Elements of Trench Warfare

by William H. Waldron

Trench Soldiers' Creed

To be of the greatest effectiveness in the trench every soldier, personally and collectively, must be able to adopt the following creed and live up to it:

1. We are here for two purposes, to do as much damage as possible to the enemy and to hold our section of the line against all attacks. We are doing everything in our power to accomplish these missions. We realize that every man of the enemy confronting us that is now placed hors de combat will be there ready to shoot us down when the assault takes place. We realize also that if the enemy makes a lodgment on our section of the line that it endangers others and a costly counter attack may be necessary. We will hold on.

2. With the means at hand and those we are able to devise we will make the enemy's stay in his trenches as uncomfortable and disagreeable as possible. All of our utilities are being utilized to the fullest extent and our various detachments are organized and their tactical operations are conducted with this object in view.

3. We have done everything possible to strengthen our line.

4. If, despite all the precautions we can take and the hardest fight we are able to make, the enemy succeeds in effecting a lodgment on our section of the line, we will meet him with the bayonet and fight to the last drop of our blood.

5. We are all familiar with the tactical dispositions in our section of the line. Those of us on the flanks connect up with the platoons to our right and left. We know the route to company and battalion headquarters and know where the nearest support is located. We know the position of our machine guns and the sector they cover. We are in constant communication with the observing posts that cover our front, and our observing posts covering the other platoons are in constant communication with them.

6. We know the firing position assigned to us and are familiar with the use to be made of the accessories furnished us. We can fire over the parapet at the foot of our wire entanglements to repel night attack.

7. We will at all times be careful about needlessly exposing ourselves. We appreciate the fact that it is absolutely stupid to get killed or wounded in the trench through negligence. By so doing one has served no purpose and a soldier cannot be replaced. Our leaders have warned us of the especially dangerous places. We know where they are and avoid them except when our presence there is necessary as a matter of duty.

8. The sections of the enemy's line that we are to cover with our fire have all been pointed out and each of us is familiar with same. We have located the enemy's loopholes and are doing our best to keep them under fire.