=Moral Preparation of the Troops.= When an attack is expected, this fact must be told the garrison of each area, so that it can better prepare for it. The troops must not be left in ignorance, and upon the officers informing them devolves the responsibility of performing this task in such a manner as to raise the morale of their troops. The men must be maintained in the best of physical condition. Their food supply must be regular, of good quality, and sufficient. The tour of duty of the interior relief of the first line is shortened. =Duties during the Preliminary Bombardment.= The most important and final act in preparation for the attack is a heavy and unusual bombardment of the position. Concentrated fire is brought to bear upon all visible points of the sector to demolish trenches, emplacements, dugouts, routes, and ammunition dumps, and to destroy the barbed wire entanglements. Certain batteries are detailed for counter-battery work. Barrages are established to prevent reinforcements from coming up and to cut communications with the rear. Against this bombardment, the defense has both a passive and an active rôle to play. [Illustration: _Deep Dug-out, 2nd Line_] =Maintenance of the Garrison during the Bombardment.= The violence of preliminary bombardments is ever increasing and there seems to be no limit. High explosive shells of every caliber are used against the position. Any element of your system that is not properly concealed and can be located by the enemy is subjected to concentrated artillery fire until it is blown out of existence. Casualties inflicted upon the garrison are severe—in fact, it would seem from the violence of the artillery fire that few of the garrison could escape. However, when the assault develops, a machine gun may be found intact here and there in the position. One or two of these powerful weapons, by the use of flanking fire, may be enough to cause the failure of the enemy’s attack. It is possible to say that upon the use of M. G.’s depends the whole interior defense of the sector. The maintenance of the garrison during the bombardment depends, of course, upon the number and depth of dugouts. The service of defense, however, requires many of the troops to execute their duties in the open trenches. The leaders must set the example in this respect by making their rounds, and taking their posts to observe the area from the observation posts. In other words, they must not stay in their dugouts. The bombardment naturally causes a great deal of repair work to be done. This is executed at night or during lulls in the shelling. Only emergency works, however, are executed, such as repairing of accessory defenses, cleaning of trenches and rebuilding of shelters. When this work becomes too heavy for the garrison, reserve troops are brought up to assist.