364 
NOTES ON APPLIED FIELD FORTIFICATION. 
Localities i: 
Line. 
Woods 
stretching 
towards 
enemy. 
have been already provided, the two Brigades of a Division will pro¬ 
bably be placed alongside of one another, and one or two battalions of 
each Brigade retained as Divisional reserve. On an exposed flank one 
Brigade may be in rear of the other. The Brigadiers will then indicate 
to the Battalion Commanders the ground to be occupied by their 
battalions, and the Divisional Generals and Brigadiers will then super¬ 
intend the actual posting of the troops, and give directions for the work 
to be done in preparing the position for defence. 
Questions Coming Before Generals of Division and Brigadiers in 
Posting the Troops. 
The broad situation for the fighting line having been selected by the 
Commander-in-Chief in the manner previously discussed, it will be 
arranged in detail, either in the open or along fences, or partly in the 
open and partly along fences in such a way that everywhere the best 
attainable view may be had over the ground in front, and the best 
cover possible may be obtained for the men consistently with this view. 
The selection of the actual line in detail will, as a rule, be the work of 
the Battalion and Company Commanders of the Battalions in first line, 
and the points that will principally come before the Divisional Generals 
and Brigadiers for consideration are cases where localities, such as 
woods, villages, farms, &c., are so situated as to break the continuity of 
what would be, generally speaking, the best line or where such localities 
lie a short distance in front of the general position of the line. In 
such cases it will be necessary for the Divisional Generals or Brigadiers 
to decide how the localities breaking the line are to be treated, and 
whether those lying outside it are to be held or not. 
The question will not be very difficult when it concerns a group of 
buildings, village or coppice of no very great extent which breaks the 
line, for almost always it will be desirable, if not necessary, to hold 
them, and they will often form strong points from which adjacent parts 
of the line may be flanked. 
But the case is more difficult when we come across a wood stretching 
through the defensive line for a considerable distance towards the 
enemy, as is often the case with hanging woods on a hill side. Examples 
are found in the Niederwald at Woerth, in the woods on the Spicheren 
heights, and in the woods which are often found clothing the slopes of 
chalk downs in England. Cases of this nature present some of the 
most difficult problems that the defence of a position offers. If there 
are very extensive woods stretching from the defensive position right 
across to where the assailants will deploy, it would be better if possible 
to avoid the position altogether, but if that cannot be done every effort 
must be made to cut a belt through the wood behind which the defen¬ 
sive line can be placed, selecting for its position the situation where 
the least labour will be required, taking advantage of open spaces, 
thinner growth, &c. 
If, on the other hand, the woods stop before reaching the enemy's 
deploying position, like the Spicheren woods and the Niederwald at 
Woerth, then the question will come up for solution whether the edge 
is to be held or not. The disadvantages of holding it are those already 
mentioned as inherent in positions at the foot of heights and those of 
pronounced salients; but, on the other hand, if it is not held oppor- 
