82. Defence Practice.

1. The chief points to be attended to in the occupation of a post or position are: first, that each skirmisher can command the ground over which the enemy is expected to advance, and is so placed that he can use his rifle effectively; second, invisibility and cover from fire; third, that natural rests are properly utilised or artificial rests provided; fourth, that ranges have been ascertained and are known to everyone; and fifth, that all cover which the enemy could utilise is cleared away from the front and flanks; and sixth, that each man has ample ammunition.

2. The company should be practised in changing its position, creeping or crawling under cover to do so; also in delivering counter attacks, by some covered line of approach, against the flanks of an attacking party. The flanks of a company on the defensive must always be watched by scouts.

83. Reconnaissance Practice.

The squad may be practised in forming a chain of groups of scouts to feel the way for a larger body, and in working as a patrol sent out to obtain information of the enemy or the ground.

It is impossible to lay down precise rules for these most important duties.

All that can be said is that the intervals would be far greater than is usual in the Attack Practice; and that much more latitude should be granted to the men.

In reconnoitring the enemy or the ground the men should be made to understand clearly the nature of the information required.

84. Retirements.

Retirements in face of the enemy must be conducted with the greatest circumspection. In retiring under fire, skirmishers, if well in hand, may move from cover to cover at the quickest possible pace, a few men, preferably the most active, being left behind for a short time at each halt to cover the retirement of the remainder. Sections will also be taught to retire alternately, affording each other mutual support by taking up successive fire positions; a section, after delivering its fire, will retire as rapidly as possible beyond the other section which will then open fire. If, however, the men are at all shaken, as when an attack has failed, the retirement must be in quick time; and all ranks should exert themselves to the utmost to ensure that it is carried out, notwithstanding losses, with steadiness and precision. A rapid retreat, in such conditions, is not only a fruitful source of panic, but a very great encouragement to the enemy. A steady, deliberate movement, on the other hand, carried out in silence and good order, pulls the men together and imposes respect and caution on the enemy.

85. Meeting an attack by cavalry.

1. It should be impressed upon the men that on open ground foot soldiers have little to fear from individual troopers, provided that they keep cool, and have plenty of ammunition; and that on broken ground the advantage is altogether on their side.

2. Charges of cavalry against the front can usually be met by rapid fire without changing the formation. If for any particular reason, a close formation is deemed advisable, the men of the section will close upon their leader, and fix bayonets, the word of command being Cavalry, Close. It is to be remembered, however, that close formations may give the enemy’s artillery the opportunity which his cavalry have been seeking to create.

3. An attack by cavalry in flank should be checked by the fire of the supports, but may, if necessary, be met by the section nearest the threatened flank changing direction in the quickest possible time, each man closing independently on the file nearest the point from which the cavalry is approaching, and fixing bayonets. This will be carried out on the command Cavalry Right (Half-right, Left, &c.). In reforming, the men will be ordered to cease fire, or unload and unfix bayonets, and the men will resume their former order, moving by the shortest line.

4. It is when ammunition is running short, when troops are retiring under a heavy fire, when the flanks of a line of skirmishers are not protected by other troops in rear, or in fog, dust, or heavy rain, that cavalry will find their opportunity.

No hard and fast rules can be laid down as to the action of skirmishers in such circumstances. Everything will depend on the nerve and resourcefulness of the leaders and of the men, who should be taught that swordsmen moving at speed can inflict but little damage on men who throw themselves down on the ground as the horsemen close on them. It may be laid down, moreover, that a sound system of scouting will do much to reduce the danger of surprise, and that in a thick atmosphere, which renders the enemy’s artillery useless, squads, and larger bodies also, may safely move in close order.

86. Scouting.

1. It is an invariable rule that all bodies of infantry in the field should feel the way, and at the same time protect themselves from surprise, by means of scouts, who should be pushed out several hundred yards in advance and to the flanks. In skirmishing practice the scouts will examine all ground which might be held by the enemy, and report, usually by signal, all clear or otherwise. They will receive instructions from their commanders as to their action when they discover the enemy, and they must be careful to expose themselves as little as possible.

2. The day’s work will be rendered more interesting, and the men receive useful training in scouting, if ambushes are laid, and counter-attacks delivered.

3. In every company of infantry at least one man per squad, in addition to one non-commissioned officer in each half-company, should receive a special training as scouts.

4. Scouts are to be selected for their activity, intelligence, and eyesight. They must be good shots and judges of distance, expert skirmishers, and be able to communicate by semaphore. The special training should be such as to cultivate these qualities, to develop an eye for country, and to teach what to observe and how to report it.

87. Duties of Scouts.

1. In attack.

2. In defence.

3. As Ground Scouts.

4. Reconnaissance.

5. In night operations.—To precede the advance.

6. Special purposes.—For special purposes, the scouts of several companies may be combined in one body under a selected officer or officers.

88. Training of Scouts.

1. The training of scouts will, as a rule, be carried out by a selected officer in each company.

2. Scouts should be able to find their way across country both by day and night. They should be able to read a map, and to work by sun and compass, by observation of landmarks, and by the direction of watersheds and streams.

3. They should be constantly practised in transmitting information by semaphore, by written message, and by word of mouth.

4. They should be trained to cover long distances at the double, and also to climb steep hills.

5. Scouts will generally work in pairs or in groups of four, including a non-commissioned officer or selected group leader.

6. Scouts must remember that the less they are seen or heard the better. They are not intended, except in special cases, for fighting purposes; and, as a rule, they should not fire except to defend themselves, or possibly to prevent the enemy’s scouts from obtaining information.

7. Scouts must always be careful to keep touch with the troops they are covering.

89. The Inspection in Skirmishing.

1. The inspection will invariably take the form of a tactical exercise based on a scheme, set by the inspecting officer, in which an enemy will be represented by another unit.

2. The inspecting officer will pay particular attention to the following:—

90. SHELTER TRENCH EXERCISE.

Full information on the subject of extemporised cover in the field is contained in Part I of the Manual of Military Engineering.

Instruction of Troops.—Troops should be practised in the use of the pick and shovel, until they can excavate without difficulty the tasks mentioned below. Men unaccustomed to digging should, if possible, be trained at first in sand or very light soil, until they are accustomed to handling the shovel. When the troops practise entrenching, the task set them should require not less than four hours’ actual work, according to the nature of the soil (M.M.E., Section IV).

It will be well to arrange for a portion of the working party with a cart to draw the tools and convey them to the site of the trenches, so that no time may be lost in beginning work.

Tools.—1. Each man will usually require a pick and a shovel, but it may sometimes be desirable to allot two men to each task, in which case the front rank man will carry the pick and the rear rank man the shovel.

2. The tools will, as a rule, be placed in heaps on the ground, picks in one heap, shovels in another. The working party, with arms slung, will pass between the heaps in single file, each man taking a pick in his left hand and a shovel in his right as he passes the heaps. Tools should be carried at the trail, point of the pick down, and the hollow of the shovel towards the thigh.

3. It is important that soldiers should be taught to handle their tools without noise. In the event of a working party turning into file (or about), the handles of the tools will before turning be brought into a vertical position by lowering the iron part of the pick, and raising the iron part of the shovel, resuming the trail when the turn is complete. When marching in file, the handles will incline outwards.

4. Extension.—Working parties will be extended by one of the following methods:—

5. The men will, without word of command, turn about and take 4 paces to their rear, ground arms, take off their accoutrements, and lie down until ordered to begin work.

6. To avoid accidents every man must commence digging on the left of his task, and work from left to right.

Filling in trenches.

Trenches should never be filled in on the day on which they have been made, but a fatigue party should be sent out later for the special purpose of levelling them. Defaulters might be employed on this duty. In one hour a man should be expected to fill in about 40 cubic feet.