Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the United States, 1917 Part 24

250. In combat the platoon is the fire unit. From 20 to 35 rifles are as many as one leader can control effectively.

251. Each platoon leader puts into execution the commands or directions of the captain, having first taken such precautions to insure correct sight setting and clear description of the target or aiming target as the situation permits or requires; thereafter he gives such additional commands or directions as are necessary to exact compliance with the captain's will. He corrects the sight setting when necessary. He designates an aiming target when the target can not be seen with the naked eye.

252. In general, PLATOON LEADERS observe the target and the effect of their fire and are on the alert for the captain's commands or signals; they observe and regulate the rate of fire. The PLATOON GUIDES watch the firing line and check every breach of fire discipline. SQUAD LEADERS transmit commands and signals when necessary, observe the conduct of their squads and abate excitement, a.s.sist in enforcing fire discipline and partic.i.p.ate in the firing.

253. The best troops are those that submit longest to fire control.

Loss of control is an evil which robs success of its greatest results. To avoid or delay such loss should be the constant aim of all.

Fire control implies the ability to stop firing, change the sight setting and target, and resume a well directed fire.

FIRE DISCIPLINE.

254. "Fire discipline implies, besides a habit of obedience, a control of the rifle by the soldier, the result of training, which will enable him in action to make hits instead of misses.

It embraces taking advantage of the ground; care in setting the sight and delivery of fire; constant attention to the orders of the leaders, and careful observation of the enemy; an increase of fire when the target is favorable, and a cessation of fire when the enemy disappears; economy of ammunition." (Small-arms Firing Manual.)

In combat, shots which graze the enemy's trench or position and thus reduce the effectiveness of his fire have the approximate value of hits; such shots only, or actual hits, contribute toward fire superiority.

Fire discipline implies that, in a firing line without leaders, each man retains his presence of mind and directs effective fire upon the proper target.

255. To create a correct appreciation of the requirements of fire discipline, men are taught that the rate of fire should be as rapid as is consistent with accurate aiming; that the rate will depend upon the visibility, proximity, and size or the target; and that the proper rate will ordinarily suggest itself to each trained man, usually rendering cautions or commands unnecessary.

In attack the highest rate of fire is employed at the halt preceding the a.s.sault, and in pursuing fire.

256. In an advance by rushes, leaders of troops in firing positions are responsible for the delivery of heavy fire to cover the advance of each rus.h.i.+ng fraction. Troops are trained to change slightly the direction of fire so as not to endanger the flanks of advanced portions of the firing line.

257. In defense, when the target disappears behind cover, platoon leaders suspend fire, prepare their platoons to fire upon the point where it is expected to reappear, and greet its reappearance instantly with vigorous fire.

SECTION 7. COMPANY INSPECTION.

745. Being in line at a halt: 1. _Open_ranks_, 2. MARCH.

At the command MARCH the front rank executes right dress; the rear rank and the file closers march backward 4 steps, halt, and execute right dress; the lieutenants pa.s.s around their respective flanks and take post, facing to the front, 3 paces in front of the center of their respective platoons. The captain aligns the front rank, rear rank, and file closers, takes post 8 paces in front of the right guide, facing to the left, and commands: 1.

FRONT, 2. PREPARE FOR INSPECTION.

At the second command the lieutenants carry saber; the captain returns saber and inspects them, after which they face about, order saber, and stand at ease; upon the completion of the inspection they carry saber, face about, and order saber. The captain may direct the lieutenants to accompany or a.s.sist him, in which case they return saber and, at the close of the inspection, resume their posts in front of the company, draw and carry saber.

Having inspected the lieutenants, the captain proceeds to the right of the company. Each man, as the captain approaches him, executes INSPECTION ARMS.

The captain takes the piece, grasping it with his right hand just above the rear sight, the man dropping his hands. The captain inspects the piece, and, with the hand and piece in the same position as in receiving it, hands it back to the man, who takes it with the left hand at the balance and executes ORDER ARMS.

As the captain returns the piece the next man executes INSPECTION ARMS, and so on through the company.

Should the piece be inspected without handling, each man executes ORDER ARMS as soon as the captain pa.s.ses to the next, man.

The inspection is from right to left in front, and from left to right in rear, of each rank and of the line of file closers.

When approached by the captain the first sergeant executes INSPECTION SABER. Enlisted men armed with the pistol execute INSPECTION PISTOL by drawing the pistol from the holster and holding it diagonally across the body, barrel up, and 6 inches in front of the neck, muzzle pointing up and to the left. The pistol is returned to the holster as soon as the captain pa.s.ses.

Upon completion of the inspection the captain takes post facing to the left in front of the right guide and on line with the lieutenants and commands: 1. _Close_ranks_, 2. MARCH.

At the command MARCH the lieutenants resume their posts in line; the rear rank closes to 40 inches, each man covering his file leader; the file closers close to 2 paces from the rear rank.

746. If the company is dismissed. rifles are put away. In quarters, headdress and accouterments are removed and the men stand near their respective bunks; in camp they stand covered, but without accourterments, in front of their tents.

If the personal field equipment has not been inspected in ranks and its inspection in quarters or camp is ordered, each man will arrange the prescribed articles on his bunk, if in quarters or permanent camp, or in front of his half of the tent, if in shelter tent camp, in the same relative order as directed in paragraph 747.

The captain, accompanied by the lieutenants, then inspects the quarters or camp. The first sergeant precedes the captain and calls the men to attention on entering each squad room or on approaching the tents; the men stand at attention but do not salute.

(_C._I._D._R.,_No._16,_Aug._25,_1916_.)

747. (Edition approved Aug. 10, 1911, and edition corrected to November, 1913.) If the inspection is to include an examination of the equipment while in ranks, the captain, after closing ranks, causes the company to stack arms, to march backward until 4 paces in rear of the stacks and to take intervals. He then commands: 1. UNSLING EQUIPMENT, 2. OPEN PACKS.

At the first command, each man unslings his equipment and places it on the ground at his feet, haversack to the front end of the pack 1 foot in front of toes.

At the second command, pack carriers are unstrapped, packs removed and unrolled, the longer edge of the pack along the lower edge of the cartridge belt. Each man exposes shelter tent pins, removes meat can, knife, fork, and spoon from the meat-can pouch, and places them on the right of the haversack, knife, fork, and spoon in the open meat can; removes the canteen and cup from the cover and places them on the left side of the haversack; unstraps and spreads out haversack so as to expose its contents; folds up the carrier to uncover the cartridge pockets; opens same; unrolls toilet articles and places them on the outer flap of the haversack; places underwear carried in pack on the left half of the open pack, with round fold parallel with front edge of pack; opens first-aid pouch and exposes contents to view. Special articles carried by individual men, such as flag kit, field gla.s.ses, compa.s.s, steel tape, notebook, etc., will be arranged on the right half of the open pack. Each man then resumes the attention. Plate VI shows the relative position of all articles except underwear and special articles.

The captain then pa.s.ses along the ranks and file closers as be, fore, inspects the equipment, returns to the right, and commands: CLOSE PACKS.

Each man rolls up his toilet articles and underwear, straps up his haversack and its contents, replaces the meat can, knife, fork, and spoon, and the canteen and cup: closes cartridge pockets and first-aid pouch; restores special articles to their proper receptacles; rolls up and replaces pack in currier; and, leaving the equipment in its position on the ground, resumes the attention.

All equipments being packed, the captain commands: SLING EQUIPMENT.

The equipments are slung and belts fastened.

The captain then causes the company to a.s.semble and take arms.

The inspection is completed as already explained.

748. Should the inspector be other than the captain, the latter, after commanding FRONT, adds REST, and faces to the front. When the inspector approaches, the captain faces to the left, brings the company to attention, faces to the front, and salutes. The salute acknowledged, the captain carries saber, faces to the left, commands: PREPARE FOR INSPECTION, and again faces to the front.

The inspection proceeds as before; the captain returns saber and accompanies the inspector as soon as the latter pa.s.ses him.

[Ill.u.s.tration: fig 3.]

SECTION 8. MANUAL OF TENT PITCHING.

SHELTER TENTS.

[For Infantry Equipment, model of 1910.][6]

[Footnote 6: For method of pitching shelter tents, with old model Infantry equipment or old model shelter tent, see paragraph 792, in 'Method of Folding Pyramidal Tent'.]

792. Being in line or in column of platoons, the captain commands: FORM FOR SHELTER TENTS.

The officers, first sergeant, and guides fallout; the cooks form a file on the flank of the company nearest the kitchen, the first sergeant and right guide fall in, forming the right file of the company; blank files are filled by the file closers or by men taken from the front rank; the remaining guide, or guides, and file closers form on a convenient flank.

Before forming column of platoons, preparatory to pitching tents, the company may be redivided into two or more platoons, regardless of the size of each.