The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-06

nut Some places are. uf course.
more weakly defended than others.
AND the attacking General first tries
10 discover the weakest point r all.
his ne does by scouts. both N the
ar and in the cavalry service. by feiut
attack. by spies-in short. hv anx
method That viii disclose the weak.
ness OF the line.
mere are many factors that 70 10
determine the weakness Of a position
Not only Is the number q its troops
anu cannon to he considered. but afs.,
the number that can be brought nm
10 reinforce II when the enemy learns
,hat II Is 10 he made the point Of at
Iack- And what has become. in mod
erh warfare "A determining facta.
equal IN weight To any other consid-
Grafton Is the nature Of the coup;ry
IN front OF h position.
Ihls. as compared to it's mnort-
ance a half century ago. has become
praclfcafly a new factor. For. If the
ground Tor one or two miles i'm front
VI the objective position does not of
Ter some degree of shelter and pro
tectlon for the attacking fierce that
posiueh may he considered as unaS-
Sailante' even though held by a COM
paratively weak force.
Using the Artillery.
We will suppose. then. that our
mmaRdl general, after a careful
examination, has learned that q Ger
taln mile of the line is held bv ! O0e
men. supported by thirty guns-that
Is, the guns are placed in position in
the rear of the defending trenches in
sucn way as TO fire upon the ground
Is dlVfded here and there by stone
FENCES, Strewn with bouiders. euIties
through it, hillocks and
rock ridges traversing it in different
OlrectlOnS-ln short, Offering many
small shelters for advancing troops.
ana ne determines that this offers
the most favorable point for attack
ana his determination is reached on
account Of the favorable shelter that
the round offers his attackinc
troops.
He now brings up sufficient artil-
lery to give him "a superiority of fire.
ms is absolutely essential: it is laid
Gown IN all books on modern tactics
as the first rule of attack. to obtain
a instinct superiority of fire over the
enemy at the point of attack. OF
course, the enemy is not aware OF
inns concentration Of artillery. for
every move is hidden from his pryine
eyes.
This artillery he places within
close range if pOSSible-that is, within
$500 Or $500 yards of the enemy's
trenches. This is considered the idea.
distance for field guns, for with mod
ern guns arti1lerymen can hit {
sentry box at that distance, while still
being out of range of the enemies
rifles.
His artillery in place. the genera
now brings up his attacking Infantry
Here, too, he must have a superiorit,
of fire, for these men have a doubl.
duty to perform; they must not onl,
use thelr rifles against the enemy
but they must advance upon hin
over more than a mile swept, as ia
as possible, by that enemy's fire O.
held gun and rifle.
AS an aSSaulting column. then h.
brings, let us say. 10. 900 troops. The
he didives into three bodies; the frs
the firing line, the second the sup.
ports and the third the reserves
These troops are formed in the three
lines behind one another in some 20.
sition we'll screened from tht
enemy'S view.
AT the word the first line move:
forward. Not. as at Gettysburg or a
Fredericksburg, shoulder to shoulder
keeping step in martial array with
cleaning arms and blazing uniform.
in full view Of the foe, but by small
squads, by tWos and threes. by indi
vidualS, perhaps, clothed in Gul
khaki hat melts into the landscape
Stealing along in this manner crouch.
ing to the better escape observation
they make their way forward, takin.
advantage of every means to sheltel
and concealment to prevent their dis
cover by the enemy'S gunners.
Long lines of them creep in singh.
file up h guilies or behind fences. O
moving diagonally to get the protec
ton of some ridge or hillock. MAX.
their way cautiously forN Over s
front of perhaps a mile these littk
parties creep forth. apparently il
aimless disorder. but. in fact, dom
mated by one master mind and ons
mastering idea.
Defending Artillery Kc@'ieS.
Meantime their artillery behind
them has opened upon the enemy
trenches. Over their head the shell,
fly screaming. and. after q few tria
shots, burst squarely upon or in from
Of the enefny'S trenches. This can
nonading pounds away, not at a singh
point of the eneIny'E line. but over :
space OF perhaps a mile or more: fol
it is a serious bfunder to disclose thu!