Military Instructors Manual Part 56

Duties of Platoon Leaders as Officers on Duty with Company.

1. Report with old officer at company headquarters.

2. Make frequent inspections of all trenches occupied by company.

3. Visit each Listening Post; at least once during tour of duty.

4. Visit all sentinels and receive their reports.

5. See that one non-commissioned officer per platoon is on duty.

6. Receive reports of non-commissioned officers after they have posted sentinels.

7. At end of tour hand over to new officer all orders, a report of work in progress, and any useful information.

8. Report with new officer at Company Headquarters on completion of tour.

9. To report anything unusual to Company Headquarters.

10. To send dead and wounded to dressing station trenches.

11. To send patrols to front at night.

Duties of Platoon Leaders.

1. Must accompany company commander on inspection of trenches one day previous to occupying them.

2. Make necessary reliefs for his men in his segment.

3. Make a plan of defense and counterattack for his position or approve the one left there.

4. Establish sniping posts and arrange reliefs.

5. Establish Listening Posts and arrange reliefs.

6. a.s.sign non-commissioned officer to duty with platoon and arrange relief.

7. Instruct every man as to his place in case of attack.

8. Establish liaison with platoons on both flanks; and one runner to Company Headquarters.

9. Have one platoon guide report to Company Headquarters on day his platoon is to be relieved.

10. On completion of posting his platoon, report to his company commander.

11. Turn over to platoon relieving him all orders and data pertaining to his position.

12. Be especially attentive to rigid military discipline; _i.e._, every soldier to be neat; equipment must be clean at all times; to render the required salute when not observing or firing at the enemy.

13. Have one non-commissioned officer on duty at all times.

14. To inspect rifles, equipment and latrines twice daily.

(a) To have at least one latrine in working order at all times.

(b) To have a sentry on duty at each platoon dugout at all times.

(c) Establish one Observation Post in daytime.

15. In Front Line Trenches: (a) No smoking or talking to be allowed at night.

(b) Every man to wear his equipment except packs.

(c) Have rifle within reaching distance.

(d) All reliefs to be within kicking distance of soldier on duty.

16. Inspect at "Stand to" and report results to Company Headquarters, especially if each man has 170 rounds of ammunition and necessary grenades and bombs.

17. To be especially attentive to sanitation and care of the men's feet.

18. To have one (1) watcher and relief on duty at all times near platoon dugouts.

19. To get a good field of fire to his front and to cover the sector of each platoon on his flanks.

20. Make requisition for material.

21. To see that all of his men are properly fed.

22. Report to company commander when relieved.

23. Must know what every man is doing at all times.

Duties of Non-Commissioned Officer on Duty (Each Platoon).

1. To make frequent inspections of the position occupied by his platoon.

2. To be responsible that each soldier knows his duties.

3. To report anything of special importance to officer on duty.

4. On being relieved to report with the new non-commissioned officer to the officer on duty.

5. After posting sentinels to report "All is Well" to officer on duty.

6. Explain to his sentinel his duties, the position of Section and Platoon Commanders and of sentries on either side; and to caution his sentries when friendly patrols are out, the probable time and place of return.

7. Bayonets will always be fixed in front line trenches.

8. At night time to have double sentinel.

9. To see that each sentinel in daytime has a periscope.

10. Rifles to be loaded; no cartridge shall be in the chamber except when necessary to shoot.

11. To report to Company Headquarters any change in direction of wind.

Patrols.

1. Usual orders about patrols.

2. Always go out at night via the Listening Post; tell the men in the Listening Post your mission and probable time of return.

Sentinels.

1. To sound Klaxon horn on approach of gas attack.

2. To report immediately to non-commissioned officer on duty any change in direction of wind.

3. In cold weather to work bolt frequently to keep it from freezing.

4. At night to challenge only in case of necessity, and then only in a low tone. Challenge "_Hands up._"

5. Number of posts depends on a.s.sumed nearness of enemy and local conditions. Normally one per platoon by day and three double sentinels per platoon at night.

6. Relief kept close at hand. Report "All is Well," or otherwise, when officer pa.s.ses.

7. Screened from observation.

8. Remain standing unless height of parapet renders this impossible.

Machine Guns.

1. Non-commissioned officer and one (1) watcher on duty at all times.

2. Except in emergency they will not be fired from their regular emplacements.

3. Unless emplacements are well concealed, guns will not be mounted except between evening and morning "stand to."

4. Before dusk each gun will be sighted on some particular spot either in front of or behind the enemy's line.

5. Range cards will be prepared and kept with each gun.

Snipers.

1. Sniping Post consists of one (1) observer and one (1) rifleman with relief of two (2) men posted close by.

2. Sniping post should be well concealed.

3. Daily report from each post, of (a) Any work done by enemy.

(b) Enemy seen; place, uniform, apparent age, physique, equipment.

(c) Any other information of interest.

4. Sniper to be appointed from each section.

5. Must be intelligent, alert, good scout, good shot, courageous.