Tanks follow infantry as closely as possible to deal with strong points. They are employed in sections of four.
Machine guns may be used to provide covering fire for attacking infantry, cover its withdrawal if the attack fails, fill gaps in the assaulting lines, assist in the consolidation of positions and repel counterattacks.
Lewis guns are of great value in knocking out hostile machine guns. They usually move on the flanks of the second wave of assault. Later they are used to back up patrols and to hold the outpost line while the garrison line is being consolidated.
As soon as consolidation begins, wire entanglements should be constructed. Every effort should be made to secure the objective against recapture. Any men available should be used to continue the offensive.
All commanders down to and including company commanders must keep some portion of their command as a reserve. The company commander needs his reserve to work around points which are holding against the leading lines, to protect his flanks in case the companies on his right and left are delayed in their advance and to exploit his success and gain ground to the front. He must keep it well in hand behind the company.
Battalion reserves must start with the assaulting column and get across "No Man's Land" as soon as possible; they must not get out of hand. Such a reserve is usually checked in the vicinity of the enemy's front line trench, where it can be thrown in to assist the advance or extend a flank as needed.
The brigade reserve is kept well in hand just clear of the friendly front line and support trenches. Reserves of companies and battalions must start moving over the top of the ground with the rest of the assaulting troops.
Defense Of Trenches.—The latest methods consist in constructing, supporting and strong points at the most favorable points to be held, such as villages, woods, etc. These are separated by intervals not too great for mutual support. They are of such resisting power that they must be taken before the attack can progress. In the intervals between them fire and communicating trenches are constructed, but these are only held lightly. Dummy trenches may be placed in these intervals. Lines of the various works are so traced that they bring enfilading fire on troops attacking adjacent positions. The lines need not be continuously occupied, but the obstacles extend in an unbroken line along the whole front. Wire entanglements are set in front of important positions in belts 20 feet wide, in two or three rows, each 20 yards apart.
Each supporting point usually is occupied by a battalion, and consists of a series of trenches formed into strong points, each held by a garrison of one or more platoons or a company. The supporting points are from 600 to 800 yards in depth and have a front of 600 to 1,000 yards. The first line of strong points is occupied by one or two companies in firing and cover trenches, while the remainder of the battalion occupies the support and reserve trenches. Bomb-proofs are built along the cover trenches and are connected with the firing trenches. Approach trenches are protected on both flanks by wire entanglements. Strong points in support and reserve trenches are prepared for an all-around defense and divided into two or more separate strong points by wire entanglements.
A body of infantry attacked is to oppose to the assailant its high powered weapons, machine guns, automatic rifles, rifle grenades and hand grenades and to reserve for the counter attack the grenadiers and riflemen. There is always one line upon which the resistance must be made with the greatest energy; for its defense the following methods have been found successful. Machine guns should be placed where they can secure the best flanking fire, and every one put out of action should immediately be replaced by an automatic rifle. If machine gun barrage fire is to play its role successfully at the moment of assault, the guns must survive the bombardment. Their protection is secured by placing them under shelter during the bombardment and making their emplacements as nearly invisible as possible. They should be echeloned in depth as far as practicable. They are generally placed in re-entrants of the firing trenches and cover the intervals between the adjoining supporting and strong points. Where the ground will permit they are often placed in concealed positions 20 to 30 yards in front of the trenches, to break up attacks made by hostile infantry. Not too many should be placed in the front line, and they should be echeloned in depth so as to confuse their disposition. The value of machine guns depends on the possibility of using them suddenly for brief periods, and in using them as long as they are effective. Machine guns disposed for flanking fire must be well covered by grenadiers; this is also true of automatic rifles.