Military Field Manuals 1900-1913

Military Field Manuals 1900-1913

2,461 pages of military manuals, lectures, regulations, textbooks, memoranda, and handbooks dating from 1904 to 1910. These publications show the state of United States military arts heading into the years of World War I.

The disc contains a text transcript of all recognizable text embedded into the graphic image of each page of each document, creating a searchable finding aid. Text searches can be done across all files on the disc.
 

The 36 titles include:

Field Service Regulations 1905

Enumerates and details basic standards for a wide range of items making up military existence.

Some of the many topics covered include: Land forces of the United States. Details of organization. The issue and transmission of orders. The service of security. Outposts. Marches. Combat. Advantages of the defensive. Advantages of the offensive. The plan of attack. Night operations. Ammunition supply. The field ration. Transportation. Shelter. Camps. Bivouacs. Medical and sanitary service. Instructions for government of armies of the United States in time of war. Prisoners of war. Deserters. Hostages. Insurrection.


Infantry Drill Regulations, United States Army, 1904

Topics include School of the soldier. Instruction without arms. Setting-up exercises. Steps and marches. Instruction with arms. Manual of arms. Instruction of the skirmisher. School of the squad. Turnings. To stack and take arms. Positions kneeling and lying down. Inspection of arms. Loadings and firings. Extended order.


The Rifle in War by CPT Henry E. Eames (1908)

This 110-page manual is concerned with teaching two things, the effect of small arms fire, and the means of securing superiority of fire.


Manual for Privates of Infantry of the Organized Militia of the United States (1909)

Subject headings include: Enlistment oath. Obedience. Loyalty. Discipline. Military courtesy. Salutes, out of ranks. Rank and precedence. Regulations governing militia. Uniforms. Service kit. Rations. Rifle. Infantry drill regulations. School of the soldier. Manual of arms. Instruction of the skirmisher. Infantry drill regulations. School of the squad. Marching. Loadings and firings. Manual of bayonet exercises. Prisoners. Reveille and retreat gun. Patrols. Advance and rear guards. Outposts. Combat. Care of health. First-aid rules.


New Field Artillery Material, It's Characteristics and Powers by Captain Oliver L. Spaulding, Jr. (1905)

Around this time the United States Army was rearming its field artillery with an entirely new type of gun. The Manual covers the basics of a new generation of field artillery the U.S. army was embracing. The new weapons belonged to a class known as "rapid firers".

With the old 3.2" field gun, which were being withdrawn from service, to open its breech, it was necessary to unlock the mechanism by lifting a lever, rotate the breech-block, pull it to the rear, and swing it to one side. All these operations were performed in the new guns by simply moving one lever. In the old guns, the projectile had first to be inserted and rammed home, then the powder charge pushed in. The newer ammunition was fixed. The older guns having been loaded and the breech closed, a primer, to which a lanyard had previously been hooked, was inserted in the vent, and all the cannoneers had to step clear of the piece. With the newer guns, the primer was not a separate part, but was fixed in the cartridge case; and was not necessary for the cannoneers to step clear before firing. In aiming the older guns, the only way to point it for direction was to move the trailer, an essentially slow and inaccurate method; and the sight had to be removed from its socket before firing. The newer guns could be traversed on its carriage, by means of a gear in the hands of the gunner himself, who remains during the firing with his eye at the sight, keeping the piece continuously trained on the target.


Field Fortification by CPT Edwin T. Cole and CPT James A. Woodruff

This publication does not deal with building a strong defensive position prepared for a large force, nor hasty built entrenchments thrown up to enable a battle line to hold positions gained. It deals generally with a position prepared with the object of making it possible for a force, to which a particular duty has been assigned, to perform this duty for a limited time when opposed by a superior force.



The titles in the collection are:

2nd Lecture on Field Signal Communications, CPT William "Billy" Mitchell (1905)

A Study in Camp Sanitation by MAJ Edward L. Munson (1910)

Artillery in Attack by Captain Robert H.C. Kelton (1904)

Cavalry in Defense by Captain Ewing E. Booth (1904)

Cavalry on the Offensive by Captain Malin Craig (1904-1905)

Field Fortification by CPT Edwin T. Cole and CPT James A. Woodruff

Field Orders (1907)

Field Service Regulations 1905 (1905)

Field Service Regulations, United States Army, 1910 (1910)

Fire Control and Direction for Coast Artillery by Captain Clint C. Hearn (1907)

Firing Regulations for Small Arms for the United States Army and the Organized Militia of the United States, 1904 (1904)

Infantry Drill Regulations, United States Army, 1904 (1904)

Law of Negotiable Instruments by MAJ Daniel H. Boughton (1908)

Lectures on Patrols, Advance Guards and Outposts, by MAJ John F. Morrison (1910)

Lines of Information as Illustrated by an Outpost Problem by CPT Palmer E. Pierce (1908)

Manual for Privates of Infantry of the Organized Militia of the United States, 1909 (1909)

Method of Determining Visibility from a Contured Map (1904)

Modern Method of Fortifying a Position by CPT James A. Woodruff

New Field Artillery Material, It's Characteristics and Powers by Captain Oliver L. Spaulding, Jr. (1905)

Notes on Rangefinders, Compasses and on Contouring with the Scale of Horizontal Equivalents (1905)

Orders by MAJ Eben Swift (1905)

Preparation for Defence by CPT William Glassford (1909)

Provisional Drill Regulations for Signal Corps Troops (1907)

Soldier's Handbook (1908)

Tactics of Field Artillery by Captain Oliver L. Spaulding Jr. (1905)

The Army at a Halt in Cantonment, Camp and Bivouac, 1LT George E. Thorne (1904)

The Army Horseshoer, 1910 (1910)

The Buzzer and other Devices for Induction Telegraphy by MAJ Edgar Russel (1909)

The Rifle in War by CPT Henry E. Eames (1908)

Use of the Signal Corps as an Aid to Maneuvers by CPT J.B. Allison (1908)

Weapons and Munitions of War, 1907 Part I by CPT Charles Crawford (1907)

Weapons and Munitions of War, 1907 Part II by CPT John P. Ryan (1907)

Weapons and Munitions of War, 1907 Part III by CPT Oliver L. Spaulding (1907)

Weapons and Munitions of War, 1907 Part IV by MAJ Charles McK. Saltzman (1907)

Weapons and Munitions of War, 1907 Part V by MAJ George O. Squier (1907)

Weapons and Munitions of War, Field Equipment for Signal Troops by MAJ Edgar Russel (1908)