Page:Tactics (Balck 1915).djvu/262

 The following would thus suffice for defending a front of 1000 m.:

Firing line                    1000 men Replacement of casualties       200  " Flank protection (2 companies)   400  " Reserve                         800  "          Total                 2400 men

Hence, 2.4 rifles per meter of front would be available for defense.

The defense is decided by a successful counter-attack made by the reserve, whereas the attack requires an additional force to cover and assure the assembling and re-forming of the troops. The greater force is naturally required by the attacker, who must be stronger than the defender at the moment when the assault is made. The following would be required for making an attack on a front of 1000 m.:

Firing line                     1200 rifles Replacement of casualties (1/2)  600   " Flank protection                  400   " Reserve                         2000   "                                 -          Total                  4200 rifles

This would be equivalent to 4.2 rifles per meter of front.

These figures can only serve as a very general guide, of course, and should be considered minima.

The number of troops required for attack or defense must be determined separately for each individual case. At Lovtcha, 25 battalions, 92 guns, and 15 sotnias were not considered too large a force for attacking 8000 Turks with only 6 guns. At Gorni Dubniac, 3 infantry divisions of the Guard, with 90 guns, attacked 6 weak Turkish battalions having only 4 guns. After the first two unsuccessful assaults on Plevna, the Russians overestimated the strength of the enemy. Osman Pasha's force was estimated at 80,000 men, and, consequently, during the September assaults, 90,000 men and 400 guns were deemed necessary to attack barely 40,000 Turks and 60 guns.