It might be well to mention here that thin and dense skirmish lines, when under fire, lose an equal number of men in proportion to their strength, provided the front occupied by them is the same.
RESULTS OF A FIRING TEST AGAINST THIN AND DENSE
SKIRMISH LINES.
FIRE AT WILL, FREEHAND FROM A PRONE POSITION.
==============+=============+=======+======+====+========+=========+=======
| Range & | | | | Hits. | Figures |
Target. | Elevation: |No. of |No. of|Time| | hit. |Figures
| m. |rifles.|shots.|min.| | % | | % |missed.
+-+-++++—-+++-
180 head | 680 | 166 | 1268 | 5 | 54 | 4 | 49 | 27 | 131
targets |Elevation | | | | | | | |
placed at |used: first | | | | | | | |
intervals of |600 then | | | | | | | |
1-2 paces. |700 m. | | | | | | | |
+-+-++++—-+++-
90 head | 680 | 166 | 850 | 5 | 35 | 4 | 27 | 30 | 63
targets |Elevation | | | | | | | |
placed at |used: first | | | | | | | |
intervals of |600 then | | | | | | | |
3-4 paces. |700 m. | | | | | | | |
+-+-++++—-+++-
The superior effect of fire on the dense skirmish line, as expressed by the greater number of hits, and in consequence thereof, by the gradually growing number of figures hit, is apparent. It is worthy of note and at first glance strange that, presupposing the two lines considered occupy an equal front, the percentage of figures hit is the same. The explanation of this lies in the fact that in correctly distributed fire any specified front space is equally covered with hits so that it is immaterial for the relative proportion of figures hit whether an equal number of figures is removed
- [Footnote: position, individual men sprang out of the shelter trench at intervals of 10-25
paces, rushed forward for about 30 m., or perhaps farther, where they threw themselves down and fired. This procedure was repeated until a new skirmish line, with the men approximately 3 paces apart, had been formed about 100-150 m. in front of the trench mentioned. The rest of the men, who until this moment had remained in the trench, now rushed forward in groups of 5-10 men for distances of 30 m., for the purpose of reaching the advanced line."]
