Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-08-16
THE USE OF COVER,


not in the slightest sense from
moral or patriotic standpoint-a dead
soldier is of no more use to his COM
mand. But if a dead soldier is Of no
further military value, a wounded SOL
der, like sick soldier, is doubly use
less, since he requires the attention
and energy of other soldiers, either in
first aid or in removing him to a place
where he can be rescued by stretcher
bearers, unless, of course, the action
| is too violent to allow for the immedi-
ate care of the wounded.
1t is, therefore, highly important up
to the point where it retards the mill
tary purpose to reduce the number OF
| casualties. This is done, when de-
ployed as skirmishers, by increasing
the intervals, as explained in a pre-
vious article, by advancing in single
tile-in squad column-or by advanta-
geouS use of cover.
All American boys will remember
the defeat of General Braddocks' regu-
| lars by the 1ndians-a defeat which
| only the young Col George Washing
| ton saved from utter disaster. The In
dams fought from under cover-from
| behind trees-and the British grena-
diers, accustomed to march into battle
as if on dress parade, were thrown into
CONSERVATION. That principle of fight
| ing, from behind cover, was taken over
| by the American Minute Man at Bun
ker hill, and again the British regulars
were cast into confusion by volleys
from foe whom they could not see.
The United States army has never
wholly departed from this principle CT
warfare learned from the Indians, and
the modern system of deployment and
Skirmishing is but a further develop
| ment of it. From the American Indian,
| then, through the United States army,
this method spread to Europe, and,
rendered trebly necessary by the in
credible deadliness of modern attack,
has reached it's most scientific stage
in the trench warfare in France.
But it is not out of place to observe
| as American officers will point out,
that this very trench warfare, like
nearly all the major inventions with
which the present great conflict is be-
ing waged, is an American develop
ment. In the Civil war, before Vfcks-
burg and before Petersburg, there
were months of trench warfare, the
same in principle, if less devastating,
than that now in progress in Europe.
| The new soldier should give careful
attention to the individual use of cover
By taking advantage of natural cover
that is, throwing himself prone behind
| a clump of earth, a depression in the
| ground, rock, a log or a bush-he will
be able to conceal himself as much as
possible while firing and while advanc-
| ing, and this will give him opportunity
| for settling his sight, taking deliberate
| aim. and sending his bullet to the
| mark. He should fire around the right
/ of his concealment when this is pos
sible, and when not possible, over the
| top.
In order to advance in single file, the
| corporal will give the command Squad
| column, MARCH, He moves to the
front, and the members of the squad
oblique from their positions in the line
| toward him and fall in behind him at
| easy marching distances. The chief
| value of a squad column, however, is
understood to be to facilitate an ad-
| vance over rough or brush-grown
ground. since it is held to afford little
material advantage In securing cover.
At ASSEMBLE" the members of the
/ squad advance to the right or left Of
the corporal, as the case may be, and
| take their places in line. When in squad
column, the order of the men in column
behind the corporal is: No. front
rank. No 3 rear rank, No. rear rank.
No front rank, No. front rank, No.
rear rank, No. 4 rear rank.
The United States Government pur-
chases 1.250.OOO electric lamps every