Therefore train them to get used to picking out cover, however insignificant, as a position for a machine gun and to utilize the ground skilfully and rush rapidly with the matériel in order to make themselves invisible or indiscernible;
To arrange shelter rapidly, to create a mask in front, and arrange for oblique fire, in order that the personnel may not be rapidly destroyed;
To keep still and try to be forgotten until the moment of assault.
The crews of the light guns should be attached to the infantry and learn to cooperate with it instead of being independent.
_Exercises to Develop the Spirit of Decision in the Second Line._
In front of any resistance whatever, the units of the second line should have but two ideas:
To take positions rapidly for the assault;
The creation or adaptation of a line of a shelter at assaulting distance;
The rapid gaining of superiority of fire.
All the work of maneuver is reduced to the realization of these two ideas. It is a question of applying in slightly varying circumstances the two classic studies above indicated, and one should know them perfectly.
To develop presence of mind in the noncommissioned officers and suppleness in the organization, situations analogous to those formerly used on the drill ground such as, “Cavalry to the right—in rear” should be devised.
Choose a parallel of departure and have the troops of the second line take their formation and march on the objectives designated in advance. Suddenly call out, “Enemy resistance on such a line, our first elements are stopped at such a point ... hostile machine guns in such a region.” Then everybody, infantry, machine guns, light canon, instantly take up their dispositions.
By representing the enemy and having him fire blank cartridges, one becomes accustomed to making rapid reconnaissance of resistances.
IV. PREPARATION OF THE TROOPS FOR PENETRATION.
The battle of today, since the last evolution of the war, is only a succession of assaults. The assault being the hardest and most murderous phase of the combat, before which the attack generally breaks down, we should only undertake it with assaulting troops. All troops are far from being assaulting troops; they need a well established cohesion and a special training.