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

36 MAT~NUAL FObR·:C~OMMA~II~NDERS: OF INFANTRYE3PLATOOQNS~;
Dimension~s.-T~a~ver~sesare made ftlush wvith the fire crest in
order not to display a. profile above it.:In order to assure a
su~fficient protection, thle normnal tre-v~ers, has a thickness of 8
feet at the nattural 's.:urf ace of the: gioundCCand 4 9 feet at the
bottom of the trench; ::so as to pisdetor b'ttei, Its lengthi
wvill be 5 feet at the. sur~face of th6:-natui;B qi oil, so that thc~ endt
of thol traverse will ex-tendl beyondf the; icni line at the! tteuch.,
(Fig. 38.)
Section
t0.30 (10;) 1~
Fe 38.-Tavrss
Trvese ouh neve to be holoe :3· ouadepcal
NoT.-I the tench hs been construce wtot rvess
the same purpose ma~cybeser'vedl by spiinLterIproofs, azrrangement:
hazving the exazct thick~ness necessary to afford security from
splinters without manteriazlly decreasinzg the length of the interior
(fire) crest, and formed of ~fascines, sandc bags, g~abions (fig. 39
gabion splinter proof), or gravel tampFied between the two plank
war~lls.
The distiiiction betwveen traversesand splinter· praofs lies in
their constraction. The former are developed in the original
soil mit the timne of the construction of the trench, while the
latter aire built in after the trench is completed.