=288. Special duties of platoon leaders.= Each platoon leader puts into execution the commands or directions of the captain, having first taken such precautions to insure correct sight setting and clear description of the target or aiming target as the situation permits or requires; thereafter, he gives such additional commands or directions as are necessary to exact compliance with the captain's will. He corrects the sight setting when necessary. He designates an aiming target when the target can not be seen with the naked eye. (251)

=289. General duties of platoon leaders; duties of platoon guides and squad leaders.= In general, =platoon leaders= observe the target and the effect of their fire and are on the alert for the captain's commands or signals; they observe and regulate the rate of fire, as laid down in par. 191. The =platoon guides= watch the firing line and check every breach of fire discipline. (See pars. 291-294.) =Squad leaders= transmit commands and signals when necessary, observe the conduct of their squads and abate excitement, a.s.sist in enforcing fire discipline and partic.i.p.ate in the firing. (252)

=290. Importance of fire control.= The best troops are those that submit longest to fire control. Loss of control is an evil which robs success of its greatest results. To avoid or delay such loss should be the constant aim of all.

Fire control implies the ability to stop firing, change the sight setting and target, and resume a well directed fire. (253)

Fire Discipline

=291. What fire discipline implies.= "Fire discipline implies, besides a habit of obedience, a control of the rifle by the soldier, the result of training, which will enable him in action to make hits instead of misses. It embraces taking advantage of the ground; care in setting the sight and delivery of fire; constant attention to the orders of the leaders, and careful observation of the enemy; an increase of fire when the target is favorable, and a cessation of fire when the enemy disappears; economy of ammunition." (See pars.

432-433.) (Small-Arms Firing Manual.)

In combat, shots which graze the enemy's trench or position and thus reduce the effectiveness of his fire have the approximate value of hits; such shots only, or actual hits, contribute toward fire superiority.

Fire discipline implies that, in a firing line without leaders, each man retains his presence of mind and directs effective fire upon the proper target. (254)

=292. Rate of fire.= To create a correct appreciation of the requirements of fire discipline, men are taught that the rate of fire, as prescribed in par. 191, should be as rapid as is consistent with accurate aiming; that the rate will depend upon the visibility, proximity, and size of the target; and that the proper rate will ordinarily suggest itself to each trained man, usually rendering cautions or commands unnecessary.

In attack the highest rate of fire is employed at the halt preceding the a.s.sault, and in pursuing fire. (See pars. 490-494.) (255)

=293. Position fire in advance by rushes.= In an advance by rushes, as explained in par. 259, leaders of troops in firing positions are responsible for the delivery of heavy fire to cover the advance of each rushing fraction. Troops are trained to change slightly the direction of fire so as not to endanger the flanks of advanced portions of the firing line. (256)

=294. Action in defense, when target disappears.= In defense, when the target disappears behind cover, platoon leaders suspend fire, as prescribed in par. 193, prepare their platoons to fire upon the point where it is expected to reappear, and greet its reappearance instantly with vigorous fire. (257)

SCHOOL OF THE BATTALION

=295. Battalion a tactical unit; duties and responsibilities of major.= The battalion being purely a tactical unit, the major's duties are primarily those of an instructor in drill and tactics and of a tactical commander. He is responsible for the theoretical and practical training of the battalion. He supervises the training of the companies of the battalion with a view to insuring the thoroughness and uniformity of their instruction.

In the instruction of the battalion as a whole, his efforts will be directed chiefly to the development of tactical efficiency, devoting only such time to the mechanism of drill and to the ceremonies as may be necessary in order to insure precision, smartness, and proper control. (258)

=296. Movements explained for battalion of four companies.= The movements explained herein are on the basis of a battalion of four companies; they may be executed by a battalion of two or more companies, not exceeding six. (259)

=297. Arrangement of companies in formations.= The companies are generally arranged from right to left according to the rank of the captains present at the formation. The arrangement of the companies may be varied by the major or higher commander.

After the battalion is formed, no cognizance is taken of the relative order of the companies. (260)

=298. Designation of companies.= In whatever direction the battalion faces, the companies are designated numerically from right to left in line, and from head to rear in column, =first company=, =second company=, etc.

The terms =right= and =left= apply to actual right and left as the line faces; if the about by squads be executed when in line, the right company becomes the left company and the right center becomes the left center company.

The designation center company indicates the right center or the actual center company according as the number of companies is even or odd. (261)

=299. Post of special units.= The band and other special units, when attached to the battalion, take the same post with respect to it as if it were the nearest battalion. (262)

CLOSE ORDER

Rules

=300. Repet.i.tion of commands by captains.= Captains repeat such preparatory commands as are to be immediately executed by their companies, as =forward=, =squads right=, etc.; the men execute the commands =march=, =halt=, etc., if applying to their companies, when given by the major. In movements executed in route step or at ease the captains repeat the command of execution, if necessary. Captains do not repeat the major's commands in executing the manual of arms, nor those commands which are not essential to the execution of a movement by their companies, as =column of squads=, =first company=, =squads right=, etc.

In giving commands or cautions captains may prefix the proper letter designations of their companies, as =A Company, HALT=; =B Company, squads right=, etc. (263)

=301. Captains repeating command for guide.= At the command =guide center (right or left)=, captains command: =Guide right or left=, according to the positions of their companies. =Guide center= designates the left guide of the center company, as explained in 3d Sec. par. 298. (264)

[Ill.u.s.tration: Plate III]

=302. Position of captains in dressing companies; action of guides in dressing.= When the companies are to be dressed, captains place themselves on that flank toward which the dress is to be made, as follows:

The battalion in line: Besides the guide (or the flank file of the front rank, if the guide is not in line) and facing to the front.

The battalion in column of companies: Two paces from the guide, in prolongation of and facing down the line.

Each captain, after dressing his company, commands: =FRONT=, and takes his post.

The battalion being in line and unless otherwise prescribed, at the captain's command =dress= or at the command =halt=, when it is prescribed that the company shall dress, the guide on the flank away from the point of rest with his piece at right shoulder, dresses promptly on the captain and the companies beyond. During the dress he moves, if necessary, to the right and left only; the captain dresses the company on the line thus established. The guide takes the position of order arms at the command =front=. (265)

=303. Certain movements executed as in Schools of the Soldier, Squad and Company.= =The battalion executes the halt= (See par. 116), =rests= (See pars. 100-101), =facings= (See par. 104), =steps= and =marchings= (See pars. 107-109), =manual of arms= (See pars. 120-147), resumes =attention= (See par. 102), =kneels= (See pars. 174-177), =lies down= (See par. 175), =rises= (See par. 176), =stacks= and =takes arms= (See pars. 160-161), as explained in the Schools of the Soldier and Squad, subst.i.tuting in the commands =battalion= for =squad=.

The battalion executes =squads right (left)= (See par. 221), =squads right (left) about= (See par. 228), =route step= and =at ease= (See par. 233), and =obliques= and resumes the =direct march= (See pars.

162-163), as explained in the School of the Company. (266)

=304. Certain movements executed as in School of the Company.= The battalion in column of platoons, squads, twos, or files changes direction. (See pars. 223-224); in column of squads, forms column of twos or files and re-forms columns of twos or squads, as explained in the School of the Company. (See pars. 234-235.) (267)

=305. Simultaneous execution by companies or platoons of movements in School of the Company.= When the formation admits of the simultaneous execution by companies or platoons of movements in the School of the Company the major may cause such movement to be executed by prefixing, when necessary, =companies (platoons)= to the commands prescribed therein: As =1. Companies, right front into line, 2. MARCH.= To complete such simultaneous movements, the commands =halt= or =march=, if prescribed, are given by the major. The command =front=, when prescribed, is given by the captains. (See par. 302.) (268)

=306. Execution of loadings and firings by battalion.= The battalion as a unit executes the loadings and firings only in firing saluting volleys. The commands are as for the company, subst.i.tuting =battalion= for =company=. At the first command for loading, captains take post in rear of the center of their respective companies. At the conclusion of the firing, the captains resume their posts in line.

On other occasions, when firing in close order is necessary, it is executed by company or other subdivision, under instructions from the major, as prescribed in pars. 179-194. (269)

To Form the Battalion

=307. For purposes other than ceremonies:= The battalion is formed in column of squads. The companies having been formed, the adjutant posts himself so as to be facing the column, when formed, and 6 paces in front of the place to be occupied by the leading guide of the battalion; he draws saber; =adjutant's call= is sounded or the adjutant signals =a.s.semble=.

The companies are formed, at attention, in column of squads in their proper order. Each captain, after halting his company, salutes the adjutant; the adjutant returns the salute and, when the last captain has saluted, faces the major and reports: =Sir, the battalion is formed.= He then joins the major. (270)

=308. For ceremonies or when directed:= The battalion is formed in line.

The companies having been formed, the adjutant posts himself so as to be 6 paces to the right of the right company when line is formed, and faces in the direction in which the line is to extend. He draws saber; =adjutant's call= is sounded; the band plays if present.

The right company is conducted by its captain so as to arrive from the rear, parallel to the line; its right and left guides precede it on the line by about 20 paces, taking post facing to the right at order arms, so that their elbows will be against the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the right and left files of their company when it is dressed. The guides of the other companies successively prolong the line to the left in like manner and the companies approach their respective places in line as explained for the right company. The adjutant, from his post, causes the guides to cover.

When about 1 pace in rear of the line, each company is halted and dressed to the right against the arms of the guides. (See par. 302.)