INFANTRY IN BATTLE - WORLDWAR1.com

INFANTRY IN BATTLE

THE INFANTRY JOURNAL INCORPORATED

Washington, D. C.

1939

Reprinted by the USACGSC with the permission of the Association of the United States Army.

6L6-0044

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INFIANTRY

IN BATTLE

THE INFANTRY JOURNAL. INCORPORATED

WASHINGTON, D. C.

1939

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COPYRIGHT, 1939, BY

THE INFANTRY JOURNAL, INCORPORATED

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF

TRANSLATION INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES

SECOND EDITION

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

GARRETT & MASSIE, RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

Reprinted by the USACGSC with the permission of the

Association of the United States Army.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

INTRODUCTION

I. RULES . .

II. OBSCURITY

III. SIMPLICITY

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PAGE

Vii

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1

16

35

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55

IV. SCHEME OF MANEUVER AND MAIN EFFORT.

V. TERRAIN

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VI. TIME AND SPACE .

VII.

VIII.

IX.

X.

XI.

XII.

XIII.

XIV.

XV.

XVI.

XVII.

XVIII.

..

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69

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MOBILITY . . . . . . .

SURPRISE . . . . . . .

DECISIONS . . . . . . .

THE PLAN .....

ORDERS

. . . . . . .

CONTROL . . . . ..

COMMAND AND COMMUNICATION

SUPERVISION . . . . . .

DIRECTION ..

. ..

FIRE AND MOVEMENT ...

FIRE OF MACHINE GUNS ...

INFANTRY-ARTILLERY TEAM ...

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....

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. 94

. 107

. 122

138

152

.169

179

. 195

205

223

. 239

. 250

XIX. NEARING THE ENEMY

.......

XX. THE ADVANCE TO THE ATrACK .

XXI. SOFT-SPOT TACTICS

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XXII. BATTLE RECONNAISSANCE

XXIII.

XXIV.

XXV.

XXVI.

XXVII.

COUNTER-ORDERS ..

ACTION AND MORALE

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NIGHT ATTACKS .....

MIRACLES . ..

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OPTIMISM AND TENACITY

INDEX . . . . . ..

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277

294

307

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. 324

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79

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345

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355

364

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400

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11111)11)1)1111111)(11)111)111111111111

INTRODUCTION

THIS book treats of the tactics of small units as illustrated

by examples drawn from the World War. It checks the

ideas acquired from peacetime instruction against the experience

of battle.

There is much evidence to show that officers who have received the best peacetime training available find themselves surprised and confused by the difference between conditions as pictured in map problems and those they encounter in campaign.

This is largely because our peacetime training in tactics tends

to become increasingly theoretical. In our schools we generally

assume that organizations are well-trained and at full strength,

that subordinates are competent, that supply arrangements function, that communications work, that orders are carried out. In

war many or all of these conditions may be absent. The veteran

knows that this is normal and his mental processes are not

paralyzed by it. He knows that he must carry on in spite of

seemingly insurmountable difficulties and regardless of the fact

that the tools with which he has to work may be imperfect and

worn. Moreover, he knows how to go about it. This volume is

designed to give the peace-trained officer something of the viewpoint of the veteran.

By the use of numerous historical examples, the reader is acquainted with the realities of war and the extremely difficult

and highly disconcerting conditions under which tactical problems must be solved in the face of an enemy. In so far as there

was material available, these examples pertain to American

troops and have been drawn from the personal experience monographs on file at The Infantry School. The combat experience

of other armies, however, has been utilized to supplement that

of our own.

This work does not purport to be a complete treatise on minor

tactics of infantry. The aim of its authors has been to develop

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