Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the United States, 1917 Part 19

CEASE FIRING is used for long pauses, to prepare for changes of position, or to steady the men.

151. Commands for suspending or ceasing fire may be given at any time after the preparatory command for firing whether the firing has actually commenced or not.

THE USE OF COVER.

152. The recruit should be given careful instruction in the individual use of cover.

It should be impressed upon him that, in taking advantage of natural cover, he must be able to fire easily and effectively upon the enemy; if advancing on an enemy, he must do so steadily and as rapidly as possible; he must conceal himself as much as possible while firing and while advancing. While setting his sight he should be under cover or lying p.r.o.ne.

153. To teach him to fire easily and effectively, at the same time concealing himself from the view of the enemy, he is practiced in simulated firing in the p.r.o.ne, sitting, kneeling, and crouching positions, from behind hillocks, trees, heaps of earth or rocks, from depressions, gullies, ditches, doorways, or windows. He is taught to fire around the right side of his concealment whenever possible, or, when this is not possible, to rise enough to fire over the top of his concealment,

When these details are understood, he is required to select cover with reference to an a.s.sumed enemy and to place himself behind it in proper position for firing.

154. The evil of remaining too long in one place, however good the concealment, should be explained. He should be taught to advance from cover to cover, selecting cover in advance before leaving his concealment.

It should be impressed upon him that a man running rapidly toward all enemy furnishes a poor target. He should be trained in springing from a p.r.o.ne position behind concealment, running at top speed to cover and throwing himself behind it. He should also be practiced in advancing from cover to cover by crawling, or by lying on the left side, rifle grasped in the right hand, and pus.h.i.+ng himself forward with the right leg.

155. He should be taught that, when fired on while acting independently, he should drop to the ground, seek cover, and then endeavor to locate his enemy.

156. The instruction of the recruit in the use of cover is continued in the combat exercises of the company, but he must then be taught that the proper advance of the platoon or company and the effectiveness of its fire is of greater importance than the question of cover for individuals. He should also be taught that he may not move about or s.h.i.+ft his position in the firing line except the better to see the target.

OBSERVATION.

157. The ability to use his eyes accurately is of great importance to the soldier. The recruit should be trained in observing his surrounding from positions and when on the march.

He should be practiced in pointing out and naming military features of the ground; in distinguis.h.i.+ng between living beings; in counting distant groups of objects or beings; in recognizing colors and forms.

158. In the training of men in the mechanism of the firing line, they should be practiced in repeating to one another target and aiming point designations and in quickly locating and pointing out a designated target. They should be taught to distinguish, from a p.r.o.ne position, distant objects, particularly troops, both with the naked eye and with field gla.s.ses. Similarly, they should be trained in estimating distances.

SECTION 6. SCHOOL OF THE COMPANY.

159. The captain is responsible for the theoretical and practical instruction of his officers and noncommissioned officers, not only in the duties of their respective grades, but in those of the next higher grades.

160. The company in line is formed in double rank with the men arranged, as far as practicable, according to height from right to left, the tallest on the right.

The original division into squads is effected by the command: COUNT OFF. The squads, successively from the right, count off as in the School of the Squad, corporals placing themselves as Nos. 4 of the front rank. If the left squad contains less than six men, it is either increased to that number by transfers from other squads or is broken up and its members a.s.signed to other squads and posted in the line of file closers. These squad organizations are maintained, by transfers if necessary, until the company becomes so reduced in numbers us to necessitate a new division into squads. No squad will contain less than six men.

161. The company is further divided into two, three, or four platoons, each consisting of not less than two nor more than four squads. In garrison or ceremonies the strength of platoons may exceed four squads.

162. At the formation of the company the platoons or squads are numbered consecutively from right to left and these designations do not change.

For convenience in giving commands and for reference, the designations, RIGHT, CENTER, LEFT, when in line, and LEADING, CENTER, REAR, when in column, are applied to platoons or squads.

These designations apply to the actual right, left, center, head, or rear, in whatever direction the company may be facing. The CENTER squad is the middle or right middle squad of the company.

The designation "So-and-so's" squad or platoon may also be used.

163. Platoons are a.s.signed to the lieutenants and noncommissioned officers, in order of rank, as follows: 1. right; 2. left; 3.

center (right center); 4. left center.

The noncommissioned officers next in rank are a.s.signed as guides, one to each platoon. If sergeants still remain, they are a.s.signed to platoons as additional guides. When the platoon is deployed, its guide or guides accompany the platoon leader.

During battle, these a.s.signments are not changed; vacancies are filled by noncommissioned officers of the platoon or by the nearest available officers or noncommissioned officers arriving with reenforcing troops.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

164. The first sergeant is never a.s.signed as a guide. When not commanding a platoon he is posted as a file closer opposite the third file from the outer flank of the first platoon; and when the company is deployed he accompanies the captain.

The quartermaster sergeant, when present, is a.s.signed according to his rank as a sergeant.

Enlisted men below the grade of sergeant, armed with the rifle, are in ranks unless serving as guides; when not so armed, they are posted in the line of file closers.

Musicians, when required to play, are at the head of the column.

When the company is deployed, they accompany the captain.

165. The company executes the HALT, RESTS, FACINGS, STEPS and MARCHINGS, MANUAL OF ARMS, LOADINGS and FIRINGS, TAKES INTERVALS and DISTANCES and a.s.sEMBLES, INCREASES and DIMINISHES INTERVALS, resumes ATTENTION, OBLIQUES, resumes the direct march, preserves alignments, KNEELS, LIES DOWN, RISES, STACKS, and TAKES ARMS, as explained in the Schools of the Soldier and the Squad, subst.i.tuting in the commands COMPANY for SQUAD.

The same rule applies to platoons, detachments, details, etc., subst.i.tuting their designation for SQUAD in the commands. In the same manner these execute the movements prescribed for the COMPANY, whenever possible, subst.i.tuting their designation for COMPANY in the commands.

166. A company so depleted as to make division into platoons impracticable is led by the captain as a single platoon, but retains the designation of company. The lieutenants and first sergeant a.s.sist in fire control; the other sergeants place themselves in the filing line as skirmishers.

CLOSE ORDER.

RULES.

167. The guides of the right and left, or leading and rear, platoons, are the right and left, or leading and rear, guides, respectively, of the company when it is in line or in column of squads. Other guides are in the line of file closers.

In platoon movements the post of the platoon guide is at the head of the platoon, if the platoon is in column, and on the guiding flank if in line. When a platoon has two guides their original a.s.signment to flanks of the platoon does not change.

168. The guides of a column of squads place themselves on the flank opposite the file closers. To change the guides and file closers to the other flank, the captain commands: 1. _File_ _closers_on_left_(right)_flank_; 2. MARCH. The file closers dart through the column; the captain and guides change.

In column of squads, each rank preserves the alignment toward the side of the guide.

169. Men in the line of file closers do not execute the loadings or firings.

Guides and enlisted men in the line of file closers execute the manual of arms during the drill unless specially excused, when they remain at the order. During ceremonies they execute all movements.

170. In TAKING INTERVALS AND DISTANCES, unless otherwise directed, the right and left guides, at the first command, place themselves in the line of file closers, and, with them, take a distance of 4 paces from the rear rank. In taking intervals, at the command MARCH, the file closers face to the flank and each steps off with the file nearest him. In a.s.sEMBLING the guides and file closers resume their positions in line.

171. In movements executed simultaneously by platoons (as PLATOONS RIGHT or PLATOONS, COLUMN RIGHT), platoon leaders repeat the preparatory command (PLATOON RIGHT, etc.), applicable to their respective platoons. The command of execution is given by the captain only.

TO FORM THE COMPANY.

172. At the sounding of the a.s.sembly the first sergeant takes position 6 paces in front of where the center of the company is to be, faces it, draws saber, and commands: FALL IN.