Military Instructors Manual.

by James P. Cole and Oliver Schoonmaker.

Introduction.

The officer of to-day has big problems to face at short notice. His training has necessarily been so intensive that he cannot absorb a large amount of it. He has little time to make out schedules or even to look over the hasty notes he may have made during his training period, yet he finds himself facing problems which force him to immediate action.

This book so condenses and systematizes general military instruction and the work done at Plattsburg so that it may be easily utilized in training other troops. No broad claim for originality is made except in the arrangement of all available material; the bibliography makes acknowledgment to all texts so utilized. Besides bringing helpful reminders to new officers regarding the elements of modern warfare, much of the material will be found of radical importance, as it is practically new and never before condensed. Since under the new army organization the platoon leader virtually has a.s.sumed the roll of a captain of a company, it is not enough for him to know simply his own part; he must be ready with all the information that his non-commissioned officers and men should know, and more important still, he must know how to teach them. Having little or no time to work over and digest for himself this ma.s.s of new material pouring in upon him, the officer may find in this book, material condensed and already arranged.

It is hoped that this work will serve to recall to many officers, valuable points of military training which would otherwise be lost, to them in the ma.s.s of notes never looked at since the day they were made. More than this, every reader will find help in planning his work, saving thereby precious hours already too full of necessary duties, and will find fresh material for progress in the game of war.

It is the purpose of this book to help men who are in the service of the United States, and through them to share in bringing victory.

CHAPTER 1.

SCHEDULES.

_November 5th-9th, 1917._

Infantry Drill Regulations, 2 hours.

March in full kit, 2-1/2 hours.

Signaling, 1/2 hour.

Physical drill, 2-1/2 hours, Bayonet, 2-1/2 hours, Machine gun instruction, 7-1/2 hours.

Field fortification, 10 hours.

Conferences, 10 hours.

Study, 10 hours.

In the study and conferences the following will be taken up: Manual of Courts-Martial--pp. 305 to end.

First Aid.

Personal Hygiene.

Camp Sanitation.

_November 12th-17th, 1917._

Physical, drill, 2-1/2 hours.

Bayonet drill, 2-1/2 hours.

Battalion ceremonies, 1-1/2 hours.

Battalion march, full kit, 2-1/2 hours.

Field fortification and trench warfare, 23 hours.

Study and conferences, 10 hours.

In the study and conference's the following will be taken up: Trench Warfare.

Grenades Gas Attack and Defense.

Communication.

_November 19th-23rd, 1917._

Physical, drill, 2-1/2 hours.

Bayonet drill, 2-1/2 hours.

Infantry Drill Regulations, 2-1/2 hours.

Company administration and Army regulations, 40 hours.

Ceremonies, parades and reviews, 5 hours.

CHAPTER 2.

Infantry Drill Regulations.

The greatest lesson of the present war is that the keynote of success is discipline. In trenches the direct control of the men is even less than in extended order in open warfare, and only thoroughly disciplined troops with a trusted leader can hope to succeed.

The successful officer will show anger or irritation only in rare cases, and then by design: he will know his men individually and be as considerate of them as possible, ready to do himself what he asks to have done; just in administering punishments; clear in giving his commands and insistent that they be carried out promptly; he will learn from drilling his men the quickest way a desired result can be accomplished, and to give the necessary commands in the most effective manner.

He will read his Infantry Drill Regulations through each month and will always find something that he never knew or has forgotten. He will always consult it before going to drill. In explaining movements he will use blackboard diagrams in conferences. On the field he will take the fewest possible men and have movement executed by the numbers properly before the other men. Then have all the men go through the movement a number of times.

The object of each exercise or drill should be explained to the men whenever possible.

"Success in battle is the ultimate object of all military training."

School of the Soldier.

INSTRUCTION WITHOUT ARMS.

The object of the facings and marchings is to give the soldier complete control of his body in drills so that he can move easily and promptly at any command.

Attention.

POSITION OF ATTENTION.--This is the position a soldier a.s.sumes when in ranks or whenever the command _attention_ is given.

In the training of anyone nothing equals the importance of a proper posture; it is the very foundation upon which the entire fabric of any successful training must be founded.

Instructors must persist in the development of this position until the men a.s.sume it from habit.

At the command, 1. Company (Squad, etc.), 2. Attention, the following position is a.s.sumed:

1. HEELS TOGETHER AND ON A LINE.--If the heels are not on a line, the hips and sometimes even the shoulders, are thrown out of line.

2. FEET TURNED OUT EQUALLY, FORMING AN ANGLE OF 45 DEGREES.--If the feet are not turned out equally, the result will be the same as above.

3. KNEES EXTENDED WITHOUT STIFFNESS.--Muscles should be contracted just enough to keep the knees straight. If locked, men tire easily and faint if at attention a long time.

4. THE TRUNK ERECT UPON THE HIPS, the spine extended throughout its entire length; the b.u.t.tocks well forward.

The position of the trunk, spine and b.u.t.tocks is most essential. In extending the spine the men must feel that the trunk is being _stretched up_ from the waist until the back is as straight as it can be made.

In stretching the spine the _chest_ should be _arched_ and raised, _without_, however, _raising the shoulders or interfering with natural respiration_.

5. SHOULDERS FALLING NATURALLY and moved back until they are square.

Being square, means having the shoulder ridge and the point of the shoulder at right angles to a general anterior-posterior plane running through the body. They should never be forced back of this plane, but out rather in line with it.