Handy War Guide for My Company: Handy Company Commander's GuideHanguillart, André Godefroy Lionel
History
Handy War Guide for My Company: Handy Company Commander's Guide
Hanguillart, André Godefroy Lionel
Intrenchments; Siege warfare; United States. Army -- Officers' handbooks
Have they any idea of our own activities?
What is the nature and the location of their accessory defences?
What is the location of their machine guns, trench mortars?
Have they any asphyxiating gas or liquid fire apparatus?
Have they abundant supplies of hand grenades, etc., etc.
DEVICES TO DRAW THE ENEMY'S FIRE.
42.--To make enemy waste ammunition.
Any devices which lead the enemy to waste ammunition or to expose
themselves is a clear gain.
Many may be readily devised and officers and men should be encouraged
to do so. The following have often proved successful:
43.--Pretend abandoning trench.
Remain absolutely quiescent during several days. This may lead the
enemy to send out patrols or raiding parties which may be the more
surely destroyed. They should be allowed to approach to the wire
entanglements before a shot is fired.
44.--Pretend a raid.
On dark nights, have all firing stop. Throw stones by hand or with
slings, a dozen at a time toward the enemy's trench. This will lead
him to fire repeated volleys and waste ammunition in his fear of an
attack, especially if the trenches are in wooded terrain and there are
leaves on the ground. Repeat several times during the night.
Patrols may also tie strings to the enemy's barb wire. On dark nights
pulling on the string may lead the enemy to fire.
45.--Use decoys.
Decoys may be arranged in trees or stuck up momentarily over the
parapet. They will draw the enemy's fire.
46.--Pretend a fire attack.
If the enemy's trenches are near enough for the sound to carry,
whistles may be blown all along the line before a volley. They may
be blown again after the command to omit the volley. The enemy may
continue to fire indefinitely.
47.--Watch out for enemy's ruses.
Let the aim of all these devices be to make the enemy waste ammunition
and to save your own. On the other hand, the enemy is likely to attempt
like ruses and many others which are not permissible such as the use of
white flags or raising hands to indicate pretended surrender.
48.--His use of blank cartridges.
A legitimate ruse, of which the enemy is fond and which should be
guarded against, consists in their firing blank cartridges to mask an
advance of their men. It is clear that men do not advance while bullets
are fired from their own trenches. Nor does one fire in retaliation
until the enemy's fire ceases. A little attention will be sufficient to
spoil this plan as, when only blank cartridges are fired, no bullets
will whiz by. As long as the enemy fires blank cartridges, withhold
your own fire, be on guard against the appearance of patrols and be
ready to receive them when they draw near.
49.--His use of flares.
In case the enemy sends up flares, patrols should lie flat and
motionless till after the volley which often follows. The sentinels in
the fire trench should note spot where flare was sent up and abstain
from firing unless enemy is sighted out of his trenches.
50.--His machine guns.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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