MANUAL FOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS. 199 



An attacking line suffers less from casualties at short ranges 

 than it does at mid range. 



Every advantage should be taken to utilize the cover avail- 

 able: The best kind of cover is that which, while it masks the 

 skirmishers from the sight and fire of the enemy, affords favor- 

 able conditions for firing and for readily advancing. In order 

 to allow men to regain their wind, or should the fire of the 

 enemy be so effective as to prevent a further advance without 

 reinforcement, advantage may be taken to lie close in cover, or 

 hasty fire trenches may be thrown up in order to allow the line 

 to maintain its position. " To go back under fire is to die." 



When a platoon is firing, all noncommissioned officers watch 

 every opportunity to make the fire more effective. The section 

 chiefs and corporals should constantly watch the men to see 

 that they do not become excited, fire too hastily or without 

 aim, that their sights are set at the corre<:t range, that they 

 are obviously firing at the designated target, and that they 

 assume steady firing positions and take advantage of cover. 

 In performing these duties it may be necessary for the section 

 chiefs to be constantly crawling along the line. A substitute 

 chief assists the chief of his section by supervising the fire of 

 the men near him, firing when not actively engaged in that 

 duty. 



Bayonets are fixed preparatory to a charge when armed with 

 that weapon. This command is usually given by the bugle. 

 Only tw^o or three men in each section should fix their bayonets 

 at the same time, in order that there may be no marked pause 

 or diminution in the fire at this critical stage of the engage- 

 ment. 



In order to be effective in combat, the platoon must be thor- 

 oughly trained to work as a team. Each noncommissioned offi- 

 cer must be conversant with the signals and commands and 

 the proper methods for instantly putting into effect the orders 

 of his platoon commander. Each private must be trained until 

 he instinctively does the right thing in each phase of the action. 



Section 3. Patrolling. 



The designation of a patrol indicates the nature of the duty 

 for which it is detailed, as, for example, visiting, reconnoitering, 

 exploring, flunking, combat, harassing, pursuing, etc. An In- 



