Bayonet fencing should be practiced if you have the necessary
equipment. If not, and a place is available for it, suspend by a rope
something to represent a man, a sack full of straw will do, so that
it can be made to swing through a small angle back and forth and to
right and left. Let the men practice the thrusts, lunges, cuts, etc.,
against this, another man giving the dummy a motion. This should come
after training in the bayonet exercise.
I would propose a system something like the following for your
company drills:
Recruits by themselves until they can be put in the company; their
work has already been discussed.
[Sidenote: Essentials at every drill]
After the company is formed give 15 or 20 minutes of snappy, precise
close order drill then a little manual of arms. Then have the company
deploy, two or three times at least, from different formations. Then
go through an attack formation the best you can, all the company in
the line, no support, an advance of 40 yards being represented by one
of five, etc. Then try it holding out a support and putting it in so
as to mix squads and advance as before. Remember, no verbal commands,
all this to be done by signals.
Have little posters on one wall of your armory at the proper height;
have a few minutes pointing and aiming drill, impressing on the men
the importance of always taking careful aim.
[Sidenote: Group work]
Then divide your company into small groups. One group at the sand
table, one receiving first aid instruction, another bayonet work,
another gallery practice, etc. The group at the sand table may be
larger than the others and may stay there for the rest of the
evening, the others should change every 15 or 20 minutes. The sand
table group should change each drill and once during the night if
practicable, that is, if there is time for one group to finish its
problem and give another a chance that same evening, it should be
done. Nearly all the company should fire a score at the gallery every
night.
If there are a few men in the company who are poor at the manual of
arms they can be put in one group and be given one of their turns in
drill in the manual.
One group may have to be taught how to make the pack. Instruction
in guard duty may be necessary for another. Verbal instruction can
be given in several subjects with great advantage where a good
instructor is available; in that case all except the group at the
sand table can be assembled.
The whole course cannot be covered at one drill. The captain should
so arrange his groups that all in turn get instruction in the whole
course, that all get a variety each night, that where men have a
special deficiency it receives attention, that the first part, the
essentials for the whole company, be never slighted, and that as many
as practicable of the company get gallery practice at every drill—one
score will answer fully.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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