FIELD FORTIFICATION. 
63 
food, ammunition, and other absolutely necessary supplies, and there is 
little transport for even the most necessary tools. An attempt is made to 
get over this difficuty to some extent by providing a portable intrench¬ 
ing tool as part of a man’s equipment, but it must be borne in mind 
that these small portable tools, though they are of much value 
in executing the simpler kinds of hasty intrenchment (particularly 
because they should always be available for immediate use when re¬ 
required) yet they are from their size not well adapted for heavier 
work : i.e, it is much more difficult for the soldier to get out an 
ordinary task with his portable tool than with a full sized one. 
The difficulty about obtaining “ suitable materials ” in sufficient 
quantities is generally met by reverting to "earth,” which is for¬ 
tunately the material best adapted to resist the projectiles of modern 
weapons, and is, moreover, available in most places. Where other 
existing forms of cover are not available or require improving, it is 
therefore usual to resort to earthwork. 
Many of the “types” of works given in the text-books show timber 
aud brushwood used in considerable quantities, but much extra labour 
and many additional tools are required for the preparation of these 
materials: thus, for example, three men are occupied for between two 
and three hours in making one gabion (not including the labour of 
cutting the brushwood), which then occupies two feet lineal of para¬ 
pet, or less than half of the front of an ordinary task. And this brings 
us to the question of the dimensions of works. It is often found 
difficult to remember the dimensions of good types of works : but 
there are only a very few figures that really need be learnt, and the 
general design can be worked out from them. Experience teaches us 
that an average man fires most conveniently over a height of 4 feet 
6 inches standing, 3 feet kneeling, and 1 foot 3 inches lying down : it 
is better to be a little over rather than under the mark, as the task is 
not always fully completed, soft newly turned earth settles down, and, 
moreover, if the soldier finds his cover a little too high, he can easily 
scrape it down for himself in the form of a groove. 
Then, again, we find that an average soldier cannot excavate more 
than about 100 cubic feet of earth at one time, however long he is at 
work, and that with moderate soil and full-sized tools he can get this 
quantity out in about 4 hours actual work, provided he has not to go 
to a greater depth than about 4 feet, or throw the excavated earth 
more than about 9 feet from him. 
As regards arranging men, it is found that they cannot work con¬ 
veniently and safely with full-sized tools at smaller intervals than 5 
feet: they are sometimes placed 4 feet apart, but this is not desirable. 
A man can more easily get out a solid cube than he can a task involv¬ 
ing steps or slopes; these involve extra labour, and either a smaller task 
or a little more time must be allowed Men should be instructed to work 
from front to rear of their task, and not across them, as this involves a 
risk of iujuring their neighbours with their tools : this is specially 
important in night work. It is too often assumed that a man having 
a full task to do will be provided with a pick and a shovel : but tools 
must not be expected to be always available in such quantities, and in 
