ATTACK AND DEFENCE OF A POSITION. 
119 
is to prevent the troops behind from being delayed by insignificant 
bodies of the enemy. Sooner or later, however, the actual position 
occupied by the enemy will be approached and the advance of the 
cavalry will be entirely stopped by meeting with hostile posts too 
strong to be dislodged without the aid of infantry. 
When this occurs, the approach of the advanced guards of all arms 
must be waited for. 
Should the cavalry of the advancing army be defeated in the pre¬ 
liminary actions, the movements of the army will be much retarded, 
as the reconnaissance of the country will have to be effected by the 
infantry of the advanced guards. Eventually, however, as in the for¬ 
mer case, the advanced guards will come in contact with the outposts 
of the enemy in position. 
When the enemy has been discovered it will next be necessary to 
reconnoitre his position in order to enable the General to decide 
whether he will attack, and, if so, in what manner. Under certain 
circumstances, it may be possible for the cavalry and horse artillery 
to obtain sufficient information, but this is not probable unless the 
enemy is exceedingly unwary and allows himself to be needlessly 
tempted into showing his hand. In ordinary cases it will fall to the 
lot of the advanced guards to obtain the needful information. For 
this purpose an attack pushed more or less home will have to be made. 
This attack by the advanced guards will be especially directed towards 
the flanks of the enemy's position, in order to discover where they lie 
and the chance of successfully turning them, for the frontal strength 
of positions is so great with the present weapons, that there is nowa¬ 
days a great tendency to try and turn one or both flanks, in order to 
avoid, as far as may be, the loss incident upon attacks in front. The 
artillery of the advanced guards reinforced, it may be, from the bodies 
of troops behind, will play a principal part in this preparatory action, 
as its long range fits it for carrying on a demonstrative and delaying 
action, but it may be necessary to push on an infantry attack if the 
artillery fire alone does not suffice to make the enemy show his 
dispositions. 
Whilst this reconnaissance by the advanced guards is proceeding, 
the General will make up his mind as to whether he will attack, and, 
if so, on what portions of the enemy's position the chief efforts shall 
be directed. As soon as he has determined on the general disposi¬ 
tions to be made, the mass of the artillery will be brought forward 
into action. 
It may be taken as an axiom under modern conditions of fighting, 
that no attack will succeed until the fire of the defender's artillery 
has been considerably weakened, if not absolutely silenced, and the 
points on which the serious attacks are to be made have been well 
searched by artillery fire to destroy material defences and obstacles, 
render localities untenable, and shake the defending troops. To do 
this effectually will require a considerable time. A considerable time 
will also be required for the army to deploy from its order of march 
nto order of battle. It is desirable that these two processes should 
