Page:Machine-gun tactics (IA machineguntactic00appl).pdf/82

 and will fail to reap the advantage of their principal characteristic—their ability to surprise and their power suddenly to overwhelm with fire a superior body of troops.

Should the enemy's squadron be reinforced or be so superior in numbers that an attack appears inadvisable, it may be possible with the assistance of machine guns to equalise matters by concealing the guns in a donga or behind a ridge, a clump of trees, or group of rocks, and then manœuvring the squadron so as to draw the enemy across the front of the guns at close range. The best method of doing this is to lead the squadron, formed in column of troops, past the cover selected at a sharp pace, the guns being concealed on the outer flank or behind the rear troop as circumstances may require. As the squadron passes the selected spot, the machine guns will be dropped; and the squadron at the same moment wheeling into line towards the enemy, will hide the guns from view until they are concealed by the cover.

The gun horses and the rest of the detachment not actually required to fire the guns should move on with the squadron, so that no indication is given the enemy that the guns are not still with the squadron. If this manœuvre is successfully accomplished, it will not be difficult to draw the enemy across the guns at close range. It is a manœuvre well worth practice in peace, but an opposing squadron should aways be used to try to detect the guns and thus ensure that