[422.] Troops should be accustomed to being fired over by friendly artillery and impressed with the fact that the artillery should continue firing upon the enemy until the last possible moment. The few casualties resulting from shrapnel bursting short are trifling compared with those that would result from the increased effectiveness of the enemy's infantry fire were the friendly artillery to cease firing.
Casualties inflicted by supporting artillery are not probable until the opposing infantry lines are less than 200 yards apart.
[423.] When the distance between the hostile infantry lines becomes so short as to render further use of friendly artillery inadvisable, the commander of the infantry firing line, using a preconcerted signal,[3] informs the artillery commander. The latter usually increases the range in order to impede the strengthening of the enemy's foremost line.
Fire of Position.
[424.] Infantry is said to execute fire of position when it is posted so as to assist an attack by firing over the heads, or off the flank, of the attacking troops and is not itself to engage in the advance; or when, in defense, it is similarly posted to augment the fire of the main firing line.
Machine guns serve a like purpose.
In a decisive action, fire of position should be employed whenever the terrain permits and reserve infantry is available.
DEPLOYMENT.
[425.] Troops are massed preparatory to deployment when the nature of their deployment can not be foreseen or it is desirable to shorten the column or to clear the road. Otherwise, in the deployment of large commands, whether in march column, in bivouac, or massed, and whether forming for attack or for defense, they are ordinarily first formed into a line of columns to facilitate the extension of the front prior to deploying.