ible, so the firing emplacements must be made outside of the
shelter, but near enough for the gun to be brought out instantly and
put into action. All communicating trenches leading to the firing
emplacement must be concealed. Enough emplacements should be built to
avoid firing daily from the emplacements especially reserved for cases
of attack. Do not place too many machine guns in the first line; in
case of a violent bombardment they are sure to be destroyed. The
object to be attained is to install the machine guns in conditions
such that if the enemy penetrates our first line, by aid of his
bombardment or asphyxiating gas, his infantry, as it advances, comes
under the fire of machine guns echeloned previously in depth, under
whose fire it must stop. It is not a matter of sweeping a wide sector,
but of giving over certain strips of ground flanking fire which will
cut down surely the enemy's waves when they push forward. The
commander should, therefore, divide between the first line and the
terrain in rear, the machine guns which he controls, organizing for
each particular case a firing emplacement in accord with the
surrounding ground and the purpose in view.

GENERAL RULES FOR INSTALLATION.

Machine gunners must under no circumstances abandon their positions.
They must, when necessary, allow themselves to be surrounded and
defend themselves in their place to the end. In many cases the
heroism and tenacity of a few machine gunners have permitted the rapid
retaking of a lost position. To provide for this resistance to a
finish, the machine gun emplacements must fulfil the following
conditions:

1. Be surrounded by a wire entanglement of irregular trace and as
invisible as possible.
2. In the enclosure thus created having several firing emplacements,
in case one or more becomes useless.
3. The personnel must have all the means for protection against gas
and have in addition rations, water and abundant ammunition.

EMPLOYMENT OF FIRE AND INSTRUCTION.

The more grazing the fire of a machine gun the more effective it is.
This causes the principal employment of the machine gun to be at
distances where the trajectory is flattest, that is under 800 or 1,000
yards. However, the effort to obtain a grazing fire must not exclude
long distance fire. This latter will always be justified when directed
upon important objectives, or necessary points of passage. For this
fire to have some efficacy, it is necessary t