king, no lights.

{147}

When halted, men may lie down in their places, but must not quit the
ranks.

NIGHT ADVANCES.--Night advances are the movement of deployed troops to
gain ground towards the hostile position with a view to delivering an
assault at dawn. They may take place as a preliminary to an engagement,
or to continue one already begun with increased prospects of success. In
the first case they are usually the sequel to a Night March, and in
either case they are generally followed by an attack at dawn. Surprise
is the main object, even when they are undertaken for the purpose of
gaining ground difficult to cross in daylight, from which to renew an
engagement, as frequently happens during a campaign in a War of
Manoeuvre, while such advances are common features of Position Warfare.
In any case the ground won must be consolidated immediately, as a
counter-attack at or before dawn may always be expected, and if the
ground offers difficulties for entrenching, the necessary materials must
be carried by the troops. Successive advances of this nature may enable
the troops to reach a jumping-off place for the final assault, and such
advances may be made on successive nights, the ground won being defended
meanwhile against counter-attacks. Unless troops are already deployed
for the advance, a Position of Assembly will need to be selected, with a
further Position of Deployment; but these positions sometimes coincide.
The deployment will be, as a rule, into shallow columns on a narrow
frontage at deploying intervals, in order that the final deployment of
the leading columns into the Forward Troops of the Attack may take place
without delay when the moment for the assault arrives. On reaching the
objective of the advance these columns would deploy into line, and each
unit would entrench itself on the new position. As it is essential for
success that _direction_ should be maintained and _connection_ preserved,
the ground over which the advance is to be made must be {148} examined
beforehand and landmarks noted, and touch must be kept by means of ropes
or any available device. Care must also be taken in consolidating the
position that the entrenchments have a general alignment towards the
enemy and that they are so sited as to protect from enfilade fire.

Night Assaults.--Night Assaults are delivered by troops already deployed
into attack formation. It is an established tactical principle that
"when the conditi