Infantry training, 1905

by Great Britain. War Office

166. Duties of Officers Commanding Reserves.

1. The officers commanding the reserves, whether local or general, must make themselves acquainted with all ground over which they may have to act. They should know the direction of all roads and tracks; and they must keep a watch, by means of staff officers and patrols, on the progress of the engagement, so that they may anticipate orders, and have their troops formed up ready to move as soon as they are called for.

167. Local Counter-attacks.

1. Local counter-attacks, which are the special duty of the local reserves, may be made at any moment. Should the enemy gain some local success either in the position itself, or on ground close to it, whence he could seriously threaten the defence of the position, the necessity for counter-attack becomes imperative. In such cases, the sooner the attack is delivered the better, so that the enemy may have no opportunity of strengthening the ground he has gained.

2. Local counter-attacks are delivered on the initiative of the officers in charge of sections of the defensive line. They should seldom be carried far in advance of the entrenchments; and directly the enemy’s firing-line falls back, the troops should be reformed as rapidly as possible.

4. Local counter-attacks should also be delivered when the enemy advances to the assault. Bayonets will be fixed when his line arrives within a few hundred yards of the position, every available man brought up into the firing-line, and the charge met with rapid fire, and if that fails to stop him, with a counter-charge. In this counter-charge, which should be practised at all manœuvres, the men will cheer, bugles be sounded, and pipes played.

168. Decisive Counter-attack.

1. The decisive counter-attack will be delivered by the general reserve, it will usually be directed against the enemy’s flanks, and in such a manner as to threaten his line of retreat, although opportunities for breaking the centre may sometimes occur. The counter-attack should come, if possible, in the form of a surprise, and should be carried through with the utmost vigour and resolution; all ranks should understand that they must press forward until the last reserve has been thrown in.

2. To judge the right time for the decisive counter-attack is as difficult as it is important. The most favourable moment is when the enemy has expended his reserves in endeavouring to storm the entrenchments. If, however, the defending force is carefully concealed, or if the enemy is led to believe that the front is much longer than it really is, he may commit mistakes such as exposing a portion of his force without hope of support from the remainder, extending his front so far that the greater part of his force is in the firing-line, exposing his flanks, or posting his reserves in the wrong place; and these mistakes, all of which are favourable to the counter-attack, may occur at any period of the engagement—. It is important, therefore, that the course of the action should be closely watched, that the staff should make arrangements for incessant patrolling, constant observation, and the rapid transmission of reports, and that the general reserve should be prepared for immediate action throughout the fight.

3. When launched to the attack the firing-line, as a rule, should be thicker than at the commencement of an ordinary attack, and it is unnecessary that it should be preceded, though it must always be flanked, by scouts. A portion of the force should be echeloned in rear, in order to deal with the enemy’s reserves.