Page:Machine-gun tactics (IA machineguntactic00appl).pdf/132

 made successful use of machine guns. ''When the infantry were carrying out a decisive attack, they were supported by their machine guns, which concentrated their fire on points arranged before-hand'' When machine guns have been skilfully employed, their action has been infinitely more effective than that of field artillery, more especially when they fire at infantry ranges." The following is an example of their actual use in this way. "The Japanese," says a Russian eye-witness of the fighting round Mukden, "brought up during the night dozens of machine guns with hundreds of thousands of cartridges to their front line of skirmishers, from 400 to 500 yards from our positions, and entrenched them there. ''When the assault commenced, at dawn, the machine guns opened fire with fatal accuracy on the parapets of our trenches and on our reserves'', preventing them from coming up. We could do nothing with the enemy, because when the machine guns showed the least vulnerability, they were at once protected by shields of bullet-proof steel."[A]

The machine guns of the enemy will all be in action during the final stages, but they should not be engaged by the machine guns of the attack except when exposed. They are very difficult to put out of action by small-arm fire at any time, and when employed by the defence are sure to be well concealed and provided with cover. It is the duty of the artillery to silence machine guns, and this was so far recognised in