Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 14, 10 February - 30 March 1917, Part 10

(2). 
the time being, under the direct orders of the Brigadier and at his
disposal; although he would not normally be sent away on a special
mission without my sanction being first obtained.
Major-General.-
Commanding Third Australian Division.
D.C.

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
[*R*]
Divisional Headquarters,
1/3/17.
Precis of Lecture by Divisional Commander, 1/3/17.
[*for MSS notes see 25/2/17*]
Hitherto the underlying principle of infantry action in the
attack has been that there is to be nothing that is to be regarded
as normal or stereotyped or sealed pattern. The proposals
now put forward involve a very important departure from previously
accepted principles.
Quoted passage from Inf. Training 1914, page 120.
The commander-in-Chief has decided that under existing conditions
the principle quoted must be suppressed and that it has ceased to
be xxxxxxxxx undesirable to have a definite and unvarying system
of formation for attack.
We may take it that the new formation now being laid down will
apply not only in the earlier stages of the offensive against works
organized for a long time, but to the intermediate phases, and
right down to the conditions which will exist in the moving battle.
G.H.Q. has been collecting information from all those qualified
to express opinions on this question of the xxxx  best and most
successful xx formations for offensive action, with the result that
it has now been decided that that there shall no longer be a diversity
of opinion. That Armies, Corps, and Divisions should no longer
please themselves as to the formations which should be adopted, but
that a standard form of attack is to be legalized and introduced for
the whole army. And the Commander-in-Chief is very emphatic that it
must apply right down to every Battalion of the Army at the Front.
The smaller the formation, the more rigid and inflexible are
to be the dispositions.
Orders on the subject will be promulgated within the Division
but in the xxx mean time the best thing is to explain to Commanders
within the Division, who should take full notes as possible and get
to work immediately so that when the orders &c. come forward,
Commanders will already be far on the road to carrying xxx the
instructions into effect.
The only principles of attack hereafter will be these.
1. Full application of the principle of a defined objective.
Every body of infantry will have a defined, definite xxxxxxx
and limited objective previously ascertained and determined.
2. The ^second principle is that the formation is inflexible for the
smaller Units, particularly for the platoon, and nearly for the
Company, but for the Battalion the principle formation is thoroughly flexible
and permits of a large amount of variability according to circumstances.
PLATOON
Certain factors always fixed and never varied.-
1. Formation in frontage,
2. Arrangement of various weapons
3. Position of leaders.
Variable factors.-
1. Frontage of platoon in length
2. Depth of formation   in linear measurement
COMPANY
Formation very nearly flexible inflexible.
Attacks in the formation of 2 platoons in the front
line and 2 in the second line.
 

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1/3/17.
BATTALION
Number of waves ^variables is considerable in varying  according to.-
1. Number of objectives allotted
2. Nature of objectives
3. Frontage allotted to the Bn.
4. Nature of artillery Barrage. (most important)
PLATOON Attention drawn to orders recently issued by Div. Commander
with regard to re-organization of platoons
Platoon Headquarters shall consist of 4 O.R. apart from
Platoon Commander.- viz.- Platoon Sgt., Platoon Officer's Batman,
and 2 runners.
Every Platoon will have its own Lewis Gun, and it is
hoped for this purpose to issue up to 16 per Bn.
The Bn. Bombing Platoon is also split up and expert
bombers come back to the Platoon; also rifle grenadiers, scouts.,
&c. are restored. One EXCEPTION is that Bn. H.Q. retain 20 trained
scouts who must also be trained as runners. The Platoon and the
Company no longer contain anything but fighting men. Q.M.S., Cooks,
Saddlers, Shoemakers, &c. go to Administrative Bn. H.Q. They work
for the Platoon but are not part of the fighting Unit.
As to numbers of platoons, it will be found that with the
reduction of Bn. H.Q. to 80 for the fighting and 70 for the Administrative
^portion Platoons will average something like 46 men (including Platoon
Headquarters of 4) and the Commander-in-Chief has laid down that
a platoon must never fall below 26, and if owing to Battle casualties
platoons fall below this number they will be merged temporarily xxx xxx
thus making a less number of platoons in the Bn.
Weapons with which Platoon is provided.-
1. Rifle and bayonet
2. Hand grenade
3. Lewis Gun
4. Rifle Grenade.
These may be grouped in different ways.- e.g.- as Long range and Short
range weapons. Short range.- Bayonet and Bomb
                                Long range.- Rifle Grenade and Lewis Gun.
                                                 or
Bomb and Rifle Grenade - Weapons for xxxx xxxxx underground
                                                      warfare, for getting at men in trenches
Rifle and Lewis Gun           - Weapons for over-ground.
Lewis Gun                             - Weapon of opportunity
Rifle Grenade                       - Howitzer of the Platoon.
Think out possibilities and capabilities of each weapon so that
the proper weapon may be supplied for the proper purpose at the proper
time.
Seeing there are 4 different weapons and the Platoon is normally
organized into 4 sections, it follows that the natural and logical
arrangement will be to place one class of weapon in the hands of each
section of the platoon. Thus platoons will be composed as follows.
Headquarters   4
1 Section              Bombers
1      "                      Riflemen Lewis Gunners
1      "                      Riflemen
1      "                      Rifle Grenadiers.
That is the manner in which you will organize for attack,
but NOT the manner in which you will train. The idea of intense
specialization on the part of the individual soldier is to be done
away with. In the actual battle you will have to pick men and arrange
them in 4 sections as detailed. Or, what is preferable, tell off your
sections to those various duties. E.g. No. 1 section firing  fight with
the bayonet to-day, No. 2 with the Lewis Gun, No. 3 with the Rifle Grenade
No. 4 xxxxx Bombers. If the standard of training is not high enough for
that to be done, he must select his men.
The Platoon fights invariably in 2 lines, and the two lines
together form a wave.
                                  or
A wave consists of 2 lines. One platoon provides one wave.
 

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1/3/T7.
Short range weapons always go in the first line, but ^the flank on
which bombers and Lewis Guns are, is not fixed. It is usual
to have them on the outer flank if a flank platoon.
Never put Lewis Guns or Rifle Grenadiers in the front line.
For the rear platoons the formation is the same except the
position of leaders. In the case of the second or following
waves the Platoon Commander is with his headquarters in the
first line, the Platoon Sergeant in the second line.
LEWIS GUNS.
The Lewis Gun is the weapon of the platoon. I do not
mean by that that if the tactical situation requires it, that
it should not be competent for Company or Battalion Commanders
to detach Lewis Guns and put them in some predetermined place.
E.g. supposing these platoons were destined to form a flank
of attack and their role was to form, after the attack, a
defensive flank, it would be a very good idea to double the
number of Lewis Guns in the flank platoons and take them away
from platoons in the centre. So one normal employment of the
Lewis Gun would be to strengthen the number of Lewis Guns in the
flank platoons, or to strengthen the number of Lewis Guns in the
leading wave, wherxxxxx the leading wave goes to the furthest
objective. It would be quite normal therefore for the Bn.
Commander to determine that an extra number of Lewis Guns
shall be taken by certain platoons.
With this single EXCEPTION which remains in the hands
of the Bn. Commander, the Lewis Gun normally goes with the
platoon.
MOPPERS UP. This is the crucial kernel of the whole matter.
You know what happened until we discovered the German
tactical method, which was to hold his men and protect them from
artillery bombardment by getting them into deep dugouts waiting
for the moment for our leading waves to pass over the front
trenches, whereupon they simply hoped out of their dugouts and
let us have it in the back.
The answer is the "Mopper up" Which is the most
important part of the ^new disposition for attack.
Whether a wave stops ^at a trench or passes over, there must be
moppers up definitely detailed to deal with the trench. They
either bayonet or shoot or capture any of the enemy in the
trench, picket entrances to dugouts and prevent the enemy from
issuing, they bomb the dugouts or take the people who are
hiding in them prisoners, and set to work to clear communications
forward from the line to the next line, and when the work is
done they escort prisoners back and assist to consolidate.
In order to enable all this work to be skilfully
and effectively done, these moppers up must first of all be
specially selected men. Not specially trained, but he ^each man must be
told he is a mopper up, not to seize trenches or anything else,
he must be told 'You see that trench, (4th or 5th say) your job
is to mop up that trench." The moppers up must be in sufficient
quantity. They must be under their own commander, a man they
know, and who knows them, and most important of all they must not
be taken from a Unit in front of then under any circumstances
whatever.  If taken from a leading platoon wave, the inevitable
result will be that when the first platoon wave reaches his
objective and crosses it, the moppers up go with it; but if they
do not belong to that platoon, and are under their own commander
in rear they will stay and they understand that is their job to
stay.  And if they do not stay there is every chance of the whole
attack failing.
The essential of the attack is that the moppers up
(may be 5 lines) must go straight for their objective and stay
there.
Moppers up must always precede the wave which is to
capture their particular objective. They must get to the
objective before the people told off to take it. For that
reason you will always take moppers up and organize them from
either the Unit which is to take the objective which they are
mop up or else from a Unit in rear . perhaps another Company of
 

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1/3/I7.
the Battalion, perhaps another Battalion; BUT UNDER NO 
CIRCUMSTANCES FROM A UNIT IN FRONT.
During the early stages of offensive when attacking from
trenches against highly organized defences it is
probable, ^that the density of our attacking waves will be so great that
we shall not be able to spare moppers up from the attacking
Unit at all.  Arrangements will have to be made with the
Brigade to get moppers up told offf from some other Unit
altogether. But later on, when the enemy's defences come to be
more hastily xxxxxxxxs organized, with fewer dugouts, fewer
strong points and Machine Gun positions, it will be found possible
without unduly affecting the platoons to allow the platoon wave
itself to find the moppers up for a particular objective to
precede them and clean up that objective for them.
Moppers up must wear badges. - A white band 1½" wide
above the elbow on the left arm.
NOTE - In "Instructions for Training of Divisions for Offensive
Action" page.17, sub para. 6 of para. 4. - This is superseded.
Moppers up are a distinct party moving in a distinct line
by themselves, told off for a definite objective under their own
leaders, and every sort of care has to be taken that they are
told exactly what they have to do, & how far they have to go.
ACTUAL FORMATION FOR THE ATTACK.
Objectives - Objectives may be many things.- Lines of trenches
(by far one most ordinary). Strong points, Fortified houses,
villages, or woods; and they may, and generally will be
successively in depth and of different natures.
These objectives are numbered in one way only. The
objective nearest to the jumping off point is the first objective.
The rest are numbered consecutively forwards
For every one of these objectives there is to be a distinct
wave, and only one wave.
RULES - Constructed for the purpose of the lecture because they
sum up the underlying principles.
1. Moppers up always precede the wave for which they are to
mop up.
2. If the barrage does not halt between objectives, the
leading wave goes to the furthest objective.
3. If the barrage does halt between objectives, the "Leap-frog"
plan is the best.
4. The wave which carries the objective, nearest to each halt
of the barrage does its own mopping up.
5. No wave must pass over any objective unless there are provided, 
and immediately following it, moppers up, specially told
off for the objective.
Suppose Battalion formed up on frontage of 400 yds.
     2 companies in front
     2          "              in rear.
     Each Platoon 100 yards of front
Four waves. - These 4 waves into which the Bn. has been formed
have to take 4 objectives. which wave is to go for each
objective? - What determines that? Only one thing, the nature
of the Artillery Barrage. - If it is a creeping barrage that
is not going to halt, it is essential that the leading wave must
go to the furthest objective. If that is not done, the barrage
would run away from the Infantry
What determines whether the barrage moves or halts?
The whole artillery action of the offensive is in the hands of
the Corps Commander, and the action of the barrage is determined
chiefly by the distance between the objectives. Whenever the
 

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barrage can halt it will be halted to allow the Infantry time
to reform and to get up. But the barrage cannot halt if the
objectives are close together because that would be dangerous
for our Infantry.
If the barrage can halt, the lending wave goes to the
objective nearest to the halt.
HALTING BARRAGE
Say 400 yards frontage and 4 objectives, and the barrage is to
halt on the 3rd objective. - 4 waves
       1st wave goes to objective before, ^the one on which barrage
                                        halts - No. 2
       2nd wave goes to 1st Objective.
       3rd wave goes to 4th       "
       4th wave goes to 3rd        "
Moppers up would then be as per diagram No.1
First and third waves do not require any moppers up because
they do not leave the trenches they capture.
         1st wave to 2nd objective does its own mopping up
         2nd wave to 1st objective, requires moppers up to precede it
         3rd wave "Leapfrogg" and goes ahead of barrage and takes
                             objective 4 - Do not require moppers up.
         4th wave does require moppers up to precede it.
CREEPING BARRAGE.
In this case Moppers up are arranged in reverse order to objective.
Frontage and Distances
Frontage varies 3 yards and 5 yards interval according to
character of the objective, whether it is highly organized or
not well organized
Depths between Platoon lines will vary xxx between 50 15 and
25 yards :   Between rear line of wave and the moppers up line or
between lines of moppers up will vary between l5 and 25 yards,
and the distances between waves will vary between 50 and 100
yards.
During assembly they will have to crowd up and form a
shallow object, otherwise they may suffer from enemy barrage.
Battalion reserves. 
When a Bn. rests  ^comes to a halt wIth 4 objectives captured, the Bn. is
organized in depth already, and under normal circumstances would
not require reserves, but in the earlier stages of the offensive,
when the density of our lines will have to be greater it will
be desirable to organize reserves.
           1st. A body from which moppers can be drawn
           2nd. To provide carrying parties
           3rd As an actual tactical reserve in the hands of the
                              xxxxxxxx Commander.
In organizing mopping up parties, they must always be taken from
Units in rear.
Carrying parties.
No orders for attack are complete, and no attack can succeed
unless the Bn. Commander has made most careful and detailed
arrangements Before-hand for organizing xxx xxx carrying parties.
Order of importance.
1. Bombs, because they are the weapon by which you
               can keep off close fighting.
2. Picks and shovels, - to dig yourselves in.
3. Ammunition
4. Sandbags.
5. Water
6. Light signals
7. Wire for entanglement
8. Rations
 

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1/3/17.
Initial letters of words in following sentence will serve us
nemonic  for order of importance.
"Better provide all soldiers wanting leave with rations".
EXAMPLE - Detail task allotted to a Bn.
Supposing Bn. Commander has been told that he is to attack a
given line of trenches on a frontage of 300 yards.
           3 lines of trenches.
           Support line 70 yards back
           Rear line 300 yards back.
           Barrage will halt 10 minutes on rear line.
He is given photographs, makes a xxxxx careful examination of
these and makes up him mind ------  see diagram No. 4
No moppers up for second line.
Does require moppers up for 1st line.
First one wave takes second objective
Moppers up for first objective follow them
second wave has to take first objective and last wave has to take
furthest objective.
Where do moppers up come from?
Right from reserves
Left from 2 rear platoons because the job is easier.
Battalion headquarters is not to move until the first objective is
obtained. This does not mean the Bn. Cdr. cannot go forward.
But his Headquarters must not move.
LINES OF TRAINING
1. Individual training.- Every man has to be a bomber.
Every man has to be a bayonet man except No. 1 Lewis Gunner who
is armed with a revolver.
Every man in the 2nd line must be able to fire a rifle grenade
or use a Lewis Gun.
Unless that can be achieved we will not get the flexibility
sought for.
2.  To teach platoon to form up in its normal formation, in correct
formation, to manoeuvre in close order, extended order, artillery
formation. By signal to pass from artillery formation into
2 lines to form wave. Teach wave to close in on itself and open
out. -                                                                                                          
3. Do same things with company.
Training Battalion
The Battalion staff have to train themselves in quick
decision, and the way to do that is in the first place let work
be done indoors. Take all sorts of plans of trenches, maps and
photographs, and assume tasks given on 100, 200, 500 yards frontage.                                                    
600 yards is the maximum for a Battalion. - Solve the task set.
Decide dispositions of companies, moppers up, allotment of
objectives. Write down clear orders.   - When the Bn. staff                                                                         
can do that indoors, take the field and start actual attack on
flag lines representing enemy trenches at different depths, and
finally, when they are fit enough to do it and not before, to
take the whole Battalion in actual attacks on replica trenches.
Impress platoon commanders that they have self-contained
command. Everything depends on the platoon commander's skill,
determination, judgment and courage.
 

1/3/17 - Diagram No. 1
Halting Barrage
Battalion
Diagram - see original document 
Diagram No. 2
Creeping Barrage
Battalion
Diagram - see original document 

1/3/17
Diagram No. 3
PLATOON
Diagram - see original document 
Diagram No. 4 

CONFIDENTIAL.
Headquarters,
3rd Australian Division.
The Corps Commander is doubtful if T/Lieut.Col.
H.O.Clogstoun,C.R.E. is suitable as C.R.E. to your Division
having regard to the active operations which it may be
shortly called upon to undertake. He would be glad if a
definite expression of opinion from you on this subject.
Alec Delavoye
Brig.General,
D.A. & Q.M.G., 2nd A.N.Z.A.C. Corps.
Headquarters,
1. 3. 1917.