Walking fire

Prithe Nunckle be content, this is a naughty night to swim in, now a little fire in a wild field, were like an old leachers heart, a small sparke, all the rest in bodie cold, looke here comes a walking fire.

Had we no walking fire, Nor saucer-ey'd devil of these woods That led us ?

Do you expect such infallible Direction, from such a Will with a Whisp, or walking Fire, that leads you into such Brakes of Contention and Bogs of Uncertainty.

The famous champion, St. Andrew of Scotland, travelled through ayale of walking spirits, most fearful to behold, and had not seen the light of the sun or moon for seven days, but was guided by a walking fire, till he came to a castle, before which lay the giant whom St. Anthony slew, his flesh was rent and torn by wild foxes, crows, and such like.

Sometimes he'd counterfeit a voyce, And travellers call astray ; Sometimes a walking fire he'd be, And lead them from their way.

To counter this the French introduced 'walking fire'. The infantry used man-carried automatic weapons to keep the defender pinned down with a continuous hail of bullets for those last dangerous yards.

Walking fire was used to sweep an area with artillery. Assaulting infantry often approached an objective from behind the walking fires; this kept the enemy under cover until the assaulting troops were almost on top of them.

Although difficult to learn and to perform, walking fire, when practiced in co-ordination with hand- and rifle grenadiers, was the essence of training for the assault.

In the Pacific theater, the navy, marines, and army learned and perfected the technique of providing assaulting infantry with a wall of walking fire.