. The warfare of to-day. might come from successive de-partures. The intervals between the three linesare assumed in the course of the advance. The succeeding waves leave at the commandof their respective leaders, either by going totake their stations in the departure trench orby starting directly from the trenches wherethey are. Their echelonment is so arranged asto facilitate reenforcement, relief, and manoeu-vring at the proper moment, and to effect theoccupation and retention of the designated ob-jective. The first wave or fighting line is precededby an artillery barrage, which advances co
. The warfare of to-day. might come from successive de-partures. The intervals between the three linesare assumed in the course of the advance. The succeeding waves leave at the commandof their respective leaders, either by going totake their stations in the departure trench orby starting directly from the trenches wherethey are. Their echelonment is so arranged asto facilitate reenforcement, relief, and manoeu-vring at the proper moment, and to effect theoccupation and retention of the designated ob-jective. The first wave or fighting line is precededby an artillery barrage, which advances contin-uously and is intended to clear the enemystrenches as much as possible. The rate of ad-vance for this fire is precisely that specified forthe infantry before the attack. This rate isdetermined by the difficulties of the terrain, sothat the barrage shall not advance more rapidlythan the infantry and give the enemy a chanceto come out from his shelters. It is usually onehundred yards in three or four minutes. Fur- 202. o KH o a HH «U ;^u H(/) fa O fao 12;w wa H o HO ;2; a Q ;? etip> en W Q►JOc/i (AWO >-l THE ATTACK thermore, the range of the preparatory fire onthe position is not lengthened except as the in-fantry advances. The fighting Hne follows the barrage as closelyas possible; it reaches the limit of the zone cov-ered by the explosion of the shells. The nearerthe infantry are to this zone, the better theirchance of finding the enemy hidden in his shel-ters or places of refuge. Certain officers havemaintained that this fighting line should followso closely that ten per cent of its effectives shouldbe put out of action by its own artillery bar-rage; if it is farther back, say these critics, it willbe even more cruelly decimated by the enemysfire. But we cannot admit such a principle, orsacrifice the lives of soldiers, by firing on them,unless we are certain that they are running themost serious risks in approaching the advance of the infantry must be h
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