If preparations for a sortie are detected, the fire of the large pieces is directed at the points of assembly, when known, and at the openings through which the sortie is to be made. The field guns direct their fire upon the troops in accordance with the tactical use of this arm.
If the batteries of the first artillery position have the proper preponderance over those of the place, they should soon clear away the advanced posts, and keep down the fire of the works so that the besieger may advance his outposts, control the exterior ground and prepare to open the first parallel and establish the second artillery position.
78. Plan of Attack.—By this time the reconnoissances and surveys should be so far advanced and so thoroughly checked up that the chief engineer will have been able to make, upon a large scale, a map of the place and its surroundings with considerable accuracy, and to locate upon it the proposed position of the first and second parallels, the approaches, and the batteries of the second artillery position. This map, with the accompanying memoirs, makes up the “plan of attack,” which, when approved by the commanding general, serves as a working plan for the prosecution of the siege, and is continually corrected and added to as the siege progresses.
This map should be made in duplicate at least, and for accuracy in the history of the siege should be corrected so far as possible by redrawing or tracing, instead of by erasures.
79. The First Parallel.—The first parallel ([Pl. VIII], Figs. 80 and 81) serves as an intrenchment for the troops who protect the second artillery position and who cover the workmen driving the approaches. It also affords a covered communication between the different lines of approaches.
Its length must be sufficient to cover all the batteries of the second artillery position and protect their flanks; it must therefore extend beyond the batteries which enfilade those faces of the fronts attacked whose prolongations fall furthest out. Its flanks are usually more or less refused, and terminated by strong earthworks. Emplacements for batteries of field guns are provided at intervals to assist the infantry in repelling sorties. When the length of the parallel is very great, it is sometimes not continuous when first opened, but the portions covering the groups of batteries are first made and are subsequently connected. The ground between them is protected, meanwhile, by a strong fire of small arms, field and other guns. When communications covered by natural screens do not exist between the first parallel, the batteries of the first artillery position, and the parks, approaches are constructed at the same time as the parallel, in sufficient number to give free passage to the troops, guns, and materials.
These approaches ([Pl. VIII], Figs. 80 and 81), as all others (par. 13), are so directed as not to be enfiladed by the fire of the work, and should be provided with portable or other tramways and cars, passing switches being placed in the returns where needed.
Its Distance from the Work.—As a rule, it may be stated that the first parallel is placed as near the work as possible. Most of the batteries of the second artillery position are from 100 to 300 yards in its rear, and the shorter their range the more effective is their fire. The small-arm fire from the first parallel may also be an important feature in modern sieges; to make it so requires the parallel to be located within 1500 yards of the work, if possible. By placing the parallel as near the work as possible, its length and that of the saps are correspondingly reduced, the amount of work lessened, and generally the fall of the place hastened. If an attempt be made to place it too close to the work, however, the working parties will be discovered; they will be within reach of strong sorties, and of the deadly fire of small arms and machine guns; in consequence of which they may suffer very great losses, be driven off, and the construction of the parallel prevented. The minimum distance under the most favorable circumstances is then about 600 to 700 yards. (This was the distance prescribed in the day of smooth-bore guns, and was adopted as recently as 1870 at the siege of Strasburg.) In an open, level country it may not be possible to place the first parallel at a distance from the most advanced work of less than 1800 to 2000 yards. When, however, it is necessary to establish the first parallel at a very great distance, it will not, as a rule, be made continuous, but in fractions covering approaches which are driven forward. The first continuous parallel is then built at from 1000 to 1200 yards from the works, and behind this the second artillery position is established.
80. Opening the Parallel.—The profile of the parallel is one of those already given ([Pl. I], Figs. 7-13), and it is traced and constructed as described (pars. 14, 18, and 19), by simple trench, flying sap, or full sap, as may be most advantageous. In some cases, however, it is constructed by enlarging the line of shelter trenches already made by the outposts. To cover the working parties while excavating the trench, when the parallel is near enough the work to be endangered by a sortie, the outposts are advanced to about 300 yards in front of the line, the pickets and supports are posted respectively at about 100 and 200 yards in their rear, and are covered by rifle pits and trenches made for this purpose during the preceding nights. To conceal from the defence, if possible, the proposed location of the parallel, these trenches and pits are constructed by all the outposts in front of their positions. The reserves are held 800 to 1000 yards in rear of the flanks, and the whole covering force should be equal to ½ or 2/8 the garrison of the place if an active defence is looked for.
At daylight the trenches will be far enough advanced to protect the covering force which will occupy them. This force is from this time known as the “guard of the trenches,” and is relieved usually every 24 hours, the time of relief being so chosen as not to interfere with the working parties.