130 ATTACK AND DEFENCE OF A POSITION. 
tentions have developed themselves, the position will only be occupied 
in skeleton, a few troops being placed only in certain important 
points, and the remainder kept in hand until wanted. When, how¬ 
ever, it becomes evident that the enemy is going to attack any part 
of the line, the troops in each section threatened should be arranged 
in two lines and a reserve. With small forces, when the extent of a 
section is small, the second line and reserve may be merged in one, 
but in an extensive position each section should have its reserves 
independent of the main reserve. 
The first line will consist of a line of men under natural or arti¬ 
ficial cover, as close together as they can be, with freedom to use 
their arms, i.e., about one man per yard, and of supports to make 
good casualties. It will usually be sufficient if these supports are half 
the strength of the firing line. The second line will consist of bodies 
kept together under cover in such positions as to enable them to aid 
in the defence of important points at critical moments by counter 
attacks, or to repair the mischief if the enemy has succeeded in 
breaking through the first line at any point. 
It will not usually be necessary to occupy the whole front of a posi¬ 
tion in equal strength ; there will usually be strong points on which 
the enemy will be sure to direct his attacks, and while these must be 
strongly occupied, the ground between them need only be watched 
by small bodies of troops further back. This task will usually be ful¬ 
filled by troops of the second line. 
Should there, unfortunately, be in the position a weak point, such 
as a wood stretching from the position on to the enemy's ground, 
there will be nothing for it but for the General to place in it his best 
troops with instructions to die there if need be, but, at all hazards, 
to keep the enemy from penetrating through it further than a certain 
point, where if a belt can be cut down, so much the better. 
We then have arrived at this. The Commander-in-Chief will retain 
what main reserves he thinks fit, and will entrust the defence of the 
positions in sections to the remainder. Of these latter, a force suffi¬ 
cient to give from one and a half to two men per yard of the front 
actually, to be occupied will be placed in first line, and the rest 
divided between second line and reserve according to the discretion of 
the commanders of the section. It will often be desirable to push 
forward a certain number of men as skirmishers from parts of the 
position where masses of artillery are placed, in order to keep the 
enemy’s tirailleurs from annoying the batteries, and also towards the 
positions where the hostile batteries are likely to be deployed to keep 
them at a distance, but these skirmishers should clear the front as 
soon as the serious infantry attack it developed so as not to mask the 
fire of the main line. 
The cavalry will probably be employed in watching the flanks, and 
seeking opportunities of molesting the enemy's march, or else will be 
kept in reserve in rear of the whole. 
It is not within the scope of this paper to discuss the question of 
