Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Infantry of the Army of the United States, 1917 Part 26

At the fourth command the rolls are untied, laid perpendicular to the front, with the triangular end of the shelter half to the front, opened, and unrolled to the left; each man prepares the contents of his roll for inspection and resumes the attention.

The captain then returns saber, pa.s.ses along the ranks and file closers as before, inspects the rolls, returns to the right, draws saber and commands: 1. _Close_, 2. PACKS.

At the second command each man, with his shelter half smoothly spread on the ground with b.u.t.tons up and triangular end to the front, folds his blanket once across its length and places it upon the shelter half, fold toward the bottom, edge one-half inch from the square end, the same amount of canvas uncovered at the top and bottom. He then places the parts of the pole at the side of the blanket next the square end of shelter half, near and parallel to the fold, end of pole about 6 inches from the edge of the blanket; nests the pins similarly near the opposite edge of the blanket find distributes the other articles carried in the roll; folds the triangular end and then the exposed portion of the bottom of the shelter half over the blanket.

The two men in each file roll and fasten first the roll of the front and then of the rear rank man. The file closers work similarly two and two, or with the front rank man of a blank file. Each pair stands on the folded side, rolls the blanket roll closely and buckles the straps, pa.s.sing the end of the strap through both keeper and buckle, back over the buckle and under the keeper.

With the roll so lying on the ground that the edge of the shelter half can just be seen when looking vertically downward one end is bent upward and over to meet the other, a clove hitch is taken with the guy rope first around the end to which it is attached and then around the other end, adjusting the length of rope between hitches to suit the wearer.

As soon as a file completes its two rolls each man places his roll in the position it was in after being unslung find stands at attention.

All the rolls being completed, the captain commands: 1. _Sling_, 2. PACKS.

At the second command the rolls ure slung, the end containing the pole to the rear.

The company is a.s.sembled, takes arms, and the captain completes the inspection as before.

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

The officers, first sergeant, and guides fall out; 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.

793. The captain then causes the company to take intervals as described in the School of the Squad, and commands: PITCH TENTS.

At the command PITCH TENTS, each man steps off obliquely to the right with the right foot and lays his rifle on the ground, the b.u.t.t of the rifle near the toe of the right foot, muzzle to the front, barrel to the left, and steps back into his place; each front rank man then draws his bayonet and sticks it in the ground by the outside of the right heel. All unsling and open the blanket rolls and take out the shelter half, poles, and pins. Each then spreads his shelter half, triangle to the rear, flat upon the ground the tent is to occupy, rear rank man's half on the right.

The halves are then b.u.t.toned together. Each front rank man joins his pole, inserts the top in the eyes of the halves, and holds the pole upright beside the bayonet placed in the ground; his rear rank man, using the pins in front, pins down the front corners of the tent on the line of bayonets, stretching the canvas taut; he then inserts a pin in the eye of the rope and drives the pin at such distance in front of the pole as to hold the rope taut.

Both then go to the rear of the tent; the rear rank man adjusts the pole and the front rank man drives the pins. The rest of the pins are then driven by both men, the rear-rank man working on the right.

NOTE.--The use of the hand ax and the pick mattock in organizations equipped with the intrenching tool is authorized for the purpose of driving shelter tent pins. The use of the bayonet for that purpose is prohibited.

As soon as the tent is patched each man arranges the contents of the blanket roll in the tent and stands at attention in front of his own half on line with the front guy-rope pin.

The guy ropes, to have a uniform slope when the shelter tents are pitched, should all be of the same length.

794. When the blanket roll is not carried, intervals are taken as described above; the position of the front pole is marked with a bayonet and equipments are laid aside. The men then proceed to the wagon, secure their rolls, return to their places, and pitch tents as heretofore described.

795. To pitch double shelter tent, the captain gives the same commands as before, except TAKE HALF INTERVAL is given instead of TAKE INTERVAL. In taking interval each man follows the preceding man at 2 paces. The captain then commands: PITCH DOUBLE TENTS.

The first sergeant places himself on the right of the right guide and with him pitches a single shelter tent.

Only the odd numbers of the front rank mark the line with the bayonet.

The tent is formed by b.u.t.toning together the square ends of two single tents. Two complete tents, except one pole, are used.

Two guy ropes are used at each end, the guy pins being placed in front of the corner pins.

The tents are pitched by numbers 1 and 2, front and rear rank; and by numbers 3 and 4, front and rear rank; the men falling in on the left are numbered, counting off if necessary.

All the men spread their shelter halves on the ground the tent is to occupy. Those of the front rank are placed with the triangular ends to the front. All four halves are then b.u.t.toned together, first the ridges and then the square ends. The front corners of the tent are pinned by the front rank men, the odd number holding the poles, the even number driving the pins. The rear rank men similarly pin the rear corners.

While the odd numbers steady the poles, each even number of the front rank takes his pole and enters the tent, where, a.s.sisted by the even number of the rear rank, he adjusts the pole to the center eyes of the shelter halves in the following order: (1) The lower half of the front tent; (2) the lower half of the rear tent; (3) the upper half of the front tent; (4) the upper half of the rear tent. The guy ropes are then adjusted.

The tents having been pitched, the triangular ends are turned back, contents of the rolls arranged, and the men stand at attention, each opposite his own shelter half and facing out from the tent.

796. Omitted.

797. Omitted.

798. Omitted.

SECTION 9. MANUAL OF THE BAYONET.

1. The Infantry soldier relies mainly on fire action to disable the enemy, but he should know that personal combat is often necessary to obtain success. Therefore, he must be instructed in the use of the rifle and bayonet in hand-to-hand encounters.

2. The object of this instruction is to teach the soldier how to make effect use of the rifle and bayonet in personal combat: to make him quick and proficient in handling his rifle; to give him an accurate eye and a steady hand; and to give him confidence in the bayonet in offense and defense. When skill in these exercises has been acquired, the rifle will still remain a most formidable weapon at close quarters should the bayonet be lost or disabled,

3. Efficiency of organizations in bayonet fighting will be judged by the skill shown by individuals in personal combat. For this purpose pairs or groups of opponents, selected at random from among recruits and trained soldiers, should engage in a.s.saults, using the fencing equipment provided for the purpose.

4. Officers and specially selected and thoroughly instructed noncommissioned officers will act us instructors.

5. Instruction in bayonet combat should begin as soon as the soldier is familiar with the handling of his rifle and will progress, as far as practicable, in the order followed in the text.

6. Instruction is ordinarily given on even ground; but practice should also be had on uneven ground, especially in the attack and defense of intrenchments.

7. These exercises will not be used as a calisthenic drill.

8. The principles of the commands are the same as those given in paragraph 9, 15, and 38, Infantry Drill Regulations. Intervals and distances will be taken as in paragraphs 109 and 111, Infantry Drill Regulations, except that, in formations for bayonet exercises, the men should be at least four paces apart in every direction.

9. Before requiring soldiers to take a position or execute a movement for the first time, the instructor executes the same for the purpose of ill.u.s.tration, after which he requires the soldiers to execute the movement individually. Movements prescribed in this manual will not be executed in cadence as the attempt to do so results in incomplete execution and lack of vigor. Each movement will be executed correctly as quickly as possible by every man. As soon as the movements are executed accurately, the commands are given rapidly, as expertness with the bayonet depends chiefly upon quickness of motion.

10. The exercises will he interrupted at first by short and frequent rests. The rests will be less frequent as proficiency is attained.

Fatigue and exhaustion will be specially guarded against, as they prevent proper interest being taken in the exercises and delay the progress of the instruction. Rests will be given from the position of order arms in the manner prescribed in Infantry Drill Regulations.

THE BAYONET.

NOMENCLATURE AND DESCRIPTION.

11. The bayonet is a cutting and thrusting weapon consisting of three princ.i.p.al parts, viz, the _blade,_guard_, and _grip_.

12. The blade has the following parts: Edge, false edge, back, grooves, point, and tang. The length of the blade from guard to point is 16 inches, the edge 14.5 inches, and the false edge 5.6 inches. Length of the rifle, bayonet fixed, is 59.4 inches.

The weight of the bayonet is 1 pound; weight of rifle without bayonet is 8.69 pounds. The center of gravity of the rifle, with bayonet fixed, is just in front of the rear sight.

NOTE.--The use of the hand ax and the pick mattock in organizations equipped with the intrenching tool is authorized for the purpose of driving shelter-tent pins. The use of the bayonet for that purpose is prohibited.

I. INSTRUTION WITHOUT THE RIFLE.

13. The instructor explains the importance of good footwork and impresses on the men the fact that quickness of foot and suppleness of body are as important for attack and defense as is the ability to parry and deliver a strong point or cut.