Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-06-27
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OF ammunition after q
feigned attack on the part of the foe.
This is In part due to the German theory that a
certain percentage of hits will result from a CIV
en- number Of shots. The Boche infantrymatl, ex-
cept at short range, does not direct his aim at a
particular adversary. He fires for general re-
suits.
A German officer, for instance, learns that there
are a certain number of the enemy in a given
zone about 100 yards square, 500 yards In front
of his position. He estimates that If his company
sprays this zone for n half-hour a certain percent
age of casualties will be inflicted, dependent upon
the rapidly of fire, number of marksmen and size
of zone.
An American farmer boy could tell him how er'
roneous this theory Is. He knows, because ex-
perience has taught him. Time and time agnin
he has fired with a shotgun into q flock of ducks
or a covey Of grouse on the wing punched appar-
emily so closely that a miss is hardly possible.
There are $50 or 200 individual shot in the load,
yet such an attempt nearly always scores n com
plete miss. Naturally this percentage Of failures
must be still higher In rife shooting.
An attacking party may be advancing in what
looks like a dense mass. There Is to the eye very
little space between the men. A general results"
shot ought to score q hit. In point Of fact, 1t
usually does not. Spaces between the moving men
are constantly opening. Very little Of the front
offers a vitel target. A shot through a KNAPP
sack, a helmet, through baggy brooches. or thick
legg!ngs, even through the feshy part Of the body.
will not stop a charging foe. The only way to
make sure Of a hit is to pick an Individual tar
get. aim at dead center, and fire accurately. An
infantryman In full equipment is q good deal like
a hawk on a fence post. You are likely to get
a lot Of feathers from your shot and very little
hawk.
The ability to shoot accurately has made. the
American rifeman dangerous. This same skill Is
making our infantrynhan superior to his foe on
the western front. General Pershing recognizes
the need Of maintaining this advantage, for in his
reports he recommends that the greatest care
be taken In rife instruction at the cantonments
since this is the most valuable weapon both In
Offense and defense.
Put a company Of crack German troops against
an equal Eumber Of ours. Let them direct their
fire based on the general results theory at our
men while our boys follow the American method
Of selecting an individual target. An average
company Of Sammies would contain about ten
experts. 20 sharpshooters. 35 marksmen and a
large number Of f~rst-class rtfemen. The result
would not be hard to determine.
It IL because Of the deficiency Of the Germans
us rifiemcn that their general stnft has resorted
10 largely to the hand grenade. For the same rca.
son the French and British have done the same.
We read stories Of infantrymen chasing troops
a quarter Of q mile to get close enough to throw
hand grenades at them. Well-dlrected rine fire
would have been far more effective. There are
times ut short range when the grenade Is q SUI
perior weapon. One tossed into a sro,paOf men
will do more damage than a single rifle bullet,
but the supply OF grenades a man can curry Is lin.
tied and the distance ut which they con be used
effectively Is short. Since the French and British
are better shots than the Germans they send
more riaemen over the top and fewer srenadIerS
The British regular army had q great reputa'
tlon for shooting. Most " these bad seen serv.
Ice In Egypt. Africa or other ~colories where con.
ditions In q degree resemble ours. The work these
veterans did In the nrst battle Of Ypres and It
tho retreat from, Mons. where with practically no
artillery they held four or i've times their number
shows whit craftsmanship can do for an army.
The Latin instinct IL to use the knife. For
this reason the French and the italian revert
Otter to the bayonet. Because the German does
not like close hand.to.hand work he prefers the
grenade. Is
The Canadian Is our born brother ut arms, The
conditions that have made us made him. His ct.
fectlveness ,as a soldier Ii due to his Individual
Initiative and to his skill with the rife. What IL
true Of him IL true Of our soldiers. Already they
show a tendency to stick to the rife. When they
get going well the Germans will pray to be nut
asainst any troops except Americans-and the
chief reason for this dread will DO Sammy.s ex.
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