remain under cover until he resumes his forward movement. A prompt resumption of the fire by the defender must, however, be assured."
France. "The fire should cease when the hostile infantry halts and takes to cover; its volume is increased as soon as the assailant resumes his forward movement, or when he shows himself in dense formations on open ground."
The efficacy of fire depends upon its accuracy, its direction
with reference to the target, and its volume. In the past,
pauses in the fire were necessary to allow the powder smoke
to clear away; at present they are of advantage because they
give the men a breathing spell; rest eyes and nerves; enable
ammunition to be distributed, and allow preparations to be
made for concerted action. In making use of such pauses
good cover, good observation of the enemy and instant
readiness for resuming the fire are essential. In a serious engagement
the men either maintain a vigorous, animated fire
or they rest. If the advancing enemy takes to cover, the fire
must cease, only to be resumed with full vigor when favorable
targets appear. The attacker (like the British in
South Africa advancing against the Boers) will in many
cases—especially at the beginning of a campaign—be deceived
into believing that the defender has withdrawn; should
the attacker now advance, the defender, by suddenly resuming
his fire, will surprise him to such an extent that he may be
repulsed.[1] Pauses in the fire are a practical expedient for
maintaining fire discipline and enable the leader to keep his
troops in hand. An organization is capable of performing its
duty well, so long as it obeys the command "cease firing." It
might be well at this point to determine when the defender
should change his rear sight elevations if the attacker advances
by rushes. At mid ranges it might be advisable to stop firing,
so as to present no target to the enemy when his line throws
itself down after a rush, and to utilize this interruption for
- ↑ Compare Hönig, Vierundzwanzig Stunden Moltkescher Strategie, p. 145, relative to the various opinions entertained in the staffs of Generals v. Göben and Steinmetz in regard to the pause in the fire of the French at Point du Jour. Der 18. August, pp. 269, 271 and 352.
