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

88 MYIANUA~L FORt COMMAND~ERS OF INFANTRYE~PLATOONS.,
Eightth.· Practice or 'blanrk grenlades.-Disttinctive colors-
Paiizted gray~: Loaded for servrice. .Patinted whit~e: Weighted
with sand, with an active fuzse. Pa~inted r-edZ: Filled and provideci,
with blanzk fuses, or wit~h none at all. P~rimners stamped
wvith a cross: Active, to be used oniy withz unloadel grenadesj.
Primners pierced in several places: Inacetive.
A wvooden ball cartridge shoul~d be used~ x~hen practicing with
an active V 1Bgrenade, and, in order to insure ignition, the
primer mayT be fixed at an Langleof" 4i5O Never give it that
tangle wh~lenusing a regular ball cartridge.
THCIE 87-M1~M. (1.5-%jINCH) GSUTh~
Organlzatiom.-37-mm.~ gun 1916 T. RE. (rapid fire). Each
piece is com~posed of:
F7irst;.The gun, on a trip~od carriage and transferable to
whe-e~ls.
Second. A limber which transports the amzmunition, spare
pa~rts, andf accessories.
O~ne horse canl usually pull the assembled gun and limber.
When near the enemy th~e gun and limber are separated for
tranzsport-at~ion by the gun detachment. Several giuns together
fro'm a platoon. Its personnel is given under the- organizattion
of the regiment. (Pt. I·V, Cha~p. II.)
The six men -serving the piece (1 firer, 1 loader, and 4 ammnunition
servers) should be specialists in their· duty, but each.
one should be able to p~erform any ·of the duties. If necessar~r,
thefgun1 may be served by one man.
The 3'7-mm. gun being an infantr~y arm, all officers and a
sufficient number· of noncommissioned offcers and privates
s~houldcbe famniliar wtih its wYorkrings.
Arsrf of the personnel.-The gunners, firers, loaders, and
servers are armed .with automatic pistols, and the riemainder of
the personnel with carbines and bayonets (or cavalry carbines
or rifles, model 1907-1915). The platoon commander and
gunnler are provided with micrometric field glasses.