Manual for Noncommissioned Officers and Privates of Cavalry of the Army / of the United States 1917. To be also used by Engineer Companies (Mounted) for Cavalry Instruction and Training

by United States. War Department

The following has particular reference to the duties of platoon and section leaders and to the teamwork of the platoon in combat:

Attacking troops must first gain fire superiority in order to reach the hostile position. By gaining fire superiority is meant making one's fire superior to that of the enemy in volume and accuracy, and it depends upon the number of rifles employed, the rate of fire, the character of the target, training and discipline, and fire direction and control. When the fire of the attackers becomes effective and superior to that of the defenders the latter are no longer able to effectively and coolly aim and fire at the former, and, as a consequence, the attackers are able to inaugurate a successful rush or advance which carries them nearer to the enemy's position.

When a trained organization has been committed to the attack, the gaining of fire superiority depends upon the way in which fire direction and fire control are exercised.

The captain directs the fire of the troop. He indicates to the platoon commanders the target (enemy) which the troop is to fire and advance upon, and tells each upon which part of this target he is to direct the fire of his platoon. When he desires the fire to be opened, he gives the necessary commands or signals, including the range at which the sights are to be set.

When the fire fight has once started, it becomes to a great extent a fight of a number of platoons. The platoon is the largest organization which can be controlled by a single leader in action. The platoon commander (lieutenant or sergeant) controls its fire in order to gain the maximum fire effect and to avoid wasting ammunition. He must try his best to make the fire of his platoon effective, to get it forward, and to support neighboring platoons in their effort to advance. At the same time he must hold himself subject to his captain's directions. He should take advantage of every chance to carry his platoon forward unless otherwise ordered. In all this he is assisted by his section chiefs (sergeants) and by his corporals.

At the commencement of an engagement the platoon commander will give the objective (part of the enemy's line or aiming target) at which his platoon is to direct its fire. Noncommissioned officers must be sure that they see and understand the objective, and that all the men in their squads do likewise. Fire is then directed at this objective without further command until the platoon commander gives a new objective.

Men should be instructed to aim at that part of the target assigned to their platoon which corresponds with their own position in their own platoon, so that there will be no portion of the target which is not covered by fire. A portion of the enemy's line not covered by fire means that that portion is able to coolly aim and fire at their opponents.

In an engagement the voice can seldom be heard over a few feet, and the platoon commander will generally have to convey his orders by signals. A sergeant may be able to shout orders to his section, and orders may be repeated along a skirmish line by shouting. Care should be taken that orders intended for one platoon only are not thus conveyed to another platoon.

A short blast on the whistle, given by the platoon commander, means "Attention to Orders." All noncommissioned officers at once suspend firing and glance toward the platoon commander to see if the latter has any signals or orders for them. If not, they resume firing. A long blast on the whistle means "Suspend Firing." When a noncommissioned officer hears this signal from his platoon commander, he should at once shout "Suspend Firing." Upon receiving a signal, the noncommissioned officer for whom it is intended should at once repeat it back, to be sure that it is correctly understood.

As a rule, rushes should be started by a unit on one flank and should be followed in succession by the other units to the opposite flank. Each succeeding unit should halt on the line established by the unit which first rushed. When a unit is about to rush, leaders in charge of adjacent units should caution their men to be careful not to fire into the rushing unit as it bounds forward.