ABSTRACT
Fire also buried and destroyed many weapons held ready for fighting, communication cables and trench systems. This factor is not to be underestimated, although it is in no way as important as injury, death or the anxieties of the soldier. Even if fire is not accurate it can contribute considerably to confusion (Quotations 37 and 38). Later in this chapter we shall discuss stress reactions due to fire. Suffice it to say at this point that dust or accurately laid smoke may increase the already existing chaos during an engagement, because they eliminate the visual contact which is indispensable to any form of coordinated action (Quotation 160). Moreover, the fear of the unknown, as described in chapter 4, increases considerably. Experience is a major factor where fear is concerned. The soldier who comes under fire for the first time is considerably frightened (Quotation 33). This 'baptism of fire' raises his anxieties to a level seldom reached again. If he is able to control them under such tension, he will probably be able to endure more stress situations.
