Infantry Drill Regulations, United States Army, 1911 Part 19

289. The battalion being wholly or partially deployed, or the companies being separated: 1. _a.s.semble_, 2. _MARCH_.

The major places himself opposite to or designates the element or point on which the battalion is to a.s.semble. Companies are a.s.sembled and marched to the indicated point. As the companies arrive the major or adjutant indicates the formation to be taken.

COMBAT PRINCIPLES.

_Orders._

290. The following references to orders are applicable to attack or defense.

291. In extended order, the company is the largest unit to execute movements by prescribed commands or means. The major, a.s.sembling his captains if practicable, directs the disposition of the battalion by means of _tactical orders_. He controls its subsequent movements by such _orders_ or _commands_ as are suitable to the occasion.

292. In every disposition of the battalion for combat the major's order should give subordinates sufficient information of the enemy, of the position of supporting and neighboring troops, and of the object sought to enable them to conform intelligently to the general plan.

The order should then designate the companies which are to const.i.tute the _firing line_ and those which are to const.i.tute the _support_. In attack, it should designate the direction or the objective, the order and front of the companies on the firing line, and should designate the right or left company as base company. In defense, it should describe the front of each company and, if necessary, the sector to be observed by each.

293. When the battalion is operating alone, the major provides for the reconnaissance and protection of his flanks; if part of a larger force, the major makes similar provisions, when necessary, without orders from higher authority, unless such authority has specifically directed other suitable reconnaissance and protection.

294. When the battalion is deployed upon the initiative of the major, he will indicate whether extra ammunition shall be issued; if deployed in pursuance of orders of higher authority, the major will cause the issue of extra ammunition, unless such authority has given directions to the contrary.

_Deployment._

295. The following principles of deployment are applicable to attack or defense.

296. A premature deployment involves a long, disorganizing and fatiguing advance of the skirmish line, and should be avoided. A greater evil is to be caught by heavy fire when in dense column or other close order formation; hence advantage should be taken of cover in order to retain the battalion in close order formation until exposure to heavy hostile fire may reasonably be antic.i.p.ated.

297. The major regulates the depth of the deployment and the extent and density of the firing line, subject to such restrictions as a senior may have imposed.

Companies or designated subdivisions and detachments are conducted by their commanders in such manner as best to accomplish the mission a.s.signed to them under the major's orders. Companies designated for the firing line march independently to the place of deployment, form skirmish line, and take up the advance. They conform, in general, to the base company.

298. The commander of a battalion, whether it is operating alone or as part of a larger force, should hold a part of his command out of the firing line. By the judicious use of this force the major can exert an influence not otherwise possible over his firing line and can control, within reasonable limits, an action once begun. So if his battalion be a.s.signed to the _firing line_ the major will cause one, two, or three companies to be deployed on the firing line, retaining the remaining companies or company as a _support_ for that firing line. The division of the battalion into firing line and support will depend upon the front to be covered and the nature and antic.i.p.ated severity of the action.

299. If the battalion be part of a larger command, the number of companies in the firing line will generally be determinable from the regimental commander's order; the remainder const.i.tutes the support.

If the battalion is acting alone, the support must be strong enough to maintain the original fire power of the firing line, to protect the flanks, and to perform the functions of a reserve, whatever be the issue of the action. See paragraph 346.

300. If the battalion is operating alone, the support may, according to circ.u.mstances, be held in one or two bodies and placed behind the center, or one or both flanks of the firing line, or echeloned beyond a flank. If the battalion is part of a larger force, the support is generally held in one body.

301. The distance between the firing line and the supporting group or groups will vary between wide limits; it should be as short as the necessity for protection from heavy losses will permit. When cover is available, the support should be as close as 50 to 100 yards; when such cover is not available, it should not be closer than 300 yards.

It may be as far as 500 yards in rear if good cover is there obtainable and is not obtainable at a lesser distance.

302. In exceptional cases, as in a meeting engagement, it may be necessary to place an entire battalion or regiment in the firing line at the initial deployment, the support being furnished by other troops. Such deployment causes the early mingling of the larger units, thus rendering leadership and control extremely difficult. The necessity for such deployment will increase with the inefficiency of the commander and of the service of information.

_Fire._

303. Fire direction and fire control are functions of company and platoon commanders. The major makes the primary apportionment of the target--in defense, by a.s.signing sectors of fire; in attack, by a.s.signing the objective. In the latter case each company in the firing line takes as its target that part of the general objective which lies in its front.

304. The major should indicate the point or time at which the fire fight is to open. He may do this in his order for deployment or he may follow the firing line close enough to do so at the proper time. If it be impracticable for him to do either, the senior officer with the firing line, in each battalion, selects the time for opening fire.

_Attack._

305. The battalion is the _attack unit_, whether operating alone or as part of a larger unit.

306. If his battalion be one of several in the firing line, the major, in executing his part of the attack, pushes his battalion forward as vigorously as possible within the front, or section, a.s.signed to it.

The great degree of independence allowed to him as to details demands, in turn, the exercise of good judgment on his part. Better leadership, better troops, and more favorable terrain enable one battalion to advance more rapidly in attack than another less fortunate, and such a battalion will insure the further advance of the others. The leading battalion should not, however, become isolated; isolation may lead to its destruction.

307. The deployment having been made, the firing line advances without firing. The predominant idea must be to close with the enemy as soon as possible without ruinous losses. The limited supply of ammunition and the uncertainty of resupply, the necessity for securing fire superiority in order to advance within the shorter ranges, and the impossibility of accomplishing this at ineffective ranges, make it imperative that fire be not opened as long as the advance can be continued without demoralizing losses. The attack which halts to open fire at extreme range (over 1,200 yards) is not likely ever to reach its destination. Every effort should be made, by using cover or inconspicuous formations, or by advancing the firing line as a whole, to arrive within 800 yards of the enemy before opening fire.

308. Except when the enemy's artillery is able to effect an unusual concentration of fire, its fire upon deployed infantry causes losses which are unimportant when compared with those inflicted by his infantry; hence the attacking infantry should proceed to a position as described above, and from which an effective fire can be directed against the hostile infantry with a view to obtaining fire superiority. The effectiveness of the enemy's fire must be reduced so as to permit further advance. The more effective the fire to which the enemy is subjected the less effective will be his fire.

309. Occasionally the fire of adjacent battalions, or of infantry employing fire of position, or of supporting artillery, will permit the further advance of the entire firing line from this point, but it will generally be necessary to advance by rushes of fractions of the line.

The fraction making the rush should be as large as the hostile fire and the necessity for maintaining fire superiority will permit.

Depending upon circ.u.mstances, the strength of the fraction may vary from a company to a few men.

The advance is made as rapidly as possible without losing fire superiority. The smaller the fraction which rushes, the greater the number of rifles which continue to fire upon the enemy. On the other hand, the smaller the fraction which rushes the slower will be the progress of the attack.

310. Enough rifles must continue in action to insure the success of each rush. Frequently the successive advances of the firing line must be effected by rushes of fractions of decreased size; that is, advances by rushes may first be made by company, later by half company or platoon, and finally by squads or files; but no subsequent opportunity to _increase_ the rate of advance, such as better cover or a decrease of the hostile fire, should be overlooked.

311. Whenever possible, the rush is begun by a flank fraction of the firing line. In the absence of express directions from the major, each captain of a flank company determines when an advance by rushes shall be attempted. A flank company which inaugurates an advance by rushes becomes the base company, if not already the base. An advance by rushes having been inaugurated on one flank, the remainder of the firing line conforms; fractions rush successively from that flank and halt on the line established by the initial rush.

The fractions need not be uniform in size; each captain indicates how his company shall rush, having due regard to the ground and the state of the fire fight.

312. A fraction about to rush is sent forward when the remainder of the line is firing vigorously; otherwise the chief advantage of this method of advancing is lost.

The length of the rush will vary from 30 to 80 yards, depending upon the existence of cover, positions for firing, and the hostile fire.

313. When the entire firing line of the battalion has advanced to the new line, fresh opportunities to advance are sought as before.

314. Two identical situations will never confront the battalion; hence at drill it is prohibited to arrange the details of an advance before the preceding one has been concluded, or to employ a fixed or prearranged method of advancing by rushes.

315. The major posts himself so as best to direct the reenforcing of the firing line from the support. When all or nearly all of the support has been absorbed by the firing line, he joins, and takes full charge of, the latter.

316. The reenforcing of the firing line by driblets of a squad or a few men has no appreciable effect. The firing line requires either no reenforcement or a strong one. Generally one or two platoons will be sent forward under cover of a heavy fire of the firing line.

317. To facilitate control and to provide intervals in which reenforcements may be placed, the companies in the firing line should be kept closed in on their centers as they become depleted by casualties during the advance.

When this is impracticable, reenforcements must mingle with and thicken the firing line. In battle the latter method will be the rule rather than the exception, and to familiarize the men with such conditions the combat exercises of the battalion should include both methods of reenforcing. Occasionally, to provide the necessary intervals for reenforcing by either of these methods, the firing line should be thinned by causing men to drop out and simulate losses during the various advances. Under ordinary conditions the depletion of the firing line for this purpose will be from one-fifth to one-half of its strength.

318. The major or senior officer in the firing line determines when bayonets shall be fixed and gives the proper command or signal. It is repeated by all parts of the firing line. Each man who was in the front rank prior to deployment, as soon as he recognizes the command or signal, suspends firing, quickly fixes his bayonet, and immediately resumes firing; after which the other men suspend firing, fix bayonets, and immediately resume firing. The support also fixes bayonets. The concerted fixing of the bayonet by the firing line at drill does not simulate battle conditions and should not be required.

It is essential that there be no marked pause in the firing. Bayonets will be fixed generally before or during the last, or second last, advance preceding the charge.

319. Subject to orders from higher authority, the major determines the point from which the charge is to be made. The firing line having arrived at that point and being in readiness, the major causes the _charge_ to be sounded. The signal is repeated by the musicians of all parts of the line. The company officers lead the charge. The skirmishers spring forward shouting, run with bayonets at charge, and close with the enemy.

The further conduct of the charging troops will depend upon circ.u.mstances; they may halt and engage in bayonet combat or in pursuing fire; they may advance a short distance to obtain a field of fire or to drive the enemy from the vicinity; they may a.s.semble or reorganize, etc. If the enemy vacates his position every effort should be made to open fire at once on the retreating ma.s.s, reorganization of the attacking troops being of secondary importance to the infliction of further losses upon the enemy and to the increase of his confusion.

In combat exercises the major will a.s.sume a situation and terminate the a.s.sault accordingly.