at the top marks the beginning of the trench-system described
in Plate I. being the entrance to the communication trenches.
Road a, b, with the river c, d, run at the bottom of a small valley
surrounded by hills of about 80 ft. elevation. A branch of the river
runs from c. to e. and a railroad beside it, along road h, i, and
crossing road j, k. A good size village is at D, a smaller one at C,
hamlets at A and B. The latter are about one mile back of the trenches,
village C. about two miles and village D. between three and four.
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