The artillery bombardment is necessary to prepare the way for the
          infantry advance.  It has for its objects: 
   (1) To destroy the hostile artillery, wire entanglements and
       infantry trenches.
   (2) To produce curtains of fire and prevent bringing up
       reenforcements.

Light guns are assigned to EACH BATTALION OF INFANTRY, subject only to orders of regimental and battalion commanders concerned.

Save under exceptional circumstances the light gun is always attached to the Machine Gun Company for the attack.

The essential role of the light gun is to destroy with direct fire the visible machine guns; they are employed separately and not grouped.

The infantry is divided into two classes:  Holding troops—­and attacking or shock troops.  Holding troops are those doing routine or trench duty; shock troops are picked organizations of young and vigorous men and are kept in camps well behind the battle front.  Holding troops are two weeks in and two weeks out of the trenches.

All specialist groups, i.e., Machine Gun Companies, etc., are officered, allowing company and battalion commanders to concentrate them, if the situation requires.

They play the normal part in combat if they do not receive special instructions.

Attack of a Defensive Position.

Unity of command in depth must be preserved everywhere, unless there is an imperative reason for doing otherwise.

The front of each regiment should be divided between two or three battalions.

Each battalion commander having to look after a front of from 500 to 600 yards, can exercise efficient control of his command.

In preparing for an assault, seniors must take steps to organize it and make all necessary preparations themselves, and not leave all the responsibility with the juniors.

In the assault each unit must know its special task beforehand, and it should be rehearsed in rear of the line of trenches.  Each commander must know the exact time he is to start and must start on time.

The first waves of men are placed at 4 or 5 pace interval.  Chief of section can command only a front of 80 to 100 paces and it is necessary to form the section in two (2) waves.  The first containing the grenadiers and automatic riflemen, the latter in the center.  The second wave contains the riflemen and rifle grenadiers, the latter in the center.

If the terrain is cut up by woods, villages, etc., the proportion of grenadiers may be increased by taking them from the sections in support and the automatic riflemen sent back to the second wave.

If the distance to cross exceeds 300 or 400 yards, the number of automatic riflemen should be increased.

Two or three sections are usually placed abreast on the company front, which thus covers two to three hundred yards.