will be his fire. (308)

=346. The further advance of the firing line; size of rushing units.=
Occasionally the fire of adjacent battalions, or of infantry employing
fire of position, as explained in par. 438, or of supporting
artillery, as explained in pars. 434-438, will permit the further
advance of the entire firing line from this point, but it will
generally be necessary to advance by rushes, as laid down in par. 259,
of fractions of the line.

The fraction making the rush should be as large as the hostile fire
and the necessity for maintaining fire superiority will permit.
Depending upon circumstances, the strength of the fraction may vary
from a company to a few men.

The advance is made as rapidly as possible without losing fire
superiority. The smaller the fraction which rushes, the greater the
number of rifles which continue to fire upon the enemy. On the other
hand, the smaller the fraction which rushes the slower will be the
progress of the attack. (309)

=347. Size of rushing units.= Enough rifles must continue in action to
insure the success of each rush. Frequently the successive advances of
the firing line must be effected by rushes of fractions of decreased
size; that is, advances by rushes may first be made by company, later
by half company or platoon, and finally by squads or files; but no
=subsequent opportunity= to =increase= the rate of advance, such as
better cover or a decrease of the hostile fire, should be overlooked.
(310)

=348. The rush begun by a flank unit.= Whenever possible, the rush is
begun by a flank fraction of the firing line. In the absence of
express directions from the major, each captain of a flank company
determines when an advance by rushes (par. 222) shall be attempted. A
flank company which inaugurates an advance by rushes becomes the base
company, if not already the base. An advance by rushes having been
inaugurated on one flank, the remainder of the firing line conforms;
fractions rush successively from that flank and halt on the line
established by the initial rush.

The fractions need not be uniform in size; each captain indicates how
his company shall rush, having due regard to the ground and the state
of the fire fight. (311)

=349. Fractions to advance under covering fire.= A fraction about to
rush is sent forward when the remainder of the line is firing
vigorously; otherwise the chief advantage of this method of advancing
is lost.

The length of the rush