Note 297 — THE FORMAL TACTICS OF INFANTRY. (continued 6)

At the Austrian Musketry School it was found that it was not easy for a body of troops to fire on targets illuminated by the shaft of a search light; few men possessed the requisite eyesight to make this possible. It would no doubt be practicable, however, to attach such men to the machine guns posted in a defensive position. A considerable increase in fire effect could thus be obtained.

[298] Platoon volleys, directed for one minute on figures advancing from 1200-1100 paces, resulted in 5, fire at will, in 1¹⁄₂, and machine gun fire, in 3% hits. The three kinds of fire, when directed against 30 prone skirmishers, resulted, in one minute, in 13, 18, and 10% hits, respectively.