Infantry Drill Regulations, United States Army, 1911 Part 29

13. Do not hesitate to sacrifice the command if the result is worth the cost.

14. Spare the command all unnecessary hardship and exertion.

MISCELLANEOUS.

_MACHINE GUNS._

537. Machine guns must be considered as weapons of emergency. Their effectiveness combined with their mobility renders them of great value at critical, though infrequent, periods of an engagement.

538. When operating against infantry only, they can be used to a great extent throughout the combat as circ.u.mstances may indicate, but they are quickly rendered powerless by efficient field artillery and will promptly draw artillery fire whenever they open. Hence their use in engagements between large commands must be for short periods and at times when their great effectiveness will be most valuable.

539. Machine guns should be attached to the advance guard. In meeting engagements they will be of great value in a.s.sisting their own advance, or in checking the advance of the enemy, and will have considerable time to operate before hostile artillery fire can silence them.

Care must be taken not to leave them too long in action.

540. They are valuable to a rear guard which seeks to check a vigorous pursuit or to gain time.

541. In attack, if fire of position is practicable, they are of great value. In this case fire should not be opened by the machine guns until the attack is well advanced. At a critical period in the attack, such fire, if suddenly and unexpectedly opened, will greatly a.s.sist the advancing line. The fire must be as heavy as possible and must be continued until masked by friendly troops or until the hostile artillery finds the machine guns.

542. In the defense, machine guns should be used in the same general manner as described above for the attack. Concealment and patient waiting for critical moments and exceptional opportunities are the special characteristics of the machine gun service in decisive actions.

543. As part of the reserve, machine guns have special importance. If they are with the troops told off to protect the flanks, and if they are well placed, they will often produce decisive results against a hostile turning movement. They are especially qualified to cover a withdrawal or make a captured position secure.

544. Machine guns should not be a.s.signed to the firing line of an attack. They should be so placed that fire directed upon them is not likely to fall upon the firing line.

545. A skirmish line can not advance by walking or running when hostile machine guns have the correct range and are ready to fire.

Machine-gun fire is not specially effective against troops lying on the ground or crawling.

546. When opposed by machine guns and without artillery to destroy them, infantry itself must silence them before it can advance.

An infantry command that must depend upon itself for protection against machine guns should concentrate a large number of rifles on each gun in turn and until it has silenced it.

_AMMUNITION SUPPLY._

547. The method of supply of ammunition to the combat trains is explained in Field Service Regulations.

548. The combat train is the immediate reserve supply of the battalion, and the major is responsible for its proper use. He will take measures to insure the maintenance of the prescribed allowance at all times.

In the absence of instructions, he will cause the train to march immediately in rear of his battalion, and, upon separating from it to enter an engagement, will cause the ammunition therein to be issued.

When emptied, he will direct that the wagons proceed to the proper rendezvous to be refilled. Ordinarily a rendezvous is appointed for each brigade and the necessary number of wagons sent forward to it from the ammunition column.

549. When refilled, the combat wagons will rejoin their battalions, or, if the latter be engaged, will join or establish communication with the regimental reserve.

550. Company commanders are responsible that the belts of the men in their companies are kept filled at all times, except when the ammunition is being expended in action. In the firing line the ammunition of the dead and wounded should be secured whenever practicable.

551. Ammunition in the bandoleers will ordinarily be expended first.

Thirty rounds in the right pocket section of the belt will be held as a reserve, to be expended only when ordered by an officer.

552. When necessary to resupply the firing line, ammunition will be sent forward with reenforcements, generally from the regimental reserve.

Men will never be sent back from the firing line for ammunition. Men sent forward with ammunition remain with the firing line.

553. As soon as possible after an engagement the belts of the men and the combat wagons are resupplied to their normal capacities.

Ammunition which can not be reloaded on combat wagons will be piled up in a convenient place and left under guard.

_MOUNTED SCOUTS._

554. The mounted scouts should be thoroughly trained in patrolling and reconnaissance. They are used for communication with neighboring troops, for patrolling off the route of march, for march outposts, outpost patrols, combat patrols, reconnaissance ahead of columns, etc.

Their further use is, in general, confined to escort and messenger duty. They should be freely used for all these purposes, but for these purposes only.

555. When infantry is acting alone, or when the cavalry of a mixed command has been sent to a distance, the mounted scouts are of special importance to covering detachments and should be used to make the reconnaissance which would otherwise fall to cavalry.

556. In reconnaissance, scouts should be used in preference to other troops as much as possible. When not needed for mounted duty, they should be employed for necessary dismounted patrolling.

557. Battalion staff officers should be specially trained in patrolling and reconnaissance work in order that they may be available when a mounted officer's patrol is required.

_NIGHT OPERATIONS._

558. By employing night operations troops make use of the cover of darkness to minimize losses from hostile fire or to escape observation. Night operations may also be necessary for the purpose of gaining time. Control is difficult and confusion is frequently unavoidable.

It may be necessary to take advantage of darkness in order to a.s.sault from a point gained during the day, or to approach a point from which a daylight a.s.sault is to be made, or to effect both the approach and the a.s.sault.

559. Offensive and defensive night operations should be practiced frequently in order that troops may learn to cover ground in the dark and arrive at a destination quietly and in good order, and in order to train officers in the necessary preparation and reconnaissance.

Only simple and well-appointed formations should be employed.

Troops should be thoroughly trained in the necessary details--e.g., night patrolling, night marching, and communication at night.

560. The ground to be traversed should be studied by daylight and, if practicable, at night. It should be cleared of hostile detachments before dark, and, if practicable, should be occupied by covering troops.

Orders must be formulated with great care and clearness. Each unit must be given a definite objective and direction, and care must be exercised to avoid collision between units.

Whenever contact with the enemy is antic.i.p.ated, a distinctive badge should be worn by all.

561. Preparations must be made with secrecy. When the movement is started, and not until then, the officers and men should be acquainted with the general design, the composition of the whole force, and should be given such additional information as will insure cooperation and eliminate mistakes.

During the movement every precaution must be taken to keep secret the fact that troops are abroad.

Unfriendly guides must frequently be impressed. These should be secured against escape, outcry, or deception.

Fire action should be avoided in offensive operations. In general, pieces should not be loaded. Men must be trained to rely upon the bayonet and to use it aggressively.