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

jB[ANBJ~UALFOR COMMAY~N~DERiS OF INF~E~ANTREY kL~ATOONS.. :2,6
-entry into,the action, and that responds immlediately to calls.for
help.
At ~thetimze of anl attaehI.--The -in-fantry officer mus~t l'ap­
'precinte thajt without his assista~nce the artillerist is liable to
.make mistakres, to dlelay enteringr into the a~ction or to ,eniter
it inopportunely; in short, to render inefficient assistance as!.
resu~lt of wrhichhe is sure to suffer. It; is therefore the duty of
the infantry officer:
·(a) To inform not onlyr his owvn chief hut also the officer
commanding the nearest artillery group as to the position lin
whjic hi's command is loca~ted. The hest method is 'hy a hasty
sketch. tranced froml his map, with the following note:
"Mly comlpany is posted from -____to-____
"The troops on mly right and left ar~e (sulch) and (such) ."
The sketch is authenticated by the sender's signature, and
thte hour? of siginature is g-irem. The sender insures its sp~eedy
tranzsmission.
(b) To sig5rnal to the artillery the. discovery. of anly good
nrtillery observaition stations in the grotund that he has j~ust
:occupied; e. g., "g~ood artillery observation station· at. (such)
point. It commlla~nds such alnd such portions of the ground." .If
possible, a sketch, w~ith · the observaztion station indicated by.. a
cross, is sent to the artillery comm~ander..
The twvo rules g~iven azbove, aslthough app~lying primarily·t~o the
progress of an alttackc, are likewise aIpplicable .to defensiv~e
combatt when the enem-y has succeeded ini enteringr th~e trenches;
the informlation under such conditions is equally important to
the artillery, wvhose mis~sion is then to. stop the enemy as well
as to protect the in~fantry.
Proteetiom.-Under normal conditions the entire system of
.friendly trenches affords protection to thle ba2tteries in front of
aild around them. During comlbat, cither in aIttackingr a fortified
position or in open wvarfare. .the artillery may be called upon
to change its position and gro into action on ground exp~osedi to
the offensive returns of the enemy. TLheinftantry nenrest the
batt~eries must; supjply them with the service of securit~y alnd
inlformvation. .In certain cases the superior c~ommlander- assigns
a lunit; as artillery2 support. M~Ioreover, everyi artiller'y . officer: is
authorized to ask support from t~he nearest infantry, aznd in
such a1 case it maust never be refusedl.