January 22, 1918.

Problem 7

My dear Dick,—

The following is a problem in trench warfare such as you may be called upon to solve any day in the trenches.

The company of which you are in command has succeeded in getting into a trench a section of which is given in the diagram. It has only incurred about 10 per cent. of casualties. The trench is the last of the German system, and there is a clear field of fire for about 100 yards in the direction in which the enemy has retired; after that there is a thick wood.

Your telephone communication has broken down and it is evident that you will for some time have to rely on your own resources. Your flanks are secured by troops on your right and left. Your company now numbers 120 rank and file. The front allotted to you measures about 150 yards. The trench which you are now occupying was considerably shelled by us previous to its capture, and what was the rear of the trench when the Germans held it, namely HGF, has been considerably broken down in half a dozen places. It is quite possible that the Germans will counter-attack from the wood without delay. It is evident from the section of the trench depicted on the diagram that you cannot fire out of it as it is at present.

Problem.

What action will you take to prepare for the enemy’s counter-attack?

Solution considered Correct.

Your position is a difficult one, for there is no place from which your men can fire. You cannot even use the step C, nor the parapet AK, for the parados HG is, as is usually the case, eighteen inches higher than is the old crest line at A. In the short time at your disposal it will be next to impossible to make a continuous step so as to enable you to fire over H, and in the circumstances the best thing for you to do is to concentrate the whole of your energies on getting your Lewis guns into position and to use intensive labour for the purpose.1 It is possible that you may be able to get one or two of the Lewis guns satisfactorily into position at some of the places in which the revetment in FGH has been knocked down. If, in your company, you have half a dozen iron or wire grips which you can utilise to pull down the sandbag revetment, you will find them of the greatest assistance, for men who only have their hands to work with find it very difficult to get a grip on a sandbag which is in a revetment.

You must at once place look-out men to give you warning of any sign of the enemy assembling in the edge of the wood to your front and be prepared to open on them with rifle grenades.

The real advantage that a machine gun or Lewis gun has over a rifle is that from a small point of vantage one of these weapons can pour a tremendous hail of fire, and in such circumstances as those depicted above there is no doubt but that the first consideration should be to get your Lewis guns into position.

If possible, it is best to place these in pairs, shooting obliquely and crossing their fire in front of you. As soon as this is done you should thin out and organise your defence in depth. This being carried out, you must determine what localities you will hold and where you will have your gaps. You should generally have a locality in front of any communication trench leading up from the rear. As soon as you have determined on your localities, you must set-to and build a fire step. The next measure to take in order of importance is to collect ammunition and place it at convenient points. After you have done this, try to put wire or some other obstacle in front. In advising this, I am presuming that you have reached your final objective. Be careful to remove any old German wire behind you which will prevent your own supports coming up over the open to reinforce you. Try to get your localities marked by lamps at night, that your own friends in rear can see where they are.

Problem 8

After hard fighting you have driven the enemy out of the trench ABC, and he has retired up the communication trench DEF in the direction of his supports. You are in command of a platoon and have been ordered to take steps to prevent the enemy again advancing along the communication trench EDB. It is not the intention of your commanding officer to advance at present any farther than the points he has already reached. The time is an hour before dark.

What steps will you take to carry out the instructions you have received?

Solution considered Correct.

Pull knife-rests2 down into the trench DEF, also throw wire into it if available. At once put a couple of men at the point D to cover the trench DE with their rifles. As soon as you are able to do so, dig a short trench from G to D and place a Lewis gun at G to enfilade DE. You may have to wait until after dark before you actually carry this out, but you should make arrangements for doing it by daylight. It would not be a bad plan to tie a few tins on to the knife-rests which you have thrown into the trench, so that the rattle, if they are moved, will give you warning of any one’s approach. The Lewis gun at G will be practically out of bombing range from EF.