down the approaching enemy riflemen at their leisure. Were it not for the artillery barrage, not one attack in a hundred made against strong works held by determined machine gunners could achieve success, while the losses of the attacking Infantry would outnumber those of the defenders to a colossal extent.
While, however, the artillery fire is mainly directed towards the protection of the advancing Infantry, it has other rôles to play as well. By the inclusion of rounds of smoke shell, a dense wall of fog can be formed which hot only hides the advancing Infantry from sight, but which, under favourable circumstances, may shroud the whole battlefield. It may thus entirely obscure the intentions of the attacker, rendering if very difficult indeed for the defender to counter his moves. Such a fog may, and probably will, exercise a definite influence in favour of the attacking side, which possesses the initiative and is able to make the greatest use of the power and moral effect of unexpected action.
Again, a well-thought-out barrage has a very decisive effect in enabling the assaulting Infantry to rest and reorganize at intermediate objectives selected by the staff as suitable places for pauses in the operations.
A normal barrage will also assist the attacking troops in maintaining direction under adverse weather conditions and in the confusion and smoke of a battle. In an attack which involves an advance of several thousand yards to particular objectives, this function of the barrage is most important. The effect of the frontal barrage, or rather the effect of its absence, was to be well seen in the present battle. The men, accustomed to hear the guns behind them and the scream of the shells passing over their heads, were bewildered by the transverse fire of the enfilade barrage and lost direction very badly. Much
