The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-06-23
INFANTRY MUST
BEAR BRUNT OF
ALL FIGHTING
Americans, When They Go
to Firing Line, Will Learn
How Branches Work
EVERY BRANCH
rs SORELY NEEDED
Each Has Specific Function
In Great Trench War
fare In. France

places in the battle-line in France and
Belgium trench fighting is to be their
lot at first. they will soon learn how es-
sential all arms of the military service
are for the proper protection of a Sec
tor of territory. A study of the accom-
panying diagram will give an idea of
this.
Everything is subordinate to the in
fantryman, who leaps forward and
advances on the enemy when he
hears the whistle of his company
commander. He makes it possible for
artillery to be moved up, for he digs
in, at his new position, which Is adj
vanced as far as he can go, and thus
the fight goes on. Military men are
agreed that these tactics must be fol-
lowed until the enemy's armies are
broken.
The infantry OF division is made
up Of three brigades each or three
regiments. American regiments now
have 2,015 officers and men when re-
supporting troops in the division
bring up the total number OF men in
the fighting force to 2S,324. A COM
plete division comprises the follow
ing supporting units to the infantry
brigades:
Two regiments of field artillery, each
made up six batteries; one regiment of
nGdVy UGlu anu ZIG
most recent orders, an additional reg
iment of siege artillery of the heaviest
calibre for certain picked divisions;
one regiment of engineers-road and
bridge builders and trench nnakers-a
signal corps with it's telegraph, tele-
phone and aviation sections; the
sanitary corps, quartermaster's corps
and the staff departments necessary to
assist the major general commanding
a. 1t olV fcfY I've a d
ditionaI machine gun companies are
attached, by recent orders to the divi-
sion headquarters and one each to the
three brigade headquarters. The divi-
sion has it's field bakery, supply train
OF wagons, its hospitals and ambulance
companies.
The signal corps must maintain
communication between brigade and
division headquarters and run wires
to the first line trenches. Command
ers Of the field armies, or army
corps. see that communications are
kept up with division headquarters.
Ayiators Of the division report how
shells are falling within the enemy
lines and give quick news Of any move
ments to show a contemplated advance
or retreat. They must be prepared
to fight enemy aviators too, but the
work Of gaining air superiority will fall
mainly upon the aviators attached to
corps headquarters. la
The regiment of engineers is kept
busy repairing trenches and lines or
communication from division head
quarters to the fighting units and as
sisting the infantry in digging new
trenches. The cavalry, in trench fight
Ing. is useless unless sent forward to
the trenches, where 1t acts as infantry.
The actual fighting men-the in
fantrymen-must not be kept in the
front line trench until exterminated.
Twenty -four hours is as much as
commanders expect a man in the IRE
and first-line cover trenches. They
must be constantly alert when on
that shift and at the same time be
careful of their own artillery, which
is stationed in their rear and shoots
over their heads. Premature explos-
ions are always expected.
The nearest supporting artillery
excepting the machine gun nests and
trench mortars, which are in the hrst-
line trenches-consiSts of light field
pieces in the second-line. These nave
effective ranges of from three to five
miles, but cannot be trained upon first
line trenches of the enemy, for the
latter are too near their own fire
trenches. It is generally used for OBJ
1ects one or two miles distant.
Next, in the third line trench, is the
heavy ordnance. This can shoot seven
or eight miles, but is more effective at
four. Both classes of batteries are
used to make curtains" to prevent
supporting forces reaching the first
line trenches of the enemy. Far in
rear are the monster siege guns, which
can shoot ten, fifteen, or nineteen
miles. Artillerymen take turns with
their batteries nesting in environments
and then working.
Let us move up with regiment
OF infantry.
The first move, after the regiment
is detailed to go forward, is to the
fourth line. 1t was in environments be-
yond range of the enen1y's greatest
guns, and as 1t proceeds toward the
front it needs no shelter.
1t goes first to the brigade reserve
Of three regiments, which are kept in
well protected positions. The biggest
guns of the enemy frequently feel
out" the locations of reserve regiments.
They are safe, however, from ordinary
artillery and from rife fire and the
anti aircraft guns keep the aeroplanes
away from the batteries and camps.
For three days the regiment Is held
in brigade reserve. The night follow
ing it advances via the bad roads.
that are frequently shelled, to the
third line trenches. For twenty-four
hours the regiment remains in dug
outs upon this line. ready to repulse
any sweep of the enemy that might,
by chance, overpoWer the more adj
vanced trenches,
The next move is to the second line
positions. While doing the tweEty-
four-hour tour in these. details are sent
forward to repair wire entanglements
and act as patrols in No Mans Land
the latter mark the most dangerous
for the soldier in trench warfare.
Then comes the forward move to the
cover trenches Of the first line. Com
munication trenches are Rugged while
this advance is made. For the next
twenty -four hours the soldiers spend
two hours in the fire trench and four
in reserve, under cover. IL an attack
is made, the two battalions held ever
ready in the cover trenches rush for
ward to the fire trench to halt the
drive.
When advances are to be made, the
brigade reserve is pushed forward in
the night, and after the artillery COM
nnanders believe they have battered po-
sitions in the rear Of the enemy's first
line sufficiently, and that a curtain Of
shells prevents achievements from
coming up, the whistle blows and the
men leap out of their trenches. Wave
on wave they rush forward. If the
fnfantrymen in the fourth and fifth
waves see that the others went into
the blue, as they express ii, they must
20 forward anyway. or suffer the pun-
iahment for disobedience Of orders.