Military Instructors Manual Part 17

3. Broad jump from a walking start of four paces. (197.)

F. Double timing.

1. Double timing.

2. Double timing sideward, crossing leg in front.

3. Double timing, raising knees.

G. Gymnastic Contests.

H. Concluding Exercises:

1. Bend trunk forward and backward, relaxed.

2. Breathing exercise, as in 12.

For further work for recruits and work to be given trained soldiers, see Special Regulation No. 23, "Field Physical Training of the Soldier."

To prevent grumbling, keep men at work. Idle men are the ones who growl. The French consider periods spent in the trenches as periods of rest; instead of letting the men go on pa.s.s when relieved, they restore discipline by close order drill.

The physical benefit is less than half of physical exercises. There should be mental exertion in every exercise. But the most important part is the disciplinary benefit. The exercises must teach men to jump at commands, and by this means must make the organization a h.o.m.ogeneous ma.s.s.

The princ.i.p.al thing in the position of attention is "chest lifted; and arched." There should be a stretch upward at the waist. The position should give the impression of a man as proud of himself as he can be.

This is a bluff which works, not only by making a good first impression on others, but by causing the man himself to live up to it.

Insist on precision. Especially when men are losing interest, don't let the work sag, but make it interesting by requiring concentration.

At the beginning of each exercise, wake the men up by calling them to attention until they do it well, giving the facings, etc.

COMMANDS.--There is a tone at which each voice carries best. Each man must find it for himself. To make commands understood, enunciate carefully with lips and teeth. Sound especially first and last letters of words. Officer's posture adds to effect of command. His personality is impressed on his men largely by his voice. Preparatory command should be vibrant and cheerful--not a harsh tone that grates on the men and antagonizes them. The command of execution must be short and sharp; drill can be made or marred by it.

MARCHING.--A cadence faster than 120 a minute adds snap to marching, but snap can not be gained in proportion as the cadence is run up.

Snap is attained chiefly by the proper gait. Soldiers should march, not with knees always slightly bent, but should straighten them smartly at the end of each step. This adds drive to the step, and gives the men confidence and a mob spirit of courage. After long drill at attention, this spirit can be carried into extended order work.

Marching exercises are useful and can be greatly varied. The command "Exercise" should always be given as the left foot strikes the ground.

"Exercise" is a command of execution, and the first movement should be executed at once when it is given. The count "One" is given when this first position is reached. The command to stop all marching exercises is "Quick time--March."

In all exercises the instructor should cultivate the ability to pick mistakes. He can develop this until he can watch much larger groups than at first.

Voice Culture.

Mastery of the voice is a necessity for every officer; for without it the giving of commands will soon make his throat look and feel like a piece of raw Hamburg steak. Quality of voice is more effective than quant.i.ty. Brute force may produce a roar that has tremendous volume at a short distance; but the sound will not carry unless it is so placed that it gets the benefit of the resonance s.p.a.ces in the head. If the tone is produced properly, so that it has the singing quality necessary in all right commands, quant.i.ty of tone will come of itself.

This singing quality has nothing to do with music; it may be attained by a man who can hardly distinguish a bar of music from a bar of soap.

It depends upon three principles, which are very simple in themselves but can not be applied without careful practise. The first covers proper use of the breath. Air must be drawn into the lungs by expanding the diaphragm and abdomen, a process best seen in the natural breathing of a man who is lying on his back with all muscles relaxed. Filling the upper part of the lungs by raising the chest puts the work on the comparatively small muscles between the ribs; but filling the base of the lungs by pulling downward brings into play the diaphragm, the largest muscle in the body. The sensation which accompanies proper deep control of the breath is as if the tone were not pushed out of the mouth, but drawn in and upwards. It is partly described by the phrases of singing teachers, "drawn tone" and "singing on the breath."

The diaphragm must not only relieve the muscles between the ribs, but, still more important, the small muscles of the throat. The second great principle of voice production is that the throat must be perfectly relaxed. Any tension there interferes with the free vibration which is essential for strong and resonant tone. This relaxation is most easily gained by drawing the chin in slightly, loosening the muscles under it. The base of the tongue can be relaxed by rolling the letter "R," even to the extent of making two syllables of such words as "gr-rand." Talking with the teeth closed loosely will also help to ease incorrect, tension about the throat. If the throat is properly relaxed, there will be no sensation in it during the production of the voice. Any sensation between the diaphragm and the resonance chambers of the head is a sign of wrong and harmful tension.

The use of these resonance chambers is required by the third principle--that the tone must be reinforced by resonance in all the hollow s.p.a.ces of the head. These are found in the nose, above the palate and even above the eyes. They have the same effect as the sounding board of a musical instrument, in giving quality to the tone.

The best way to put this principle into practice is to learn the sensation of the clear and ringing tone which is produced by proper placing of the voice. Exercises containing the letters "M" and "N"

will give this effect. This does not mean that the sound should be nasal; it should be made in the nose, but not through it. Another way to increase resonance is to think of crying the words rather than talking them. A slightly whining intonation or a sound like that of a laugh has more ring to it than an ordinary flat talking tone.

These principles should not be neglected because they are simple. They can not be mastered without work, and unless they are mastered the voice will not be heard at a distance and will not last under the work of giving commands. Further suggestions on the manner of giving commands will be found under Physical Training.

CHAPTER 4.

Use of Modern Arms.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate #3]

Small Arms Firing.

Under this heading we have many phases of the training and exercises given to our armed forces. It has been found best to use simple every day methods to get the best results.

There are two princ.i.p.al factors--the rifle and the pistol. The former only will be taken up now. The scheme is to make the soldier a good shot singly and collectively, in time of peace and in time of war.

The course of instruction at this camp was arranged as follows:

(a) Nomenclature and care of the rifle.

(b) Sighting drills.

(c) Position and aiming drills.

(d) Deflection and aiming drills.

(e) Range practice.

(f) Estimating distance drill.

(g) Combat firing.

(a) Every man should be taught the names of the princ.i.p.al parts (see cut) of the rifle and how to clean and keep it clean.

(b) If time permits, the sighting bar described on page 26, s.a.f.m.

should be used. To ill.u.s.trate the normal and peep sight make a drawing on a blackboard of page 30, s.a.f.m.

Using a sand bag or some convenient rest for the rifle. The instructor sights it on some object showing the normal and peep sight. Using the above rests have a marker hold a disk against a large piece of paper towards which the rifle is pointed. There is a pin hole in the center of the bull's eye on the disk. The range should be about 50 feet, and the bull's eye about 1 inch in diameter. The marker moves it about until the man sighting tells him to "hold," at which time he marks the center with the point of a pencil. This is done three times, the three points are then connected. The triangle thus formed is then used by the instructor to show the man whether he took too much or too little front sight or whether he leaned to one side or the other while aiming.

Use for this exercise both the normal and peep sight.

To show the effect of canting the piece use a sight setting of 1,000 yards, take out the bolt, aim the rifle while lying on a sand bag at a 1-inch bull's eye 50 feet away. Then look through the bore of the rifle and have the place where the target would be approximately hit by a bullet marked. Cant the piece to the right and aim at the same bull's eye. Then look through the bore of the rifle and mark the place where the bullet would approximately strike the target. The last mark would be lower and to the right of the first mark. It should be readily seen that in canting the piece to the right your sight is to the right of its original position--that is right windage. Also by canting it to the right your elevation is lowered, that is, lessened.

Canting the piece to the left would make the bullet strike low and to the left.

(c) Preliminary command "Position and aiming drill," command of execution "Squad (platoon, or company) Ready." At the command "Ready"

each man faces half right and carries the right foot about 1 foot to the right, in such a position that will insure the greatest firmness and steadiness, raises the piece and drops it into the left hand at the balance, left thumb along the stock, muzzle at the height of the breast. If kneeling or sitting the position of the piece is similar--if kneeling the left forearm rests on the left thigh--if sitting the elbows are supported by the knees. If lying down the left hand steadies and supports the piece at the balance, the toe of the b.u.t.t resting on the ground, the muzzle off the ground. From the position of ready the four exercises--position, aiming, trigger squeeze, and rapid fire--are given. These exercises given on pages 38-42, s.a.f.m. should be carefully studied. Do not leave it to the sergeant, etc., to do--give your company your own instruction when practicable, and in time of battle they will know you and you will know them, and there will grow up between you that mutual understanding which is necessary for the real success of any undertaking. Do not forget to give these exercises in all positions of firing, namely, standing, sitting, kneeling, and p.r.o.ne.

(d) A change of one point of windage at the 100 yard range will change the point struck by the bullet of the next shot 4 inches. If right windage is taken the bullet will strike to the right, if left windage is taken it will strike to the left:

number of Range. windage. direction. inches change.

100 1 point right or left 4 200 1 point right or left 8 300 1 point right or left 12 500 1 point right or left 20 600 1 point right or left 24

Remember to take windage in the direction you want the bullet to strike.