Safety at the Front for Officers, N. C's and Men of All Arms (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1918. Excerpt: ... Chapter V OFFENSIVE ACTION TO PREVENT USE OF ENEMY'S WEAPONS Preventing Observation--Preventing Fire--Retaliation. There remains a third general method of reducing the enemy's power to inflict casualties, and that is the use of our own weapons against him. This may be applied either to interfere with his observation, or to prevent him from using his own weapons, or as retaliation to induce him to keep quiet. Preventing Observation.--There are only limited opportunities for preventing observation by offensive action. It is chiefly attempted as part of some tactical scheme by heavy artillery barrages; but on the lesser scale of ordinary life in the trenches, situations do arise in which some work has to be done in an exposed position when the men can be protected by lively interference with enemy observation. The first essential is that only a limited area of enemy trenches overlooks them. Then any field artillery observation officer should be able to make it unhealthy for any observers in that area for twenty minutes or so; and if the liaison officer at Battalion Headquarters is asked, he will usually be glad to do it. In addition, rifle-grenades may be used in the same way. Such action has a two-fold effect: it may make the enemy take cover, or, if he continues to look out, he will be concentrating or trying to locate the rifle-grenadier or the battery position. It is best not to turn the small Stokes mortars on for this purpose, for, though very effective, they usually draw strong retaliation on our line. Heavier trench-mortars which can be watched in the air will distract the enemy's attention much more, and a few rounds of these can often be fired without immediate retaliation. Also, if our snipers have the upper hand, they will be able to cover the ex...