Tactics and duties for trench fightingBertrand, Georges Etienne
History
Tactics and duties for trench fighting
Bertrand, Georges Etienne
Intrenchments
1. For the purposes of drill and maneuver, the regiment will be
organized as follows:
(_a_) One training company, as at present constituted, will form two
platoons.
(_b_) The new organization contemplates four platoons to the company.
When, for training purposes, a complete company is necessary or
desirable, companies will be combined.
[Illustration: PLATOON PASSING FROM MANEUVER TO COMBAT FORMATION]
2. For a training company of two platoons, the 2nd in command (sergeant)
of the first platoon is the right guide; the 2nd in command of the 2nd
platoon is the left guide.
3. The platoons, in line or column, are arranged as at present.
4. The usual arrangement of a company for attack is to place two
platoons in the 1st wave and two in the 2nd wave. The two platoons in
the 1st wave are known as the assaulting platoons; the two in the 2nd
wave, as the reinforcing platoons. The normal distance between the
assaulting and reinforcing platoon is about 65 yards. Sometimes three
platoons are placed in the 1st wave and one in the 2nd wave.
5. The first wave is followed, at a distance of 15 yards, by the hand
grenadiers of the reinforcing platoon, who are sent forward by the
commander of the reinforcing platoon to act as trench cleaners or
moppers-up for the first wave. Fifty yards behind these is the remainder
of the reinforcing platoon. There are no “moppers-up” for the
reinforcing platoon.
6. The captain of a company has four liaison agents constantly with him,
one being furnished from and for each platoon. They march immediately in
rear of the captain.
7. The post of the captain is between the 1st and 2nd waves.
Platoon Organization
1. The composition of a platoon is as follows:
1 Lieutenant (1st and 4th platoons under 1st Lieutenants).
(2nd and 3rd platoons under 2nd Lieutenants).
1 Sergeant (2nd in command, assistant to platoon leader).
=First Section=—(Grenadiers).
1 Sergeant—Section Sergeant.
2 Corporals and 12 Privates—Hand Grenadiers.
1 Corporal and 6 Privates—Rifle Grenadiers.
=Second Section=—(Riflemen).
2 Corporals and 10 Privates—Riflemen.
=Third Section=—(Riflemen).
2 Corporals and 10 Privates—Riflemen.
=Fourth Section=—(Automatic Rifle).
1 Sergeant—Charge of 1 gun crew.
1 Corporal—Charge of 1 gun crew.
3 Privates, 1st Class—Gunners—1 in charge of each gun and 1 in reserve.
6 Privates—Ammunition Carriers.
2. All platoons are alike in numbers, organization, and armament.
3. When the platoon is in column of squads or in line, the post of the
platoon leader is as at present. When in line of section columns he is
normally in front of the right center section, although he may be in
front of some other section if he sees fit. In attack formation he is in
the center of his platoon between his first and second lines.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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