_The Director_: “I think you are right. Let us decide on that disposition.”
_The Director_: “Now, there is another point I want to bring out at this time. You have pictured in your own mind this formation and advance of one battalion of Infantry and the relief and retirement of another. Along side of you to the right are two other battalions going through the same process. The same is happening to your left and all along the line. Behind you there are other battalions effecting reliefs. There are batteries of artillery and transport vehicles, innumerable. In other words the back area of a force in action is crowded with troops. There is much activity effecting reliefs, getting up supplies and ammunition and evacuating the wounded.
“The enemy is doing these same things. His back areas are just as crowded as our own. He is no better off than we are in this respect.
“It is our job to interfere with him as much as possible—to prevent or curtail movement, and inflict losses on him. The wounding or killing of one man by harassing fire will have no effect on the outcome of the war, but if we can kill and wound a thousand every night it will in time have its effect.
“The enemy can get away from artillery fire by avoiding shelled areas but he cannot get away from rifle and machine gun harassing fire for he never knows when and where it is going to come.
“If there is sufficient small arms ammunition available and it can be gotten up to the riflemen and machine gunners on the front lines the back areas of the enemy can be made a perfect ‘hell-hole’ by means of systematic harassing fire.
“Many of the men whom our men will relieve tonight will have ammunition in bandoliers with them. By having our men take over this ammunition and expending it tonight we can get a big increase in fire over the enemy back areas. Our ammunition supply for tomorrow will not be impaired. The men being relieved will be re-supplied when they get back to the regimental reserve. I think arrangements should be made for this procedure by the Major.”
_The Director_: “The Major has made arrangements with the Commanding Officer 2nd battalion as to when the command of the sector is to pass to the 1st battalion. He will now have to tell his company commanders when their full responsibility is to devolve upon them for their respective sectors within the battalion. What would you do about that, Lieutenant Baker?”