Provisional Small Arms Firing Manual - 1909

I collect old books on topics which interest me. The following is an excerpt from a 1909 U.S. War Department small arms instruction manual.

It interests me thatin 1909 the War Dept. considered accurate and effective rifle fire to be "the most important factor" in battle. I suspect that is not the case today.

I assume the manual is "provisional" because of the recent adoptions of the Model 1903 rifle and pending adoption of the Model 1911 pistol.

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[begin excerpt]

Provisional Small Arms Firing Manual

For the United States Army

and

For the Organized Militia of the United States

1909

War Department, Document No. 338, Office of the Chief of Staff

PART I.

GENERAL SCHEME

IMPORTANCE OF RIFLE FIRE – In an engagement of all arms rifle fire must always be the most important factor, and by it will the results of battles be most frequently decided.

NUMBER OF HITS ALL-IMPORTANT – As the effect of rifle fire depends upon the number of hits made, not upon the number of shots fired, it follows that troops untrained in fire discipline, fire direction, and fire control, and who can not hit what they shoot at, are of little value on the field of battle. To send troops into battle without thorough preparatory training in the use of their arms is to expose them to death uselessly.

OBJECT OF INSTRUCTION – The sole purpose of rifle training for the soldier is to make of him a good shot under war conditions, and a scheme of instruction will be effective in so far as it tends to produce that result. Such a scheme should be progressive in character, beginning with simple and easy exercises and advancing by stages to the more complex and difficult field firing exercises which represent as nearly as possible conditions which will confront the officer and soldier in action. The preliminary drills and the range practice, in sequence, are a preparation for field practice in which war conditions are simulated, and in each of these classes of instruction the idea of progression from the simple to more difficult is kept in view.

[end excerpt]

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The book is over 200 pages long and goes on to describe in detail training in the use of the rifle and revolver.

Regards

Jim

That's very interesting. Clearly shows a-soon-to-be obsolescent battle strategy though; WWI disproved the need for accurate rifle fire. (That's why they came up with gas!!) I suspect most casualties were caused by artillery and belt-fed MGs.

Frankly I don't see how much of anything beyond 100 yards could be hit with the sights on a 1903 in battle conditions and bad light...