Trenches had been dug near a crest, on a forward slope or at the rear of a reverse slope, which replicated the obsolete positions being abandoned.
32.
The British deployed their soldiers on reverse slopes when possible to avoid losses from artillery fire, but all other nations generally arrayed their soldiers in the open.
33.
The defenders subsequently withdrew from their forward positions, but refused to give up the position, occupying the reverse slope on the western side of the ridge.
34.
Arriving ahead of the Japanese, the Marines began firing down on them, killing 40 in a one sided battle that pushed them down the reverse slope.
35.
The combination of indirect fire and the reverse slope on which they found themselves afforded a degree of cover, and mist from the heavy rain provided some concealment.
36.
Under Ian Hamilton, they had constructed a line of forts, sangars and entrenchments on the reverse slope of the Platrand, of which the Boers were unaware.
37.
The terrain offered the Americans the opportunity of a reverse slope defence and two companies of the 506th PIR lined up along the hedgerows at the bottom of Hill 30.
38.
The Shropshire Canal also used inclined planes, but Reynolds modified his design somewhat, replacing the lock chambers and gates at the top of the inclines with reverse slopes.
39.
That afternoon, General Gay ordered the five American tanks to move along the Waegwan road until they could fire onto the hill from the northwest into its reverse slope.
40.
A wide field of fire was unnecessary and to be dispensed with, to make each part of the position defensible by placing defences on reverse slopes, concealed from ground observation
