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Manual of Military Training
Manual of Military Training
(SECOND, REVISED EDITION) BY COLONEL JAMES A. MOSS UNITED STATES ARMY (Officially adopted by ONE HUNDRED AND FIVE [105] of our military schools and colleges.) Intended, primarily, for use in connection with the instruction and training of Cadets in our military schools and colleges and of COMPANY officers of the National Army, National Guard, and Officers' Reserve Corps; and secondarily, as a guide for COMPANY officers of the Regular Army, the aim being to make efficient fighting COMPANIES and t
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NOTE
NOTE
In order to learn thoroughly the contents of this manual it is suggested that you use in connection with your study of the book the pamphlet, "QUESTIONS ON MANUAL OF MILITARY TRAINING," which, by means of questions, brings out and emphasizes every point mentioned in the manual. "QUESTIONS ON MANUAL OF MILITARY TRAINING" is especially useful to students of schools and colleges using the manual, as it enables them, as nothing else will, to prepare for recitations and examinations. The pamphlet can
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PREFATORY
PREFATORY
Not only does this manual cover all the subjects prescribed by War Department orders for the Junior Division, and the Basic Course, Senior Division, of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps, but it also contains considerable additional material which broadens its scope, rounding it out and making it answer the purpose of a general, all-around book, complete in itself, for training and instruction in the fundamentals of the art of war. The Company is the basic fighting tactical unit —it is the fou
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The author wishes to acknowledge the assistance received in the revision of this Manual in the form of suggestions from a large number of officers on duty at our military schools and colleges, suggestions that enabled him not only to improve the Manual in subject-matter as well as in arrangement, but that have also enabled him to give our military schools and colleges a textbook which, in a way, may be said to represent the consensus of opinion of our Professors of Military Science and Tactics a
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Object
Object
2 . The object of all military training is to win battles. Everything that you do in military training is done with some immediate object in view, which, in turn, has in view the final object of winning battles. For example: 3 . Setting-up exercises. The object of the setting-up exercises, as the name indicates, is to give the new men the set-up ,—the bearing and carriage,—of the military man. In addition these exercises serve to loosen up his muscles and prepare them for his later experiences a
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Advantages of Military Training
Advantages of Military Training
The following are the principal advantages of military training: 14 . Handiness. The average man does one thing well. He is more or less apt to be clumsy about doing other things. The soldier is constantly called upon to do all sorts of things, and he has to do all of them well. His hands thus become trained and useful to him, and his mind gets into the habit of making his hands do what is required of them,—that is to say, the soldier becomes handy. Handy arms are a valuable asset. 15 . Self-con
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The Trained Soldier
The Trained Soldier
23 . Look at the trained soldier on the following page; study him carefully from top to bottom, and see what military training does for a man. DRILLS, EXERCISES, CEREMONIES AND INSPECTIONS...
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
INFANTRY DRILL REGULATIONS (To include Changes No. 20, Aug. 18, 1917.) DEFINITIONS (The numbers following the paragraphs are those of the Drill Regulations, and references in the text to certain paragraph numbers refer to these numbers and not to the numbers preceding the paragraphs.) ( Note. —Company drills naturally become monotonous. The monotony, however, can be greatly reduced by repeating the drills under varying circumstances. In the manual of arms, for instance, the company may be brough
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
MANUAL OF THE BAYONET (The numbers following the paragraphs are those of the Manual of the Bayonet, U. S. Army.) 711 . The infantry soldier relies mainly on fire action to disable the enemy, but he should know that personal combat is often necessary to obtain success. Therefore, he must be instructed in the use of the rifle and bayonet in hand-to-hand encounters. (1) 712 . The object of this instruction is to teach the soldier how to make effective use of the rifle and bayonet in personal combat
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CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
MANUAL OF PHYSICAL TRAINING ( Extracts ) 825 . In the employment of the various forms of physical training it is necessary that well-defined methods should be introduced in order that the object of this training may be attained in the most thorough and systematic manner. Whenever it is possible this work should be conducted out of doors. In planning these methods the following factors must be considered: The question of the physical aptitude and general condition , etc., of the men is a very imp
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CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
SIGNALING Signals and Codes 861 . Used for all visual and sound signaling, radiotelegraphy, and on cables using siphon recorders, used in communicating with Navy. THE MORE IMPORTANT CONVENTIONAL FLAG SIGNALS For communication between the firing line and the reserve or commander in rear. In transmission, their concealment from the enemy's view should be insured. In the absence of signal flags the headdress or other substitute may be used. (See par. 96 for the signals.) 862 . 1. There is one pos
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
THE GOVERNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF A COMPANY 867 . The proper performance of the duty of COMPANY COMMANDER, like the proper performance of any other duty, requires work and attention to business. The command of a company divides itself into two kinds of duty: government and administration. The government includes the instruction, discipline, contentment, and harmony of the organization, involving, as it does, esprit de corps, rewards, privileges, and punishments. The administration includes th
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
DISCIPLINE 910 . Definition. Discipline is not merely preservation of order, faithful performance of duty, and prevention of offenses—in other words, discipline is not merely compliance with a set of rules and regulations drawn up for the purpose of preserving order in an organization. This is only one phase of discipline. In its deeper and more important sense discipline may be defined as the habit of instantaneous and instinctive obedience under any and all circumstances—it is the habit whereb
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COMPANY TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION [10] 917 . Object of Training and Instruction. The object of training and instructing a company is to thoroughly knit together its different parts, its various elements (individuals, squads and platoons), into a complete, homogeneous mass, a cohesive unit, that will under any and all conditions and circumstances respond to the will of the captain—a cohesive unit that knows how to march, that knows how to live properly in camp, that knows how
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
GENERAL COMMON SENSE PRINCIPLES OF APPLIED MINOR TACTICS [11] 942 . To begin with, you want to bear in mind that there is nothing difficult, complicated or mysterious about applied minor tactics—it is just simply the application of plain, every-day, common horse sense—the whole thing consists in familiarizing yourself with certain general principles based on common sense and then applying them with common sense. Whatever you do, don't make the mistake of following blindly rules that you have rea
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CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
GENERAL PLAN OF INSTRUCTION IN MAP PROBLEMS FOR NONCOMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND PRIVATES—INSTRUCTION IN DELIVERING MESSAGES (The large wall map to be used for this instruction can be obtained from the George Banta Publishing Co., Menasha, Wis., at a cost of $1.50.) 954 . The noncommissioned officers and the privates of the squad, section, platoon or company are seated in front of the instructor, who, with pointer in hand, is standing near the map on the wall. The instructor assumes certain situatio
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CHAPTER IV
CHAPTER IV
THE SERVICE OF INFORMATION (Based on the Field Service Regulations.) 959 . Patrols are small bodies of infantry or cavalry, from two men up to a company or troop, sent out from a command at any time to gain information of the enemy and of the country, to drive off small hostile bodies, to prevent them from observing the command or for other stated objects, such as to blow up a bridge, destroy a railroad track, communicate or keep in touch with friendly troops, etc. Patrols are named according to
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CHAPTER V
CHAPTER V
THE SERVICE OF SECURITY (Based on the Field Service Regulations.) 1020 . The Service of Security embraces all those measures taken by a military force to protect itself against surprise, annoyance or observation by the enemy. On the march, that portion of a command thrown out to provide this security is called an advance, flank or rear guard, depending on whether it is in front, to the flank or in rear of the main command; in camp or bivouac, it is called the outpost. The principal duties of the
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CHAPTER VI
CHAPTER VI
THE COMPANY ON OUTPOST (Establishing the Outpost) 1080 . We will now apply some of the general principles of outposts (see Par. 1051 ) to a company taking up its position on the line of outposts. Let us suppose that our battalion has been detailed for outpost duty. In order to understand more fully the duties and functions of the company commander, we will first consider what the major does. To begin with, he and the battalion will have been detailed for outpost duty before the march was complet
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CHAPTER VII
CHAPTER VII
THE COMPANY IN SCOUTING [13] AND PATROLLING 1081 . The general principles of patrolling are explained in Par. 959 ; so we need not repeat them here. Many of the principles of scouting are, in reality, nothing but the fundamentals of patrolling, and the main function of scouting, reconnoitering , is also the function of a certain class of patrols. So, we see that scouting and patrolling are inseparably connected, and the importance of training the members of the company in the principles of scout
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CHAPTER VIII
CHAPTER VIII
NIGHT OPERATIONS 1091 . Importance. Because of the long range and great accuracy of modern fire arms, there has been in recent years a marked increase in the practice of night operations, such operations being of common occurrence not only for massing troops under cover of darkness in favorable positions for further action, but also for actually assaulting positions. Read carefully pars. 464 , 496 , 498 , 523 , 524 , 580 –590. 1092 . Night movements are amongst the most difficult operations of w
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CHAPTER IX
CHAPTER IX
FIELD ENGINEERING 1109 . The following, from the Engineer Field Manual , together with the elements of field engineering covered in Chapter XI , on Obstacles , will give the company officer a good, working knowledge of those parts of field engineering for which he is most likely to have need. 1111 . Dimensions and guard rail. A roadway 9 ft. wide in the clear should be provided to pass infantry in fours, cavalry two abreast, and military wagons in one direction; a width of 6 ft. will suffice for
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CHAPTER X
CHAPTER X
FIELD FORTIFICATIONS 1140 . Object. The object of field fortifications is two-fold. 1. To increase the fighting power of troops by enabling the soldier to use his weapons with the greatest possible effect. 2. To protect the soldier against the enemy's fire. 1141 . How these objects are accomplished. These objects are accomplished: 1. By means of shelters—trenches, redoubts, splinterproofs, etc., which protect the soldier from the enemy's fire. 2. By means of obstacles—wire entanglements, abatis,
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CHAPTER XI
CHAPTER XI
OBSTACLES 1173 . Object. The main objects in placing obstacles in front of the trenches are, to protect them from surprise, and to stop the enemy's advance or to delay him while under the defender's fire. 1174 . Necessity for obstacles. It is evident that the present tendency is to reduce the number of men assigned to constant occupancy of the first line trenches. This is due to the effectiveness of rifle fire at close range, the destructive effect of shell and shrapnel, the infrequency of dayli
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CHAPTER XII
CHAPTER XII
TRENCH AND MINE WARFARE [14] 1194 . Asphyxiating gases. The asphyxiating gases employed may be divided into three general classes, viz: Suffocating gases , the most common of which are carbonic and nitrogen. Poisonous gases , under which head come carbon monoxide and cyanogen. Gases which affect the throat and bronchial tubes , such as chlorine and bromine. The latter class is most commonly employed. The methods usually employed for liberating these gases are to have a plant some distance in rea
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CHAPTER XIII
CHAPTER XIII
MARCHES (Based on Infantry Drill Regulations and Field Service Regulations) 1212 . Marching principal occupation of troops in campaign. Marching constitutes the principal occupation of troops in campaign and is one of the causes of heaviest loss. This loss, however, may be materially reduced by proper training and by carrying out strictly the rules regulating the conduct of marches, especially the rules of march discipline. 1213 . Physical training; hardening new troops. By systematic and progre
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CHAPTER XIV
CHAPTER XIV
CAMPS 1230 . Principles governing selection of camp sites. The following basic principles govern in the selection of camp sites: (a) The water supply should be sufficient, pure, and accessible. (b) The ground should accommodate the command with as little crowding as possible, be easily drained, and have no stagnant water within 300 yards. (c) There should be good roads to the camp and good interior communication. (d) Camp sites should be so selected that troops of one unit need not pass through
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CHAPTER XV
CHAPTER XV
CAMP SANITATION 1241 . Definition. By "Camp Sanitation" is meant the adoption of measures to keep the camp in a healthy condition. These measures comprise: (a) The disposal, so as to render them harmless and prevent pollution, of all wastes, refuse and excreta from men and animals in suitable places provided therefor; (b) The care exercised in handling, preparing and serving food; (c) The adequacy of shelter for the men; (d) The maintenance of proper drainage; (e) The supply of water for bathing
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CHAPTER XVI
CHAPTER XVI
INDIVIDUAL COOKING 1256 . Importance of individual cooking. It often happens in campaign that it is impossible to have the field ranges and cooking utensils accompany the troops, and in such case each man must cook his own food in his mess kit. Also, it frequently happens that detachments operating away from their companies must do individual cooking. All food we eat should be properly cooked, if not, stomach or intestinal trouble will result. Hence, the importance of every soldier learning how
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CHAPTER XVII
CHAPTER XVII
CARE AND PRESERVATION OF CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT 1276 . General. A soldier's clothing and equipment are issued to him by his government for certain purposes, and he has, therefore, no right to be in any way careless or neglectful of them. The importance that the Government attaches to the proper care and preservation of the soldier's clothing and equipment, is shown by the fact that the matter is made the subject of one of the Articles of War, the 84th, which prescribes that any soldier who, thro
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CHAPTER XVIII
CHAPTER XVIII
CARE AND DESCRIPTION OF THE RIFLE 1321 . Importance. The care of his rifle should be the soldier's first thought; for, if he would have it take care of him in time of danger, he must take care of it at all times. It is a generally recognized fact that more rifles become inaccurate and unserviceable by the lack of care than by firing. The instructions for taking care of the rifle are few and simple. Learn them well and apply them constantly —it only requires a little care and patience. You will b
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RIFLE TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION
RIFLE TRAINING AND INSTRUCTION
(Based on Small-Arms Firing Manual) 1344 . Object of system of instruction. The object of the system of rifle training and instruction employed in our Army is two-fold: 1345 . To make of INDIVIDUALS shots who in battle will make hits instead of misses. This is accomplished by INDIVIDUAL training and instruction whereby the skill of the soldier as a rifleman is so developed as to be up to the capabilities of his rifle, which is probably the best and most accurate rifle in the world,—that is to sa
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
CARE OF THE HEALTH 1451 . Importance of good health. Good health is just as necessary to an army as rifles and ammunition. Not only does every sick man take away one rifle from the firing line, but in addition he becomes a care and a burden on the hands of the army. Indeed, it is fully as important for a soldier to take care of his health as it is for him to take care of his rifle and ammunition. The importance of doing everything possible to look after one's health is shown by the fact that in
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
PERSONAL HYGIENE 1470 . The knowledge of taking care of the body is called Personal Hygiene , the principal rules of which are as follows: Sanitation is the practice of the laws of Hygiene. 1471 . RULE 1. Keep the Skin clean. A dirty body invites sickness. Small troubles such as chafing, sore feet, saddle boils, sore eyes, felons, whitlows, earache, toothache, carbuncles, fleas, lice and ringworms, are all caused by lack of cleanliness, and they put men on sick report. Owing to excessive perspir
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CHAPTER III
CHAPTER III
FIRST AID TO THE SICK AND INJURED 1478 . Object of teaching first aid. The object of teaching first aid, or early assistance of the injured or sick, is not only to enable one person to help another, but also in some measure to help himself, until a surgeon or other thoroughly trained person can be seen. It is a mistake to think you must know many things to be helpful, it is only necessary to know a few simple things, but you must understand them clearly and be able to do them well . 1479 . Asphy
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
MILITARY DEPORTMENT AND APPEARANCE—PERSONAL CLEANLINESS—FORMS OF SPEECH—DELIVERY OF MESSAGES, ETC. 1523 . Military Deportment and Appearance. The enlisted man is no longer a civilian but a soldier. He is, however, still a citizen of the United States and by becoming a soldier also he is in no way relieved of the responsibilities of a citizen; he has merely assumed in addition thereto the responsibilities of a soldier. For instance, if he should visit an adjoining town and become drunk and disord
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
MILITARY COURTESY 1532 . Its importance. Some soldiers do not see the necessity for saluting, standing at attention, and other forms of courtesy, because they do not understand their significance—their object. It is a well-known fact that military courtesy is a very important part of the education of the soldier, and there are good reasons for it. General Orders No. 183, Division of the Philippines, 1901, says: "In all armies the manner in which military courtesies are observed and rendered by o
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GUARD DUTY
GUARD DUTY
(To include Changes No. 1, February 24, 1915.) (The numbers following the paragraphs are those of the Manual of Interior Guard Duty .) 1576 . Importance. Guard duty is one of the soldier's most important duties, and in all armies of the world the manner in which it is performed is an index to the discipline of the command and the manner in which other duties are performed. Upon the guard's vigilance and readiness for action depend not only the enforcement of military law and orders, but also the
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Composition of Infantry Units
Composition of Infantry Units
Transportation, orderlies, etc. To Hdqrs. Co., 27 riding horses; to Machine Gun Co., 6 riding horses and 8 pack mules; to Supply Co., 3 riding horses; to each Battalion Hdqrs., 6 riding horses, 1 wagon, 4 draft mules, and 2 mounted orderlies; to Regtl. Hdqrs., 5 riding horses....
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Composition of Cavalry Units
Composition of Cavalry Units
Transportation, orderlies, etc. To each Squadron Hdqrs., 6 or 7 riding horses and 2 orderlies; to each squadron; 292 riding horses, 1 wagon and 4 draft mules....
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Composition of Field Artillery Units
Composition of Field Artillery Units
Transportation, orderlies, etc. To Battery Hdqrs., 8 riding horses; to each Battery, 24 riding horses, 88 draft horses, 1 Battery wagon, 1 Store wagon, 8 Caissons and 4 Guns. MAP READING AND MILITARY SKETCHING...
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CHAPTER I
CHAPTER I
MAP READING 1859 . Definition of map. A map is a representation on paper of a certain portion of the earth's surface. A military map is one that shows the things which are of military importance, such as roads, streams, bridges, houses, depressions, and hills. 1860 . Map reading. By map reading is meant the ability to get a clear idea of the ground represented by the map,—of being able to visualize the ground so represented. For some unknown reason, military map reading is generally considered a
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CHAPTER II
CHAPTER II
MILITARY SKETCHING (While this chapter presents the principal features of military sketching in a simple, clear manner, attention is invited to the fact that the only way that any one who has never done any sketching can follow properly the statements made, is to do so with the instruments and the sketching material mentioned at hand. In fact, the only way to learn how to sketch is to sketch .) 1878 . A military sketch is a rough map showing the features of the ground that are of military value.
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THE MOSS PUBLICATIONS
THE MOSS PUBLICATIONS
PUBLISHERS GEORGE BANTA PUBLISHING COMPANY MENASHA, WISCONSIN Finger Banta's Complete Catalogue of Military Books will be mailed on application. Note the ease with which this portable writing machine may be used under service conditions. Its parts never work loose or drop off. It has no attachments and does not take down. You can carry Corona anywhere for, case and all, it weighs but 9 lbs. and measures only 10 × 11¼ × 4¼ ins. Being built almost entirely of aluminum and steel, Corona is practica
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The Pen of the Army
The Pen of the Army
Price of Corona and case, $50 Price of Folding Stand, $5 Corona Typewriter Co., Inc. GROTON, NEW YORK To make your shoes waterproof To make your shoes soft and comfortable To make your shoes wear 3 times longer To keep the harness and saddle in good order Use Viscol Viscol makes the leather soft and pliable and also waterproof. Viscolized leather remains soft and pliable under continuous hard service, even when it is worn in salt water or in snow. Viscol is a solution of a rubber-like material w
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