o be observed in such cases, there should be no
room for doubt. Everyone should know what he has to do when the case
arises.

Turning now to the consideration of the conduct to be observed in
attack, it is clear that here also the same fundamental ideas apply as
with the Infantry. Dismounted Cavalry must be prepared to work their
way up to decisive distances, to break down from this limit the
enemy's resistance, and finally to carry the position by storm. Hence
the fighting line has need of constant reinforcements to give the
necessary forward impulse, and hence we require the same distribution
in regard to 'depth.'

Nevertheless, it would be a great mistake to adopt on this point any
stereotyped formation. It must not be overlooked that the essence of
such Cavalry attacks is rapidity of execution. Hence in all cases
where this necessity for rapidity arises the endeavour must be made to
bring from the very first as many rifles into the firing line as
possible, and it follows that the greater the fire power thus obtained
the less the need for subsequent reinforcement.

If we try to picture to ourselves the conditions under which these
dismounted Cavalry attacks can occur, it is evident that only in the
most unusual instances will the necessity arise of launching them
against wide fronts of dense lines of unbroken Infantry; on the other
hand, we shall often be called upon to capture isolated villages,
etc., such as posts on the line of communication, railway-stations,
and important defiles, and in all such cases it will always be
possible to combine attacks simultaneously against both flanks, front
and rear. Thanks to its mobility, the Cavalry is exceptionally well
suited to the performance of such undertakings, because it can combine
both attack and surprise to the best advantage.

If, thanks to this possibility, it is practicable to diminish the
weight of the front attack, it follows, again, that less
depth--_i.e._, fewer successive reinforcements--will require to be
provided; but these can only be suppressed altogether when the object
aimed at does not imply the actual maintenance of the position to be
assaulted, but our purpose is only to reach a point from whence to
overwhelm the enemy with fire, previous to riding him down by our
closed squadrons, or to break off the action again and retire as soon
as a counter-attack develops. These are cases which will often present
themselves: either when in pursuit it is de