Tactics and duties for trench fightingBertrand, Georges Etienne
History
Tactics and duties for trench fighting
Bertrand, Georges Etienne
Intrenchments
(_b_) Relation between Artillery and Infantry Commanders:—The best of
relations must be established between the artillery and infantry
commanders. Usually, it is not possible to locate the commanding posts
of the two officers close together. Each has his area or unit to command
and for that purpose must be located for the proper control of the same.
The support artillery commander, however, should make frequent visits to
the infantry leader and his area. He should also send his subordinate
artillery officers into the infantry area to become acquainted with the
first line, the conditions in “No Man’s Land,” the enemy’s lines, and to
gather all the information possible from the infantry officers in the
trenches. Everything should be done to foster good relations between the
infantry and their support artillery and this is best done by frequent
visits of the artillery officers to the infantry trenches to gather
information for artillery data.
(_c_) Communication of Orders:—It is necessary that the orders received
by the infantry commander be communicated in whole or in part to the
artillery commander, and vice versa. For instance, if the chief of area
receives orders to send out a fighting patrol or a raid, this
information is sent to the artillery commander, who, in turn, sends back
his plan of action. Similarly, when the artillery commander expects to
carry out special fires not called for by the infantry, such as
destructive shelling, harassing fires, etc., he should first notify his
infantry chief of area.
Similarly, any useful information picked up, either by the infantry or
artillery, must be communicated to the other. The daily report of the
chief of sector and the observation report of the Intelligence Officer
are sent direct to the commander of the artillery support. Valuable
information obtained at the artillery observation posts is sent to the
infantry.
(_d_) Means of Communication:—The principal of the organization of the
different means of communication is such as to assure the best liaison
between the two arms. Telephone lines, searchlight signals, runners,
etc., are established directly between a unit of infantry and its
artillery support. This is to avoid loss of time and useless
interruption between leaders.
[Illustration]
(_e_) Detachments for Liaison and Observation:—For more efficient
liaison between the artillery and the infantry, usually a certain number
of artillerymen are sent from the group of the artillery Support to the
infantry in their area. Usually a special detachment of artillerymen is
sent. This detachment is made up of one officer, chief of the
detachment, who is sent to the chief of sector, one N. C. O. to each
chief of a center of resistance, the rest as telephone operators and
artillery orderlies. This disposition of artillerymen in the infantry
area is obligatory for an attack, but it is so practical that it is now
employed in the sector organization.
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