6. Acting as leaders of attacking party.
Instructors should endeavor by every means in their power to arouse the interest and imagination of their men during the assault practice. The special phase of the combat which is to be carried out in the exercise should invariably be explained beforehand. Each dummy must be regarded as an actual armed opponent, and each line of dummies as an enemy line attacking, defending, or retiring, and be disposed of accordingly.
Any tendency toward carelessness or slackness must be instantly checked, and it should be impressed on all ranks that a practice assault which is not carried out with the necessary quickness, vigor, and determination is worse than useless.
Lack of imagination, which allows men and their leaders to violate the most elementary principles of tactics in practice assaults against dummies, can lead only to disaster in a real assault against an enemy.
CHAPTER V
General Instructions for Bayonet Training Practice.
1. “Guard,” “withdrawals,” “thrusts,” “parries,” and the “jab” will be taught first with the left, then with the right foot forward.
2. The position from which the “short thrust” is made is shown in Plate IV. All short thrusts will be practised from this position. Except after a thrust into a dummy, make a momentary pause in this position so as to break men of the habit of drawing back the rifle from the guard before making the thrust.
3. From the outset squads will be frequently practised in charging for short distances in the open as a strengthening exercise for the legs and a quickening exercise.