manual for commanders of infantry platoons. - US Army Combined ...

MABNUAL ·FOR~ COMMANDBdERS OF ~INFAITRY · PLATOONS. 2-13
necting them so that the ;water and mud xviii drain into thie
pools. (See~figr. 192.~)
The best revetments are those madle of sandbag~s very full and
very xvell bneaten d~own. Any other kind bsulgSeout: and1 narro~ii
th~e pa3SSa2eway23 s by thus sprealding out, after a time. WVhen
thaclt occurs, .they mlust be moved farthmer out or the trench turned
alside. An abnor~mal enlargement or a round point interruptijig
the covre certainly diminishes the nimount of protection;: but;
PIe~G102.
anuyt~hing is preferable to an obstruction of half of the passageway~
dlue to the ySielding of~the revetmlent to ~the pressure of the
L~oophlolc8.--The employmnent of loopholes is not adlvisable unless
·it is possible to build th~ei so that the enemy wvcillnot k;noxv
xvhether thley are occup~iedl or not. This condition m1akes it
necessary to do writhout loopholes on' a g~reazter part of the firing
crest close to the hostile trenches. The loop~hole is used, however.
in` lookout posts a~nd in trenches for flankiing· the enemy.