be made under covering
fire, and when a unit rushes forward the adjoining unit or units
make up for the loss of fire thus caused by increasing the rate of
their fire.

A unit commander about to rush forward, will not do so until he
sees that the adjoining unit or units have started to give him the
protection of their covering fire and, if necessary, he will call
to them to do so. Each unit must be careful not to advance until
the last unit that rushed forward has had time to take up an
effective fire. When sights have to be adjusted at the conclusion
of a rush, the men should do so in the prone position even though
it be necessary for the men to kneel for firing. The same as the
men who rush should start simultaneously from the prone position,
so should they stop simultaneously, all men dropping down to the
ground together, wherever they may be, at the command "Down,"
given by the unit commander when the leading men have reached the
new position. The slower members who drop down in rear will crawl
up to the line after the halt. So that the slower members may not
be crowded out of the line, and also to prevent bunching, the
faster men should leave room for them on the line.--Author.)

The Company in Support

(Being part of a battalion)

=262. Formations adopted by support.= To enable it to follow or reach
the firing line, the support adopts suitable formations, following the
principles explained in paragraphs 249-255.

The support should be kept assembled as long as practicable. If after
deploying a favorable opportunity arises to hold it for some time in
close formation, it should be reassembled. It is redeployed when
necessary. (225)

=263. Support controlled by major: size of reenforcement; captain on
look out for major's signals.= The movements of the support as a whole
and the dispatch of reenforcements from it to the firing line are
controlled by the major.

A reenforcement of less than one platoon has little influence and will
be avoided whenever practicable. (See par. 353.)

The captain of a company in support is constantly on the alert for the
major's signals or commands. (226)

=264. Reenforcement to join firing line deployed as skirmishers and
occupy existing intervals.= A reenforcement sent to the firing line
joins it deployed as skirmishers. The leader of the reenforcement
places it in an interval in the line, if one ex