DENSE FIRING LINES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2243, 1 September 1914, Page 6

DENSE FIRING LINES

. GERMAN COLONEL'S x VIEWS SUCCESS IN THE ASSAULT "The Germans advanced in close order" is a phrase wliich has occurred frequently in cabled accounts, of the fighting in Belgium and ; Alsace. One'of the most-disputed questions in. infantry tactics is the comparative density ■ which the attacking lino ought to possess. Thin lines were used in the South African war, and also in the Russo-Japanese war. .Much of the most expert German 'opinion is, however, in favour of denser lines. The passages which follow are from the text-book on Tactics, by Colonel Balck, of the German army (translated by Lieut. Walter Krouger, TJ.S. army), Preserving Cohesion. Cohesion and order are best maintained, and the least time is lost in action, if efficient, dense firing lines are led forward as units up to tho moment of opening fire. 1 But oil open terrain 6iich denso firing lines would begin to suffer too great a loss at Tanges at which they could not reply to the fire. Nothing remains, then, but to cover the available front with a very thin firing line, followed at irregular distances by thin skirmish lines which ploy for the purpose of utilising cover or for opening fire. Skirmish lines of this description will hardly justify the opponent's expenditure of ammunition, as he-can only cover broad spaces with volley fire. On the other 'hand, these skirmish lines are in themselves too weak to facilitate the approach. of the following echelons by their fire. Besides ( it must not be overlooked that the soldier, separated by a considerable interval from his'oonirades in line during the advaico, and withdrawn from' the influence of his officers, succumbs more easily to temporary spells of weakness and is more apt to remain behind than the skirmisher in a dense firing line. The advanco in several successive, thin skirmish lines is thereforo.only an expedient. In each' case tho leaders will havo.to decide whether, in view of the close proximity'of the enemy, a united advance with dense, powerful skirmish lines is possiblo or advisable (.for instance, when entering at once upon the decisivo Btago of tho action). Beforo opening' fire the firing lines must be sufficiently reinforced. , __ This advance in thin skirmish lines stood the test both in the Boer war and in the Russo-Japanese war, but we must not forget that thin skirmish lines are only manoeuvre formations in an attack that is to be pushed home and that the mistake made by the British of attempting to make an attack with such -weak skirmish linos should not be ' imitated. Tho Japanese also used this 1 formation after they had once opened ' firo with a denso skirmish line. Thin ■ nnd denso. skirmish lines, when under firo, loso an f-qual number of men in ■ proportion to their strength, provided ' tho front occupied by thorn is the same.