Musketry

World War 1Guide for Weapons Handling

1917
Government Printing Office

This manual on "Musketry" was approved by the War Department, and published for use in the instruction and training of the Armies of the United States.

PARTIAL TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Chapter I.-The Conduct of Fire
The private, position and duties
The corporal, position and duties
The platoon guides, position and duties
The platoon leader, position and duties
The first sergeant
The range estimators
The buglers, position and duties
The captain, position and duties
The battalion staff, position and duties
The major, position and duties
The colonel, position and duties
Chapter II.-Military Terms
Chapter III.-The Theory of Fire
Definitions
The trajectory
The propelling forces
Gravity
Resistance of the air
Other factors affecting angle of departure,sighting of rifles, jump, drift, fixing thebayonet, rests, oily barrel, rigidity of trajectory
The sheaf
The danger space
Effect of slopes and sites
Ricochets
Influence of the point of aim
Combined sights
The battle sight
Chapter IV.-Instruments
Field glasses
The Galilean glass
The Porro prism glass
To determine interpupilary distance
To focus the eyepiece
Characteristics of a good field glass, power, light, field
Suggestions for the use of glasses in the field
Care and preservation
Exercises in the use of field glasses
The mil as an angular unit of measure
The rear sight leaf
The finger
The mil rule
The musketry rule
The mil rule as a range finder and telemeter
Switching fire
Use of musketry rule in connection with combined sights
Chapter V.-Designation and Recognition of Service
Targets
Target designation
Methods of designation (horizontal and verticlock systems, use of auxiliary aiming
target, reference point)
Suggested exercises
Chapter VI.-Visual Training
Suggested exercises
Chapter VII.-The Determination of Ranges
Estimating distances
Collective estimating
Range estimators
Taking the range from a map
Obtaining the range from troops already engaged
Measuring the range directly on the ground
Estimating distance by sound
Range finders
Range cards and range marks
Simple range cards for attack and defense
Ranging
Chapter VIII.-Fire Distribution
Switch method
In defense
Exercises in target distribution
Aiming tripod
Chapter IX.-Auxiliary Aiming Targets
The range, scale for use with auxiliary targets
Use of musketry rule to obtain sight setting
Choice of an aiming target
Chapter X.-Battle-Field Communication
Messengers
Verbal messages
Duties of messengers
Exercises to teach communication and the use of
signals
Chapter XI.-The Use of Cover
Firing from cover
Cover from shell fire
Chapter XII.-Battle-Field Reconnaissance and the
Selection of Firing Positions
Battle reconnaissance
Personnel and training
Equipment
Area covered
Routes
Firing positions
Reconnaissance at night
Chapter XIII.-Fire Tactics
Troop leading
The choice of target
The density of the firing line
Kinds of fire (indirect, unaimed of position orcovering, enfilade, concentrated, distributed, converging, mutual supporting or covering)
Rate and volume of fire
Distance between echelons
Observation of fire
Chapter XIV.-Vulnerability of Formations
Chapter XV.-Night Firing
Chapter XVI.-Ammunition Supply
Chapter XVII.-Musketry in Trench Warfare
Chapter XVIII.-The Solution of Fire Problems
The solution
The fire estimate (observation of targets, deof ranges, relative importance of targets, strength of firing lines, location of firing positions, classes of fire, rate of fire, time of opening fire, formations in advancing under fire, ammunition supply)
The fire order (announcement of the sight set, designation of targets, directions as to occupation of fire positions, rate of fire, class of fire, time of opening fire, position of leaderduring fire)

Published in 1917, this valuable guide gives the hobbyist or professional key information about musketry and defense from the World War One era. Packed with 255 pages of vital information on CD.

This volume is offered as a digital reprint of a 20th century book, in order to make it "accessible and affordable" to you. This text has been digitized. US Army, Tactics, Weapons and Handling, Muskets, Rifles, Firearms, Shooting, WWI.

255 pages in electronic format. Winning bidder to receive an Ebook on CD in Adobe PDF Format.