New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-21

that has been nXed the infantry advances
from its trenches in successive lines and
marches forward; (3) at that same moment
the artillery fire moves forward equally-i.
ia an advancing wall Of steel, followed In.
mediately by the infantry who enter into
the enemy lines right behind shells; ~
when the detectives have been attained, o.
when further advance becomes impossible, the
organization against the enemy's counter-frs
and counter attack begins Immediately. For
the first ard fourth stages The experience
Gained in the sectors ought 70 enable II,
battalions TO do what is required Of them I
without hitch.
Whole Ground Familiar
The second and third stages, which con.
stitute the execution Of the attack, will pas.
off smoothly II three conditions have been
fulfilled: the men must be told what ,hey
are expected to accomplish and becons
familiar with the ground over which they viii
pass; the artillery must be able 70 live up
to its programme, both as regards the pre-.
lIminarv bombardment Of detectives and The
progressive advancement Of the curtain OF FIRE
ON schedule time after the attack has started
and the infantry must keep right along behind
the artillery fire.
Before the attack the ground between the
sector and the objective is carefully studied
by means Of maps and by personal obserya.
ton. not only by the officers, but also By the
men of the battalions. The artillery FIRE,
directed by aeroplanes, may have been con.
centrated upon the front to be stormed FOR
several days. The seroplanes and the advances
posts note, as closely az they possibly can,
the effect Of the artillery fire. The change,
wrought by the bombardment are wirelessst
and telephoned back 10 Divisional Head.
quarters, where photographers change every
few hours the maps of the enemy lines &C.
cording to the indications thus given them.
At the moment Of the attack the troops Of
assault have seen maps and photographs only
a few hours old Added TO this information
from headquarters, they have their own
knowledge. from long study and constant OBJ
servation, of Just what obstacles are to b
met on their particular route toward the %.
iective. So thoroughly do the men know the
ground to be traversed, each trench and eenus
of resistance, each machine-gun emplaeemenl
that they can go ahead in the dark with
confidence They have been informed also, IS
far as is humanity possible, just where ths
artillery may not have destroyed oaroed wire
and where machine-gun centres are supposed
to remain intact. The officers OF the sector
have in their hands a timetable, whlen ~
rigidly adhered to, stating exactly when the
artillery will advance its fire. SO they know
how fast to go to follow directly upon the
heels of the sheels This is Of prime imper'
lance, for if the march is not regulated N
such way as to follow from seventy-hve 70
a hundred yards behind the artillery fire. me
enemy will have time TO come out OF MS
dugouts, rig up mitraileuses and defend MS
line Of support and centres OF resistance
Trenches must be entered and centres OF re-
sistance surrounded Immediately after the ar
tillery fire has passed on-or there Is no
hope of success.
Elbow to Elbow In Attack
The formation for the assault is a series OF
waves (yagues) which leave the trenches sue
cessively from fifty to one hundred and my
yards apart. Where there Is reason 10 De-
lieve that the artillery cannot have COM
pletely demolished the first two enemy INES
of trenches, it is frequently deemed advisable
to send expert rifemen, either separately
few feet apart, or in groups, as the hrs' INC
of assault. These have a better chance, a.
less risk, than solid lines, to silence Sha'
resistance may be encountered in the n,''
trenches But as the artillery can now DC
counted upon to do its work thoroughly We
waves of assault are generally formed ron
the start of men who march elbow 70 e.D0"
In each line there is q mixture Of speeiahs'
lassoers, bomb-throwers, machne-gun Sn'
trench cannon crews.
We have spoken of the artillery prepaif
ton, under the present conditions, as sssr''
ing the possibility OF the advance OF tne W.
fantry without great loss, and very recen.
offensive, which won the Wytschaete- Messine,
salient, has demonstrated the possibility u
complete success in this. However, IL nus
be always borne in mind that everything CO."
not be expected TO go well everywhere anu
that not only machine-gun nests. but s,''
concealed batteries, may in places escape ~
struction and enter into action before 'a'
objective of the assault is reached. Ihee
always danger, unless it Is a salient may
being stormed, Of thanking fire and attseA''
We have not yet come to the point OF o's'
whelming superiority in artillery and As'
planes where we can assure our troops V
assault protection until the moment oil e0o"
ter fire and counter attack. Hence the nse's
sity still remains, during the second s So
third stages of the offensive, OF keeping 'n'
lines moving, no matter what uneXpee'su
sistance may develop, and OF assuring au'
quate reinforcements.
tCopyrsh, 1917. By HArrcr & Br5theSl -