yep, je me suis dis la même chose. And élite soldier in first line....

They are always useless against tripods as they are too aggressive for them and don't know when to back off. Against weaker opponents like zombies they are usually highly effective though.

In the book there is a tripod fighting a cruiser, but since it never seens a cruiser before the alien think this is a giant structure underwater with only the head outside, the cruiser explode on the tripod and both dies, there is also the artillery that manages to kill one tripod. Soliers and cavalery got crused instantly by the mysterious beam. They also drop some fog gaz the kills tons of people, with this fog in this battle they would had win for sure.