Page:Tactics (Balck 1915).djvu/152



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==========================+=======================                                      |        DENSITY. TARGETS. +-+-+-+-                                      |  4  |  8  | 16  | 32 -+-+-+-+-                                       |  %  |  %  |  %  |  % Infantry skirmishers standing in       |     |     |     | the open, or a single rank line      | 25  | 40  | 65  | —- |    |     |     | Skirmishers lying down; gun crews      |     |     |     | under fire but protected by shields  |     |     |     | of the French type. Space between    |     |     |     | shields and ground not closed        | 7.5 | 15  | 25  | 40 |    |     |     | Infantry lying down behind knapsacks;  |     |     |     | gun crews protected by shields. Space |    |     |     | between shields and ground not closed | —- | 7.5 | 15 | 25 |    |     |     | Infantry lying down behind their knap- |     |     |     | sacks, but not firing; gun crews     |     |     |     | protected by shields. Space between  |     |     |     | shields and ground closed so that    |     |     |     | bullets cannot pass through          | —- | 0-2 | —- | —- -+-+-+-+-

A skirmish line 100 m. long, and lying down, would suffer a loss of 15% irrespective of its strength, from progressive fire (tir progressif; 32 rounds, density 8). If the interval between skirmishers in the open amounts to 1-1/2 paces, for instance, the front would contain 62 skirmishers, and the resulting loss would amount to 9 men. If the men have placed their knapsacks in front of them, the loss would be reduced by half. A line of skirmishers of the same length and strength as the one considered above, would suffer a loss of 40%, or 25 men, when standing up or advancing. About 1-1/2 minutes are required to fire one tir progressif, after adjustment has been secured. The same effect could be obtained in about 20 seconds by firing a rafale of eight rounds, provided the battery has accurately adjusted its fire.