Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1917-09-19
ADVANCING ACROSS WIDE
STRETCHES EXPOSED TO FIRE.

The advance in such succession OF
thin lines as that described in the last
article is used to progress across
wide stretch which is swept, or in dan
ger of being swept, by artillery fire, or
by long-range rifle fire. In short, this
type of advance is undertaken in places
exposed to a fire which it would be
profitless to return. The advance by
short rushes would both be costly (be-
cause of the comparative concentration
of the men in the fire-swept area) and
impracticable, since to return rifle fire
against artillery world be futile. II
would be almost equally futile against
longrange rifle fire. However, when
the thin lines have advanced, as was
said before, from 100 to $50 yards, they
may then be in better position to re-
turn the fire.
The purpose of this movement is to
build up a strong skirmish line at a
point where it may engage in a fire
fight, and to build it up with the mini
mum cost. This method, while advan-
tageous from certain standpOints, also
has it's drawbacks. Because, during
the progress OF the advance, there Is
almost entire loss of control over the
company. Each individual is left to
his own initiative in reaching the new
line, but unless otherwise specified,
the advance is conducted at quick time,
and there is a general uniformity of
movement.
Yet the seriousness of the loss OF
control depends very largely upon the
previous training and discipline of the
company. If this has been of the
proper kind, and the company is suffl-
GENTLY grounded in discipline, team
work, and esprit de corps, it will con-
tinue to assert itself even when the
man is proceeding across the exposed
area alone.
1t is precisely the same as with a
back-ield player on football eleven:
He is alone, his responsibility is single,
generally speaking, but at that he
never loses his consciousness of team
play and the essential coordination OF
his efforts with those of the rest Of his
team.
Against the possible disadvantage OF
a temporary loss of control over the
company, moreover, is the more than
compromising advantage that such an
advance is less likely to draw fire.
This is not only important from the
standpoint of casualties, but would in
itself reduce the degree in which such
control may be lost. In other words,
it would be even more difficult to re-
tain control over a deployed company
which is subject to a whitening fire
than over company advancing in
succession of thin lines, if the fire Is
scattering and Intellectual.
The war in Europe has in many re-
spects cancelled previous theories Oh
combat. In view of such developments
the regulations specifically state that
other and better formations may be de-
vised to fit particular cases. But this
basic principle remains: "The best for
nation is the one which advances tina
line furthest with the least loss of men,
time and control"
Training in the existing regulations
for extended order work, therefore
schools the young soldier in the under
lying purpose of the fire attack, ana
after comprehending this, he can mucn
more easily adapt himself to any spe'
cial methods which conditions may re-
quire.