The Japanese, whose mode of waging war was very cautious, fortified the initial positions from which their attacks were made, in order that they might have rallying positions in case of defeat.[1]
2. In intrenching after making an advance under cover of darkness to within effective range of the enemy for the purpose of opening fire at daybreak. In this case, the advancing force is, as a rule, instructed to advance until it comes under hostile fire and then to intrench.[2]
3. In intrenching an echelon posted to cover advancing infantry.
4. In fortifying a captured position. The want of intrenching tools in quickly putting captured positions in a state of defense, so often felt during the Franco-German war and the Russo-Turkish war, has now been removed by the introduction of portable tools.[3] The necessity of quickly pre-*
- ↑ On July 19th, 1904, the 12th Infantry Division (Ist Army) had pushed back Russian troops at Shaotao and at once fortified a position 2700 m. from the new Russian position at Yushuling. From this position the 12th Division advanced, on July 31st, as a Russian attack had not taken place. The extended fortifications facing the Russian Shaho position were made with the same end in view. The war in the Far East was one of positions, since neither army possessed sufficient freedom of action. See p. 841, et seq, supra.
- ↑ During the attack on Paardeberg, on February 27th, 1900, the Canadians were ordered to advance before daybreak from their trenches located 500 m. from the Boer position, and to throw themselves down and to intrench as soon as they were fired upon. This was done when the force was 100 m. from the enemy. Kriegsgeschichtliche Einzelschriften, 33, p. 60. The Japanese 45th Infantry, in its advance under cover of darkness against Oerrshikiatsi (Shaho) was first fired upon at a range of 1000 m., whereupon the men threw themselves down and intrenched; when the hostile fire abated, the regiment advanced again, and when the enemy resumed his fire, it intrenched. A third advance brought the regiment within 500 m. of the defender's position and it was able to make the assault during the forenoon of October 12th, 1904.
- ↑ Examples: The French in St. Privat. The Germans and later the French in Noisseville. on September 1st, 1870. Villepion, on December 1st, 1870 (Hönig, Volkskrieg, III, p. 257; Kunz, Loigny, p. 49): Les Granges, on January 11th, 1871 (Geschichte des Regiments Nr. 20. p. 297). Fortifying the position on the second ridge of the Green Hills in front of Plevna, on September 10th, 1877 (Kuropatkin-Krahmer, II, p. 178). Tempel Hill (Terrayama), on October 11th, 1904. In the last mentioned case three offensive returns were repulsed from the captured position, which had been prepared for defense. The fights for the possession of the village of Linchinpu (on the right bank of the Shaho, north of the railway), captured on October 14th, were still more obstinate; the position had to be prepared for defense under hostile artillery fire. (von Tettau, Achtzehn Monate mit Russlands Heeren in der Mandschurei, II, p. 136).
