Page:Tactics (Balck 1915).djvu/200

 (c) Fire Effect as Regards Time. Number of Rounds to be Expended.

The greater the losses inflicted within a short period of time in a limited space, the greater the moral effect of the fire. It should therefore be the aim of the officer charged with fire direction to bring about a decisive effect within the shortest possible time. The leaders must bear in mind from the beginning of the fire fight that the ammunition carried is limited and that the expenditure of a certain amount is equivalent to a loss of power, and this is permissible only where commensurate results would be achieved. When once a decision has been formed to fire on a target, the ammunition necessary to accomplish the object of the fight must be expended without stinting, since ineffective fire impairs the morale of one's own troops and raises that of the enemy.

When the enemy is approximately equal to us in numbers, and is deployed in line at one man per meter of front, presenting breast targets only, the number of rounds per rifle, given in round figures in the following table, will be required to place about one-third of the enemy's force out of action:

At a range of 300 m.   3  rounds, " "   "   "   400 "    5    " "  "   "   "   500 "    6    " "  "   "   "   600 "    7.5  " "  "   "   "   700 "   10    " "  "   "   "   800 "   13    " "  "   "   "   900 "   16    " "  "   "   "  1000 "   25    " "  "   "   "  1100 "   45    " "  "   "   "  1200 "   50    " "  "   "   "  1300 "   57    " "  "   "   "  1400 "   63    " "  "   "   "  1500 "   72    " "  "   "   "  1600 "   80    "