The purpose of “Combat Lessons” is to give to our officers and enlisted men the benefit of the battle experiences of others. To be of maximum benefit these lessons must be disseminated without delay. They do not necessarily represent the carefully considered views of the War Department; they do, however, reflect the actual experiences of combat and, therefore, merit careful reading. For this reason also no single issue can cover many of the phases of combat; lessons will be drawn from the reports as they are received from the theaters of operation and quickly disseminated so that others may apply them. The suggestions which are made or implied are not intended to change the tactical doctrine by which our Army has been trained but rather to elaborate thereon. Much of the subject matter has been covered in training literature, but the comments show that shortcomings continue to manifest themselves on the battlefield.
The paramount combat lesson learned from every operation is the vital importance of leadership. Our equipment, our supply, and, above all, our men, are splendid. Aggressive and determined leadership is the priceless factor which inspires a command and upon which all success in battle depends. It is responsible for success or failure.
Chief of Staff
CONTENTS
| SECTION ONE—INFANTRY | Page |
| Battle Leadership | [1] |
| Junior Officer in Battle | [1] |
| Hate Your Enemy | [2] |
| Leaders in Front | [2] |
| Keep Them Moving | [3] |
| NCO Leadership | [3] |
| Keep Your Mission in Mind | [3] |
| Team Up | [6] |
| Rally Point | [6] |
| Fear is Normal | [6] |
| Sicily—Italy—Attu | [7] |
| Night Attack | [7] |
| Surprise Saves Lives | [7] |
| Hand-to-Hand Fighting | [8] |
| Small Arms Against Armor | [9] |
| Platoon Action | [9] |
| Knocking Out Pillboxes | [12] |
| Individual Initiative | [14] |
| Action on Attu | [16] |
| The South Pacific | [19] |
| Security in the Jungle | [19] |
| In Bivouac | [19] |
| On the March | [20] |
| Jungle Notes | [20] |
| Aggressive Action, Flexible Plans | [20] |
| Feeding the Troops | [20] |
| Counterintelligence | [20] |
| Scouting and Patrolling | [21] |
| Patrolling in the Jungle | [21] |
| Don’t Forget the “Where”! | [21] |
| —or the “What”! | [21] |
| Patrol Tips | [22] |
| Size of Patrols | [22] |
| “Say It With Pictures” | [22] |
| Infantry Weapons | [23] |
| In Jungle Warfare | [23] |
| Basic Weapons | [23] |
| 4.2″ Chemical Mortar | [26] |
| In Sicily | [27] |
| Advance Guard | [27] |
| Pyrotechnics | [27] |
| Miscellaneous Comment | [27] |
| At Salerno | [28] |
| The Bazooka Worked | [28] |
| Infantry-Artillery Team | [29] |
| Artillery “Close” Support | [29] |
| —and How it Worked | [29] |
| Massed Fires | [30] |
| Infantry-Tank Team | [31] |
| Opportunity Lost | [31] |
| Lesson Learned | [31] |
| Infantry-Tank Attack | [32] |
| Ranger Training | [33] |
| Buddy System | [33] |
| Realism | [33] |
| Recognition | [34] |
| Formations | [34] |
| Cooking | [35] |
| Physical Conditioning | [35] |
| Discipline | [35] |
| SECTION TWO—FIELD ARTILLERY | |
| Artillery in the Jungle | [37] |
| Antipersonnel Fire | [37] |
| Dealing with Tree Snipers | [37] |
| Adjustment of Fire | [38] |
| Morale Effect | [38] |
| Ammunition and Fuzes | [40] |
| Disposition | [40] |
| Liaison | [40] |
| Ideas from Italy | [41] |
| Reinforcing Fire | [41] |
| Transportation | [41] |
| Fire Direction Center | [41] |
| Pack Boards for Observers | [43] |
| SECTION THREE—MISCELLANEOUS | |
| Booby Traps | [45] |
| Timeliness of Orders | [45] |
| Maps | [46] |
| AA Fire | [46] |
| Security | [47] |
| Strafing Aircraft | [47] |
| “Gas!” | [47] |
| Counterattack Foiled | [48] |
| Room for Improvement | [49] |
| SECTION FOUR—NOTES ON THE NIPS | |
| Japanese Pillboxes | [51] |
| Superman Myth Exploded | [51] |
| Jap Trap | [52] |
| Defensive Action | [52] |
| Vine Entanglements | [52] |
| SECTION FIVE—HINTS ON THE HEINIE | |
| Reverse Slope Tactics | [53] |
| Don’t Gawk! | [53] |
| Traps and Mines | [53] |
| Minor Tactics | [54] |
| Typical Attack and Withdrawal | [55] |
| Rearguard Action | [55] |
Prepared from Combat Reports and published by direction of the Chief of Staff by Operations Division in collaboration with other Divisions of the War Department General Staff, Army Ground Forces, Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces.
SECTION I
INFANTRY
BATTLE LEADERSHIP
Again and again reports from the battlefields confirm the importance of leadership in every grade, whether it be Corporal or Colonel. Other combat lessons are important; the exercise of leadership in battle is vital. Leadership has often been defined in theory. Here are some instances of its application or its absence on the battlefield. These are but a few examples; there are many others.