17. We are taking every precaution to prevent “trench feet;” when practicable we take off our shoes and rub our feet for 15 minutes each day. We do not wear tight shoes and leggings that tend to interfere with blood circulation. We each have a pair of dry socks to put on. We do not wear rubber boots except when it is absolutely necessary.
18. We observe the orders regarding the wearing of equipment.
19. We do not drink any water except that from authorized sources. We replenish our canteens whenever practicable.
In addition to the above the platoon commander must be able to adopt the following and· live up to them:
1. My sentries are posted in the proper places. They are posted by noncommissioned officers. They have the proper orders. No man is ever on duty more than one hour at a time. I visit them at frequent intervals.
2. I have a runner ready to carry a message to company headquarters. I realize that any information of the enemy that I may secure may be of great importance at regimental and other headquarters. I will therefore send it back with the utmost dispatch.
3. I am familiar with the methods of communicating with the artillery, of giving them information and of asking them for support.
4. My patrols operating to the front at night have been properly instructed and are doing their duty effectively. All sentries in the trench have been notified when they are out and cautioned to look out for their return.
5. I have given complete and detailed instruction covering what to do in case of gas attacks and the sending out of the S. O. S. signal. I have gas and attack messages already prepared and ready to send after inserting the time and place in them.
6. I know the name of every man in my platoon and they all know me.
7. I am here to inflict as much damage as possible on the enemy and to hold my part of the line. _I will do it!_
The objectives which must be dealt with in the attack of an intrenched position such as will be found on the western front are:
By a study of the text preceding this you must realize that in the defense of these objectives there will be employed artillery, rifles, grenades and machine guns.
The first phase of the attack is the artillery preparation. In order that the infantry may make the attack with a minimum of losses, the artillery must have destroyed the wire entanglements and obstacles that obstruct the advance, or at least have sufficiently breached them to permit their being negotiated. The destruction of these obstacles is never complete. It would require too great an expenditure of ammunition. The infantry occupying the hostile trenches must be simply overwhelmed with artillery fire so that they will be unable to man the parapets when the assault is launched. During the artillery preparation the hostile infantry does not occupy their firing positions in the trenches but remain in their dugouts, which are fully protected from all but the heaviest shells. Only a few observers are left in the trenches.