Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 210, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 September 1917 — SELF HELPS for the NEW SOLDIER [ARTICLE]

SELF HELPS for the NEW SOLDIER

By a United States Army Officer

(OoprrlfbL. I<lT. Dy th* WbMler Syndicate, IncJ COMPANY ADVANCE. iPfe. Up to the point of encountering the enemy’s fire, a company advances into an engagement in close order, whether for attack or defense. The usual formation, because of its mobility, is the , column of squads. The column of squads has the double advantage of affording a convenient front for projgrwming along roads and through comparatively narrow spaces, such as ravines, declivities, or breaks in the trees, and of being at all times convertible Into any other formation desired. The company is deployed upon reaching the zone of hostile fire for the protection of the men, but it may then continue to advance without returning the fire, depending upon the immediate circumstances. The use of “a succession of thin lines” Is a frequent matter of facilitating the advance. This reduces the losses which would otherwise be incurred if the company were deployed by greatly diminishing the man-front offered to the enemy and proportionately Increasing the intervals between individuals. Thus, if the enemy knew that a unit was advancing, and had reason to believe from the apparent extent of its front that it was deployed, he would probably spread his fire accordingly. At all events, if the unit were approaching under cover, or partial cover, he would be compelled to assume that it is deployed if he had indications of the width of the front, in order to cover the whole area with his fire. Meanwhile, the company might be advancing in columns of single or double file, with Intervals between equal to the intervals between the centers of squads or platoons in deployment. This succession of thin lines, known as “platoon or squad columns,” may otherwise facilitate the advance by allowing foq the passage of the company through rough or bushy territory; it also affords a better opportunity to take advantage of cover. The two latter factors are perhaps more importantthan the first with the squad, at least if the advance is against machine guns, for a machine gun, if it had a comparatively unobstructed range, could render the unit’s entire front untenable, whether it were in squad columns, or were advancing in line of skirmishers. Platoon however, moving as they do outside the area of a burst of single shrapnel (about 20 yards) may greatly reduce the losses when under artillery fire, or even under machine guns. The choice of the method of advance is made by the captain, or by the major, if the company is with a battalion, and will depend upon the conditions at hapd. If it develops that the deployment itself is premature, it is generally found best to assemble the company and proceed in close order. Advancing in the fire attack, as we have already seen, may be accomplished by sending forward deployed squads or platoons in a series of rushes. If this is by squads, at command, the first squad (on the right) follows its corporal, running at top speed to the point indicated by the captain, where it halts and finds cover, usually flat on the ground. When the first fraction of the company has thus established Itself on the line, follbwing the command, “By platoon (two platoons, squad or four men) from the right (left), rush,” the next fraction is sent forward by its platoon leader without further command from the captain until the whole company is on the line established by the first rush.