Manual of Military Training Part 33

=533. Value of artillery.= Artillery is especially valuable to a delaying force. (519)

MEETING ENGAGEMENTS

=534. Characteristics of meeting engagements.= Meeting engagements are characterized by the necessity for hasty reconnaissance, or the almost total absence of reconnaissance; by the necessity for rapid deployment, frequently under fire; and usually by the absence of trenches or other artificial cover. These conditions give further advantages to the offensive. (520)

=535. General action on meeting enemy.= The whole situation will usually indicate beforehand the proper general action to be taken on meeting the enemy. (521)

=536. Meagerness of information; qualities of commander to be relied upon.= Little fresh information can be expected. The boldness, initiative, and determination of the commander must be relied upon.

(522)

=537. Meeting engagement affords ideal opportunity to certain commanders.= A meeting engagement affords an ideal opportunity to the commander who has intuition and quick decision and who is willing to take long chances. His opponent is likely to be overcautious. (523)

=538. The mission determines method of attack.= The amount of information that the commander is warranted in awaiting before taking final action depends entirely upon his mission. One situation may demand a blind attack; another may demand rapid, partial deployment for attack, but careful and time-consuming reconnaissance before the attack is launched. (524)

=539. Advantage accrues to side deploying the faster.= A great advantage accrues to the side which can deploy the faster. The advantage of a close-order formation, favoring rapid deployment, becomes more p.r.o.nounced with the size of the force. (525)

=540. Advantages of first troops to deploy.= The first troops to deploy will be able to attack with longer firing lines and weaker supports than are required in the ordinary case. But if the enemy succeeds in deploying a strong defensive line, the attack must be strengthened accordingly before it is wasted. (526)

=541. Things to be done by the leading troops.= If the situation warrants the advance, the leading troops seek to deploy faster than the enemy, to reach his flanks, check his deployment, and get information. In any event, they seek to cover the deployment of their own troops in rear--especially the artillery--and to seize important ground. (527)

=542. Post of commander of long column meeting enemy; function of advance guard; action of column.= The commander of a long column which meets the enemy should be with the advance guard to receive information promptly and to reconnoiter. If he decides to fight, the advance guard must hold the enemy while the commander formulates a plan of action, issues the necessary orders, and deploys the main body. Meantime, the column should be closing up, either in ma.s.s or to form line of columns, so that the deployment, when determined upon, may be made more promptly. (528)

=543. Action of advance guard prior to receipt of orders.= The action of the advance guard, prior to the receipt of orders, depends upon the situation. Whether to attack determinedly or only as a feint, or to a.s.sume the defensive, depends upon the strength of the advance guard, the terrain, the character of the hostile force encountered, and the mission and intentions of the commander of the whole. (529)

=544. Main body should be used as a whole and not put into action piecemeal.= If the enemy is beforehand or more aggressive, or if the advance guard is too weak, it may be necessary to put elements of the main body into action as fast as they arrive, in order to check him.

This method should be avoided; it prevents the formation and execution of a definite plan and compels piecemeal action. The best results are obtained when the main body is used as a whole. (530)

WITHDRAWAL FROM ACTION

=545. Withdrawal generally effected at heavy cost; rear guard and distance to be placed between enemy and defeated troops.= The withdrawal of a defeated force can generally be effected only at a heavy cost. When it is no longer possible to give the action a favorable turn and the necessity for withdrawal arises, every effort must be made to place distance and a rear guard between the enemy and the defeated troops. (531)

=546. Use of artillery, machine guns, and cavalry.= Artillery gives especially valuable a.s.sistance in the withdrawal. The long-range fire of machine guns should also be employed. Cavalry a.s.sists the withdrawal by charging the pursuing troops or by taking flank positions and using fire action. (532)

=547. Use of reserve to check the pursuit.= If an intact reserve remains, it should be placed in a covering position, preferably on a flank, to check the pursuit and thus enable the defeated troops to withdraw beyond reach of hostile fire.

The covering position of the reserve should be at some distance from the main action, but close enough to bring the withdrawing troops quickly under the protection of its fire. It should have a good field of fire at effective and long ranges and should facilitate its own safe and timely withdrawal. (533)

=548. Part of line to be withdrawn first; retreating troops to be gotten under control as soon as possible.= If the general line is divided, by terrain or by organization, into two or more parts, the firing line of the part in the least danger from pursuit should be withdrawn first. A continuous firing line, whose parts are dependent upon one another for fire support, should be withdrawn as a whole, retiring by echelon at the beginning of the withdrawal. Every effort must be made to restore the organizations, regain control, and form column of march as soon as the troops are beyond the reach of hostile fire.

As fast as possible without delaying the march, companies, and the larger units should be reformed, so that the command will again be well in hand. (534)

=549. Action taken by commander; selection of rendezvous point.= The commander of the whole, having given orders for withdrawal, should go to the rear, select a rendezvous point, and devote himself to the reorganization of his command.

The rendezvous point is selected with regard to the natural channels of movement approximately straight to the rear. It should be distant from the battlefield and should facilitate the gathering and protection of the command. (535)

SUMMARY

=550.= 1. Avoid combats that offer no chance of victory or other valuable results.

2. Make every effort for the success of the general plan and avoid spectacular plays that have no bearing on the general result.

3. Have a definite plan and carry it out vigorously. Do not vacillate.

4. Do not attempt complicated maneuvers.

5. Keep the command in hand; avoid undue extension and dispersion.

6. Study the ground and direct the advance in such a way as to take advantage of all available cover and thereby diminish losses.

7. Never deploy until the purpose and the proper direction are known.

8. Deploy enough men for the immediate task in hand; hold out the rest and avoid undue haste in committing them to the action.

9. Flanks must be protected either by reserves, fortifications, or the terrain.

10. In a decisive action, gain and keep fire superiority.

11. Keep up reconnaissance.

12. Use the reserve, but not until needed or a very favorable opportunity for its use presents itself. Keep some reserve as long as practicable.

13. Do not hesitate to sacrifice the command if the result is worth the cost.

14. Spare the command all unnecessary hards.h.i.+p and exertion. (536)

MACHINE GUNS

=551. Machine guns are weapons of emergency.= Machine guns must be considered as weapons of emergency. Their effectiveness combined with their mobility renders them of great value at critical, though infrequent, periods of an engagement. (537)

=552. Machine guns to be used for short periods, when opportunities present themselves.= When operating against infantry only, they can be used to a great extent throughout the combat as circ.u.mstances may indicate, but they are quickly rendered powerless by efficient field artillery and will promptly draw artillery fire whenever they open.

Hence their use in engagements between large commands must be for short periods and at times when their great effectiveness will be most valuable. (538)

=553. Machine guns attached to advance guard; use in meeting engagements.= Machine guns should be attached to the advance guard. In meeting engagements they will be of great value in a.s.sisting their own advance, or in checking the advance of the enemy, and will have considerable time to operate before hostile artillery fire can silence them.

Care must be taken not to leave them too long in action. (539)

=554. Use of machine guns with rear guard.= They are valuable to a rear guard which seeks to check a vigorous pursuit or to gain time.

(540)

=555. Machine guns in attack; fire of position.= In attack, if fire of position is practicable, they are of great value. In this case fire should not be opened by the machine guns until the attack is well advanced. At a critical period in the attack, such fire, if suddenly and unexpectedly opened, will greatly a.s.sist the advancing line. The fire must be as heavy as possible and must be continued until masked by friendly troops or until the hostile artillery finds the machine guns. (541)

=556. Machine guns in defense.= In the defense, machine guns should be used in the same general manner as described above for the attack.

Concealment and patient waiting for critical moments and exceptional opportunities are the special characteristics of the machine-gun service in decisive actions. (542)