uns, automatic rifles, rifle grenades and
hand grenades and to reserve for the counter attack the grenadiers and
riflemen. There is always one line upon which the resistance must be
made with the greatest energy; for its defense the following methods
have been found successful. Machine guns should be placed where they
can secure the best flanking fire, and every one put out of action
should immediately be replaced by an automatic rifle. If machine gun
barrage fire is to play its role successfully at the moment of
assault, the guns must survive the bombardment. Their protection is
secured by placing them under shelter during the bombardment and
making their emplacements as nearly invisible as possible. They should
be echeloned in depth as far as practicable. They are generally placed
in re-entrants of the firing trenches and cover the intervals between
the adjoining supporting and strong points. Where the ground will
permit they are often placed in concealed positions 20 to 30 yards in
front of the trenches, to break up attacks made by hostile infantry.
Not too many should be placed in the front line, and they should be
echeloned in depth so as to confuse their disposition. The value of
machine guns depends on the possibility of using them suddenly for
brief periods, and in using them as long as they are effective.
Machine guns disposed for flanking fire must be well covered by
grenadiers; this is also true of automatic rifles.

Automatic rifles, rifle grenades and hand grenades are used to
constitute a barrage to keep back the enemy. The entire front should
be defended by a barrage of hand grenades, while the barrage of
automatic rifles and rifle grenades is superposed farther to the
front, up to 400 yards.

All riflemen and those grenadiers not employed in forming barrages are
reserved to make a counterattack.

Companies on the second line operate on similar principles; machine
guns, automatic rifles and rifle grenades are arranged so as to cover
every portion of the first line that might be invaded. After a short
preparation by fire from these, the grenadiers and riflemen make the
counterattack.

The captains in charge of the two lines are responsible for the
arrangement of the machine guns, automatic rifles and rifle grenades,
the distribution of barrages and the distribution of groups for the
counterattack. The real strength of the defense consists, not in
holding the fire and cover trenches, nor even the suppo