The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1892-11-26
SKlLLFUL IN BATTLE.
Pointers for Men OF war on Attack ana
Defense.

Pointers for Men OF War on Attack ana
Defense.
A sl<illful defender may turn to his
account in some parts of battlefield
sertain peculiarities of modern fire.
arms. The chief of these is the neces-
sity of knowing the exact distance Of
the object aimed at. If the distance is
wrongly estimated the projectiles will
shoot over or fall short of the mark.
Artillerymen find the distance by a
number of trial Shots for the smoke of
the bursting shell enables them often
to see whether it is before or behind
the target Some time is required for
these experimental shots, and during
this interval, which may be five or may
be twenty minutes, the guns do little
hurt, and the gunners are of course
themselves exposed to the euemys shot
and shell. A defender makes the most
of these conditions, by completing his
measurements and experiments before
the attacker appears on the scene. If
he has thus prepared to she'll every
spot in front of him that affords n suit
able site for the attackers guns, the at
tacllers gunners will, for from five to
twenty minutes, or even longer, be ex-
posed to his shells without being able
to give an effective reply. In that case
they might never be able to reply atalL
The infantry has to estimate the
range by the eye. This is a very diff
cult art, in which even great practice
does not make perfect. If the defender
has measured the distances to the vari-
Gus points in his front, and communi-
Gated the information to his troops
they will be very favorably handi
capped. But this advantage tells only
at the longer ranges. At quarter Of
a mile it disappears, for with modern
rifles the bullet during that distance
never rises above mans head, and, if
properly aimed, will hit him somewhere
if he is within 45O yards of the rifle.
Provided man lies behind bank of
earth and shoots over it, his enemy can
see only his head-a tiny target at the
best, scarcely visible except at close
range. So long as the defender does
not move he can shelter himself in this
way. The attacker, if he advances,
must show himself If he halts, he can
get shelter only where he finds bank
ready for him, or makes one with his
spade, and while making it he is eX-
posed.
The defender therefore looks for n
ground where he can secure all these
advantages. 1t must be open, so that
he can see any attacl1er for thrce-quar
ters of mile in front, and must have
no banks or bitches where the attaclier
can find shelter. Having found such n
ground, the defender makes bank or
shelter for himself and measures the
distance to various points in front, If
he can put behind his bank as many
men as there is room for, about one for
every yard, with supply of fresh men
hidden in hollow close behind, he is
in that part of his position impregnable
against infantry. No riflemen are
likely to do his men much harm with
their bullets, and no troops can advance
over the open ground without being
shot down. The defenders might be
shelled where they lie behind their
bank, and then the attacking infantry
could come up and drive them away.
But before they can be shelled by the
attackers artillery, the defenders ar
tillery will have to be silenced. Until
then the attacking gunners will not
dare to divert their shells from the guns
that are making havoc in their ranks. -
Contemporary Review.